Kamini Patel: Bringing Self-Care and Luxury Together Through Nature Therapy

Are you looking for small ways to luxuriously indulge in natural and authentic skin and haircare products? The hectic life may not always give you the leeway to splurge hours on self-care. That’s precisely why Nature Therapy, with its therapeutic range of products, has taken it upon itself to provide pockets of rejuvenation, calm, and bliss to women on the go. These locally made products help users reconnect with Nature and allow its abundant bounty to enrich body and soul. 

Kidskintha got the opportunity to interact with Kamini Patel – the lady behind Nature Therapy’s vision. She isn’t new to the land of entrepreneurial adventures. Her innate talent to create and recreate one-of-a-kind dishes made her the proud owner of one of the most trending and talked about blogs – The Kitchen Therapy. She now schools amateurs through her culinary workshops, develops recipes with brands, creates engaging recipe videos for products, and even designs menus for restaurants and cafes. 

Kamini Patel is a young dynamic entrepreneur who is also an author, lawyer, arbitrator, corporate communications consultant, and an uber-talented chef! In her interview with Kidskintha, Kamini disclosed her stash of inspiration, took us through all her entrepreneurial ventures – their beginnings and workings, the dos and don’ts, and her secret mantra that keeps her resilient in this highly competitive business world. 

In conversation with the entrepreneur with the warmest smile – Kamini Patel, the founder of Kitchen Therapy and Nature Therapy.

It’s such an honor to interview you. Nature Therapy is a conscientious startup with a mission towards clean living. Tell us more about your journey. 

Thank you so much! My journey with Nature Therapy is very much intertwined with Kitchen Therapy, stemming from a passion that evolved into a career. Nature Therapy started with my search for natural and easy products for alternative medicine for pain management, acne cures, and healthier lifestyles. I have been allergic to most medications and suffer from fibromyalgia, which makes daily routines difficult. I needed holistic remedies that could be integrated into a hectic lifestyle without much time, effort, or breaking the bank!

Also Read:Aparna Sundar: Allow Sound Healing to Guide You to Holistic Development

Did you feel like it was your calling in life when you started it?

With Nature Therapy – not so much initially, as it was a challenging industry and I had a lot of learning to do. Now, I finally feel like it is where I am supposed to be!

With Kitchen Therapy, I always felt like it was a natural calling from the beginning, perhaps, because being in the kitchen was normal for me! Both ventures are very much a part of me, a reflection of who I am, and fairly second nature!

How have your childhood experiences shaped your journey so far?

So much of it! Food was an integral part of my childhood. Having been raised all around the world, my palate is used to different cuisines and food habits. It was precisely this that got me into recipe development – recreating recipes from my childhood using local ingredients! I also have a mother who is the best cook I know, and she is also a skincare addict. I always associate her with the fragrance of perfume, creams, and oils.

You wrote a book! Tell us all about it! 

Yes! I wrote it almost a decade ago. It is titled ‘The Morning After’ and was published by Penguin Books. I had just moved to India after college and was looking for escape-beach-reads, but I didn’t find much Indian chick-lit on the shelves, so I decided to write one. At that time, I had also taken up freelance editorial writing with the Times of India.

How would you sum up your book-writing experience? 

It was a beautiful experience! The whole process allowed me to understand myself better. I love that it is a solo journey! And it is when I’m by myself I get creatively inspired! I love the solitude that comes with writing… the power to dictate the story on your terms. There is beauty in the simplicity of words.

What are some of the key learnings from your writing experience?

Apart from the joy of writing and bringing together a written manuscript that is wholly yours, the key learning was how important the platform is! I never realized how much and what all would be required for promoting the book and getting it ‘out there.’ I was very younger and came from a generation that was not so tech-savvy (or I was just far behind!). I feel I could have done much more with The Morning After! 

Can you please delve into the beginning of Kitchen Therapy? 

Kitchen Therapy began as a by-product of The Morning After. As part of promotions, I had to continuously tweet/Insta images. I hated posting my pictures, so I clicked (bad) pics of the food I was constantly cooking or baking and tagged it as #kitchentherapy. I noticed other people picking up on the hashtag and sharing their food travails. Starting a blog felt like a natural transition. Within a few months, I decided this was not a blog anymore but a website and media platform to grow further. I wanted to get into product development and create my range of food products. It’s my sixth year now, and I have developed many retail FMCG products that are available on the shelves. I work with institutions, cafes, restaurants, and hotels for menu designing and consulting.

