Meet Holly Robertson | Owner, Kinkan Gifts

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

Hi Holly, do you have a favorite quote or affirmation?
The Japanese concept of “ikegai” has helped guide me in my decision to start my own business. Ikegai roughly translates to “the thing that gives you purpose or a reason for living”. Your ikegai should consist of what you love, what you are good at, what the world needs, and what you can make money doing. I had first learned of the concept several years ago, while I was still working in a career I hated that I mainly chose because of that last concept: making money. Learning about ikegai made me feel uneasy, because I realized that I didn’t have a thing that gave my life a purpose. It was the concept that ultimately led me to choose to drastically change my career and start Kinkan Gifts, doing something that I loved and helping build my local community.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Last year, I had the opportunity to visit Japan for two weeks after almost a decade of wanting to go. While there I was struck by the pride, dignity, and joy that many of the employees and business owners had when I visited. In particular, I remember one woman we met who owned a Matcha tea store all by herself, who was learning how to make beautiful traditional Japanese desserts. That cafe visit was so special to me because I could tell how passionate she was about her menu, and how kind she was to us. It made me feel like I belonged, even though I was visiting from thousands of miles away. She had her ikegai. Coming back to the US, and my old job left me faced with a pretty clear message: I was not fulfilling my ikegai, which was a let down to myself, but also a let down to my local community. I knew then I had to make a change, and so I started piecing together Kinkan Gifts, with the idea that I would try to recreate that sense of passion, kindness and community that I felt back in that small Matcha shop in Gero. So that is my dream in operating Kinkan Gifts: To share what I love, what I’m good at, to create a sense of community for people where I live, and to make a living doing so.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would definitely take them to the Culdesac! We would start the day getting coffee at Aruma, make a candle at Brite Candle Co, and then shop at Maricopa Botanicals, Ito Brand and Sew Used. Afterwards we could get snacks from Busan Mart, and then finally have an amazing dinner at Cocina Chiwas.
I would also take people on my favorite hikes around the valley which includes South Mountain and Flat Iron, as well as the Desert Botanical Garden.
For a fun ASU campus day, I would start at Cartel Coffee, shop at Buffalo Exchange, Get lunch at Chop Shop, and then have a nice walk around Tempe Town Lake and A mountain. Afterwards, we could get dinner and drinks at Casey Moore’s Oyster House. I would also want to take them to the Asian district in Mesa, where we would visit Daiso, BookOff, Hmart, and get a Thai foot massage in Mekong Plaza, finishing with one of my favorite restaurants, Thai Spices.

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 thank the Culdesac community and team for giving me the opportunity to open my shop, for helping me move in, and for believing in my business. Without their smaller more flexible retail spaces, I would have probably never had the confidence to actually open a retail store. I am super excited to be part of this walkable community, and I really believe in the vision of having more walkable spaces in Phoenix and the US. The Culdesac is part of a bigger movement to make our cities more people friendly and to help bring back the concept of being part of your neighborhood, and I feel very lucky that Kinkan Gifts is able to be a part of that movement.

Website: https://kinkangifts.com

Instagram: kinkangifts