THE PUNCH PEOPLE
Meet Louise Millroy, Founder
of Kinship Studio & Bar Souvenir
November 2023 • By The Punch Editors
Louise started Kinship in 2019 as the first creative co-working community on the Island. She loves connecting like-minded people and has been helping startups as a consultant. She also recently opened Bar Souvenir in Canggu, which has become a popular spot in town. Louise is passionate about what she does and aims to continue making a positive impact in the community.
INTERVIEW
"I truly believe in creating
a supportive and kind environment when working with your team."
YOU’VE HAD A REMARKABLE JOURNEY MANAGING YOUR CO-WORKING SPACE KINSHIP AND BAR SOUVENIR. CAN YOU SHARE SOME KEY LESSONS OR INSIGHTS THAT HAVE BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN YOUR SUCCESS AS AN ENTREPRENEUR?
"Thanks so much - it truly has been the wildest ride.
We opened Kinship in 2019 and Bar Souvenir in 2022 at the tail end of the pandemic. I think when I opened Kinship it was a right time/place situation where the market was really ready for a space to house creatives and entrepreneurs. I really tried to immerse myself in the community as much as I could before opening a physical business here to really understand what people wanted. We already had the offices filled before we opened the space and sold a lot of the co-working desks which was an exciting way to launch.
For Bar Souvenir, my business partner and I were really craving a space to have a chilled glass of wine, where the music wasn’t too hectic or loud. A place for a really nice low-key quality drink - so Souvenir was born.
My advice for success as an entrepreneur is just really try and find your niche, what you really love to do but then combine it with what people actually want. It’s all fine and good to have a great idea but your idea really needs to be validated by a trusted community before launching.
THROUGHOUT THE YEARS OF RUNNING TWO BUSINESSES, WHAT WAS THE MOST FULFILLING MOMENT OR ACHIEVEMENT THAT YOU’LL ALWAYS CHERISH?
"Years of running multiple businesses have taught me to be dynamic and super organized in general, but I think the most fulfilling achievement was just seeing the consistent support of regular members and a long-lasting community. That’s really rewarding."
ENTREPRENEURSHIP OFTEN COMES WITH ITS SHARE OF CHALLENGES. CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT A PARTICULAR OBSTACLE YOU FACED AND HOW YOU OVERCAME IT?
"It sure does, I think one of my biggest challenges in the early days was to delegate tasks and attempt to handle everything myself. Fortunately, I was able to find an incredible team pretty quickly and work closely with them so over time I became more comfortable with delegating tasks. Running a company effectively is truly a team effort, and I truly believe in creating a supportive and kind environment when working with your team."
YOU RECENTLY TOOK THE DECISION TO CLOSE KINSHIP. WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO MAKE THIS BOLD MOVE AND TRANSITION TO SOMETHING NEW?
"Years of running multiple businesses have taught me to be dynamic and super organized in general, but I think the most fulfilling achievement was just seeing the consistent support of regular members and a long-lasting community. That’s really rewarding."
HAVE YOU EVER EXPERIENCED A SETBACK OF FAILURE IN YOUR JOURNEY, AND IF SO, HOW DID YOU BOUNCE BACK FROM IT?
"Failure is always at the back of your mind when you do anything that involves investment of time, money and other people's energy - so basically any business. There are ways to mitigate the risk and do your best at ensuring you are set up for success but there are things that go beyond our control, like a global pandemic. This was probably the closest we got to ‘failing’, as by law, we had to close our space, and without anything available for takeaway we really struggled to figure out what to do with our time and resources. Fortunately, we pivoted and kept our team busy with miscellaneous tasks then really spent a lot of time in community outreach to make sure everyone was surviving. Once we re-opened our doors, we were welcomed back with open arms and a warm community."
TRANSITIONING FROM ONE VENTURE TO ANOTHER CAN BE DAUNTING. WHAT STRATEGIES OR MINDSET SHIFTS HAVE HELPED YOU NAVIGATE THIS TRANSITION?
"My advice for aspiring women
entrepreneurs would be to actively seek guidance and support from other women who may be a bit further along in their entrepreneurial journey."
WOMEN CONTINUE TO BREAK BARRIERS IN THE BUSINESS WORLD. CAN YOU SHARE YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND ANY ADVICE FOR ASPIRING FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS?
"I love seeing other women in business and women being successful in general. Hat off to all the women in business who are also juggling being a mum. My advice for aspiring women entrepreneurs would be to actively seek guidance and support from other women who may be a bit further along in their entrepreneurial journey. All my experiences when chatting with mentors and people I admire have been overwhelmingly positive and I love that the community is so open to sharing their challenges and advice. Don’t be shy to ask for help!"
IN TODAY’S WORLD, SUSTAINABILITY IS A PRESSING CONCERN FOR MANY BUSINESSES. CAN YOU SHARE ANY PRACTICES OR INITIATIVE YOU HAVE IMPLEMENTED AT KINSHIP AND WHAT WOULD YOU DO BETTER IN YOUR NEXT VENTURE?
"Absolutely, that's the way it should be. In our case, we operated a service-based business outside of the hospitality sector, so there were limited options for daily sustainability measures. We made efforts to be as sustainable as possible during our construction phase by not building a new building on any rice fields, for example. Something we could have done better is looked into solar panels to generate power and reducing paper waste by going more digital with some elements of the business."
WHAT MESSAGE OF INSPIRATION OR ENCOURAGEMENT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE WITH OUR AUDIENCE?
"Trust your gut. Stay curious and continue questioning why you're engaged in your current endeavors. Assess whether your actions align with your present self or if they are based on what your previous self aspired to achieve. I think we are programmed to start something, invest significant effort, and strive to prove its success. However, many times, the pursuits we undertake have a limited lifespan, and that's perfectly acceptable. You have the freedom to change your mind and explore new ideas, embracing your curiosity."