What would you say is your kitchen’s recipe for success? 

Honestly – it’s adopting the traditional Indian housewife’s rules. Zero-waste, sustainable cooking, seasonal cooking, and preserving. All that we are so eagerly talking about today is what our great grandmothers and ancestors have been practicing for generations! Both my ventures stem from this attitude and concept.

You have your show on the India Food Network! Tell us more about it. How did the pieces fall into place?

It became an extended part of Kitchen Therapy’s journey and was a fabulous way to connect with people, viewers, and those interested to learn cooking. I started being noticed by mainstream brands through my work. They wanted me to create more content and also film making various recipes. Eventually, India Food Network got in touch, and here I am!

Also Read: Kiddilicious Easy Recipe for Kids: This week…ABC Pancakes!!

What is it like anchoring your show? 

A lot of it is based on the producer, and the first few episodes had me very nervous. Now it’s become a natural ‘chore,’ one could say. The beauty of being on a cooking show is that you just have to be you, be yourself, be natural, and pretend like you’re teaching a class with an invisible audience. It gets easier over time, and now the camera doesn’t bother me.

Many women find cooking very daunting. What advice would you give to rope them into the beautiful world of food?

The first piece of advice would be to choose a dish you love to eat and dissect it into parts. At least there is genuine love, to begin with! For example, if it is a pasta dish, perhaps start with a ready sauce and focus on boiling the pasta to correct the al dente moment. Once you get the hang of that, work on making the sauce from scratch. It’s just a few simple steps that one eventually will start to love. Many say to begin with basic rice-dal, but you definitely will not enjoy cooking it if you aren’t fond of eating it. The key is to find joy and to love yourself while doing it! And calling for take-out as a backup isn’t a crime and carries no shame. Just try again tomorrow.

How and when did Nature therapy find its roots? 

It started two and a half years ago. The first year was a trial run and it got a good response. After that, we launched pan-India properly. The aim was to create easy simple, and all-natural skincare products that fit into every hectic lifestyle. It could mean a quick recipe in the kitchen that is nutritious and simple with affordable ingredients or your quick bath routine to nourish your skin while giving a relaxing aromatherapy healing moment. Nature Therapy spans across many natural skincare products and food offerings– after bath oils for body, mind + soul, luxurious soaps, therapeutic candles, sip + eat range that includes brews, chai masala, snacks, and everyday luxury accessories.

What was your inspiration for starting a new entrepreneurial venture?

I realized that women take care of everyone but rarely find time for themselves. This could be because of the scarcity of time, affordability, or simply lack of awareness. 

Mental wellbeing is the key to all ailments. When I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, I took a step back and reassessed my life. I began to understand the importance of self-care. 

It is a highly competitive space. How did you navigate launching your brand in this competitive market space?

Stick to being you, being honest, finding your voice that will ultimately shine above the others.

What have you found helpful while dealing with competition?

I welcome it. We are a country of a billion people; there is space for everyone. We all have our niche markets and reach. 

How do you use social media for your brand and book? 

It is the easiest way to reach an audience. However, my target market for Nature Therapy is mostly women above 40, and social media isn’t specifically for them. So, I use a lot of social media, but I don’t count on it for my sales. Word of mouth has honestly helped me the most.

In retrospect, what has been the most thrilling and challenging venture? 

I’m in the middle of a big one right now – consulting on an upcoming safari lodge – a one-of-a-kind – for its food + drink experience as well as guest amenities. I have never before had such a wonderful yet challenging time in a consulting project. I have been working with great well-known teams from around the world. 

Where do you see yourself in the next ten years?

I hope that Kitchen Therapy grows into a more prominent media platform – with more recipes, more videos, more channels! I hope to continue with more clients in consulting, creating exciting food experiences, and finding thrilling adventures with recipes!

For Nature Therapy – I hope to own my manufacturing unit to create more therapeutic range of products. I hope that the brand encourages women to look at themselves, give a big smile, feel confident and sexy!

What is your one habit as an entrepreneur that you would advise other entrepreneurs to develop?

Routine and self-discipline.

What advice would you give women who are on the brink of starting their entrepreneurial journey?

First, be confident in your product. Everything else is just music. When you have a good product, you should believe in it, and then just go for it. The rest, you will learn along the way.

One word for Kidskintha

Ahead of its time! Progressive and real conversations.

To enter the world of food visit Kitchen Therapy

To indulge in the best natural skin care products visit Nature Therapy