Meet Kem Henry | Entrepreneur & Chandler

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kem Henry and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kem, how do you think about risk?
My idea of risk taking is planning a random solo trip in the middle of the night. Or landing a job and moving in two weeks to a city I have never been to, in a state that I had only visited a handful of times. I think taking risks has allowed me to step out of my comfort zone. Which have create uncomfortable situations that has allowed me to learn about myself and grow tremendously from these experiences both personal and career wise

What should our readers know about your business?
Kem is the proud owner of 14 Parishes LLC. At the beginning of 2020 Kem had a vision of starting a business. Her corporate job at the time consumed every second of her life, while she was simultaneously completing her MBA. Then the pandemic hit and life as Kem knew it changed. During quarantine, like most people she had to adjust to what was the new normal. But one thing that stayed the same as before, was that she now looked forward to was unplugging form work on Fridays and lighting a candle just to relax from the work week. Kem has always appreciated how candles with different aromas help to set different mood and experiences for her.

Kem’s love and experiences with candles made her want to create something that allowed individuals to relax and unwind.
She wanted to started with showcasing smells that reminded her of the islands and how relaxing those smells made her feel. Not to mention she I knew she wanted to incorporate her culture into her brand, and that is where the name stems from. When people think of the Caribbean the think of sun, sand and sleep.

What sets Kem apart from many other is that she has years of customer interaction experience. She like to involve her customer when they are choosing a scents. She asked questions about what is there all time favorite scent or even a little bit about themselves so that she can match them with the correct candle. She doesn’t only want that customer to be a repeat customer but she values each and every customer that’s she has. She takes the time out to personals all order so that the customer can have an experience beginning to end.

Being a business owner is not easy but being transparent with your customer base helps. Pushing even when you don’t know what or how your customer, ‘target audience’ will response to new items. Being openminded and knowing that there will be ups and downs. Kem says the biggest thing for her is being flexible and trying to say ahead and informed, which is how she overcome any challenges that she might face. Kem, says she is always learning new things that will be beneficial to the overall business.

The lesson that she has learn is to be patient, everything will not all happen at once but overtime it will work itself out.

Kem wants to turn her overall company into a self-care brand for everyone. She want to create affordable products that will help Mom’s take a 30 minute break from the kids a relax and help Dads to unwind after a long day at work. Simple gift that say I appreciate you.

Kem is big on showing people that are dear to her how much she appreciates them by simple gesture or gift to make there day. She believes that her smile can brighten anyone who is having a bad day.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
So since I feel like I’m still a bit new to Dallas, I had some friend here a few weeks ago and we went to Deep Ellum. Picolé while we decide what restaurant we are going to try out. For BBQ we did Pecan Lodge it Is alway good. One of my favorite places go is Velvet Tacos, late night or just to grab lunch. Slices for pizza its a hidden gem. Soiree Coffee Bar for Sunday Brunch. Recently discovered the Truck Yard at the Colony which is pretty cool. Dallas farmers market is pretty fun. If it was football season Texas Live. The Eye is always fun to get a cool photo opt.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to shoutout a few individual that have encourage me over the years that I can overcome anything. My old high school teacher Demeka Breedlove-Mays, Lori one of the best mentor and my support system Anika, Charnele, just to name a few.

Website: www.xivparishes.com

Instagram: xivparishes

Twitter: xivparishes

Facebook: xivparishes

Other: Spotify: xivparishes

Image Credits
Taylor Thomas & Kem