Janneke, wow, where do we begin. First of all – congratulations on what you have accomplished! I’m mesmerised at your ability to have started and grown a successful brand, whilst going through what is probably the most rigorous first three years after varsity of any profession in South Africa.
Q) Let’s start at the very beginning – which according to the Sound of Music, is a very good place to start. When, how and why did Kiki&Co come to be?
A) I was rotating through anaesthetics in my final year and I had to wear scrubs every day. My mother-in-law made me a floral top, and all my friends loved it. Feeding off their excitement, and feeling a bit inspired we made a few more scrubs and gave them out to friends. As it sparked multiple happy conversations and upbeat interactions with nursing staff, colleagues and patients, we felt compelled to keep going. I guess the combination of good feedback, a creative eye and the weight of study loans, pushed me to take a leap and go for it. We borrowed some money from my father and had our first batch of scrubs made. We then asked my cousin, who is an amazing photographer (Chris Joubert – @thatcapetownkid), to take some pictures and thereafter officially launched our first ever batch of Kiki&Co scrubs. To be honest, it was a very impulsive start, we didn’t stop to think about how big that impulse may grow.
Regarding the name – my name is Janneke, and at some point growing up my parents went from calling me Janneke to Jannekiki to Kiki. We didn’t think much about the name initially, during those early days it just came to mind, and it worked. There is definitely something endearing and familiar by using my childhood nickname; it gives me great comfort when I’m wearing our scrubs and feel like I am out of my depth at work.
Q) Can you take me through the first six months of the business? How did you manage working and studying hours for medicine alongside working on Kiki&Co? Did you have any prior business experience? How did you manage to buy material, work out costs and pricing, manage cash flow and build your online store?
A) Thinking back, the first six months were bizarre. I was busy studying for finals, had no business savvy, experience or financial reserves. I borrowed some start-up capital from my father and kind of asked my friends in different industries to help me out.
From designing the logo to doing my first photoshoot, building a website, opening a bank account, starting a social media profile and packaging scrubs; it all happened in the living room of our small student apartment. You could say, “I got by with a little help from my friends.”
It was a sensitive time in the scrubs industry. I think a few people identified that there was a need for fun scrubs, so I was pushed for time in getting our name out there. We are talking more of a one-month timeframe rather than six months, which is not ideal in terms of planning and strategising. But if given the choice, I would do it the same way again – our timing ended up being perfect!
The ‘on the floor’ details I still manage myself. These range from sourcing materials and dealing with the manufacturer who makes the scrubs, to bribing my doctor friends with coffee to stand in as models. I want to always be a part of it.
During those early days, I was overwhelmed with positive encouragement and help from other local start-ups. People were generous with their knowledge and advice which gave me even more motivation to make a locally sourced and crafted product. The business was built on relationships and being honest about how little I knew! Social media
was also extremely helpful to get a feel for the demand and who my potential clients may be.
Q) When did you first think “Waaw, this can actually turn into a proper business”?
A) I remember that moment right down to the second. I was visiting my parents one Friday and an opportunity came along to purchase 400 meters of material. At the time, my only reference to what 400 meters looked like was one lap around the athletic field. I realised then that one has to take big risks if you want to chase big dreams, and so I placed the order. Within the first three months, we were so busy that my husband started considering quitting his day job to pursue Kiki&Co.
There have been various moments throughout our story where we have considered expanding – and we have done so to some
degree. But our main goal is to always keep it fun and to enjoy the process; expanding has just not lined up with our lives right now.
Q) What would you say was your biggest mistake/error or just an unlucky chain of events that could’ve been avoided in retrospect?
A) It was difficult to stay exclusive with fabric prints as the material used for our scrubs was sourced from local suppliers. This could have been avoided if we had had material exclusively printed for us but having two jobs left very little space for extra challenges. I guess hiring someone to take on that logistical challenge would have helped.
Q) What would you say puts medical doctors at an advantage/disadvantage when starting a ‘side hustle’ outside of the medical field? How can these advantages be leveraged/pitfalls be avoided?
A) I think we have an advantage because we get exposed to people from many different walks of life, and we are often forced to make quick assessments and decisions. Yes, we as doctors might get caught up in our jobs, but we will never get caught up in the same type of people. It is one of the things I love most about our profession. The biggest challenge is definitely time! I’m still working on figuring that one out, but what I’ve realised thus far is that if you can learn to ask for help early on, it helps you to grow much faster. Also, be realistic about what you don’t know and get structures in place to help address these knowledge gaps, especially in terms of how to actually run a business.
Q) Over the past few years, I’ve noticed quite an uptick in companies selling scrubs. Have you been affected heavily by competition in the market? What do you believe is important when it comes to differentiating a product from the competition?
A) “Have we been affected?” – of course, we have! I think we started from a humble place, supported by friends and family, and grew our client base via a very personal and hands-on customer management process. That being said, I think our clients have stayed loyal to us in spite of the increase in new scrubs companies. Sure, we have taken a knock, but it does not affect our passion for this project.
The other big factor that sets our product apart from the competition is quality and the fact that we always have something new to present clients with.
The most important thing is that our clients feel a bit happier and more jolly when they put on their scrubs for a shift. As long as we accomplish that we’ll have happy, loyal clients coming back for more. We just stick to our basics.
Q) What has been the (a) worst and (b) best unexpected aspects/surprises about being a doctor?
A) (a) The worst and most unexpected aspect has been the toll being a doctor takes on my relationships. When you go through tough times at work, it’s tough on your relationships and partner, too. I expected to be able to separate work from my private life more easily. When you start work and you hear all these stories about colleagues burning out, you think to yourself “I’m going to handle it,” but identifying those red flags for burnout has been tough.
(b) I love the relationships I have built with my colleagues. The team dynamic and sense of support has been amazing and it makes the victories so much sweeter because you get to share them. I am surprised by how much joy you receive when you put yourself into your job. The tougher the challenge, the bigger the reward. Only sometimes in the outcome, but always in growth.
Q) How do you see your medical career unfolding over the next five years and how will Kiki&Co fit into this?
A) That is the million-dollar question! 🙂 I am keeping my options open. I do not have a path set in stone or a clear vision for myself over the next five years. But I have vague ideas of potentially staying within the public sector, maybe Obs&Gynae. I’m currently studying for a diploma and I’m planning to take some time off next year. But for now, my focus is just to get through com. serve.
Q) Many doctors dream to start a business on the side but wait to finish com. serve to have more free time to pursue this endeavour. What would your advice be to someone your age, who plans to start a business outside of the medical field whilst still practising as a doctor?
A) Have a dream, have a team, have a plan. When you structure your ideas, plan to be out of time and energy so that it doesn’t become a constant excuse when you do. Start on a smaller scale to properly feel the waters, keeping in mind you will have to risk it to get the biscuit!
Kiki Scrubs Website
Kiki Scrubs Instagram
