Kate Socatiyanurak is one of the co-founders of Merandi, a startup based in Bangkok, Thailand, focusing on luxury bag inserts and accessories crafted out of Thai silk.
The twenty-five-year-old entrepreneur talks to Anne about her journey from boarding school to a masters at London School of Economics to content creation for luxury brands once she was back in Thailand. Kate shares how Merandi, the brand, was born from a single conversation with her friend and other co-founder, Grace. The savvy marketer also talks about branding, the importance of a strong unique selling point and corporate social responsibility and reminding herself it’s good to build a brand and create thoughtful products (all made to order) but that it’s equally important to stay grounded and to find ways to give back to society.
Kate admits that despite her background in content creation, it’s harder for her to focus on this area of the business, having her plate full as a co-founder. The young entrepreneur also discusses her relationship to creativity in business as well as her love of Thai classical piano (her mother is a renowned artist) before talking about mindful rituals and her newfound interest in Ashtanga yoga, which helps her get away from her to-do list to find some peace and quiet.
A thoughtful interview with a bright entrepreneur. Happy listening!
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Selected links from episode
You can find Kate on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/katesocatiyanurak/
on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/katenatch/
Discover Merandi products - https://merandiworld.com/
And on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/merandiworld/
And Kate & Grace's new projects:
Good Cha - https://www.instagram.com/goodcha.bkk/
and Good Bento - https://www.instagram.com/goodbento.bkk/
LSE or London School of Economics - https://www.lse.ac.uk/
Beauty Gems - https://beautygems.com/company/
Judith Lieber - https://judithleiber.com/
Songkran - Thai New Year - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Songkran_(Thailand)
Bombyx Mori - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombyx_mori
Ashtanga yoga - https://www.yogajournal.com/yoga-101/types-of-yoga/ashtanga-yoga/
"cras amet qui numquam amavit quique amavit cras amet" - Kate's favorite quote, in Latin, from a poem by Tiberius, meaning: "Let those love now who never loved before,
Let those who always lov'd, now love the more."
The song Hallelujah - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8AWFf7EAc4
Michael Jackson: The Magic, the Madness, the Whole Story - https://books.google.ch/books/about/Michael_Jackson.html?id=7EkwuCFnE28C&redir_esc=y
Music for the outro of our episode feature a Thai traditional song played on the piano by Kate.
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Anne V Muhlethaler:
Hi, hello, bonjour, and namaste. This is Out of the Clouds, a podcast at the crossroads between business and mindfulness, and I'm your host, Anne Muhlethaler. Hey, friend. Today I welcome Kate Socatiyanurak, the co-founder and CEO of Merandi, a brand based in Bangkok, Thailand that produces bag inserts in Thai silk. The 25-year-old entrepreneur holds a master's from LSE, and she's also a keen classical Thai music pianist. With her good friend, Grace Tungpanitansook, she launched the brand at the end of 2020, that's what they were doing in the middle of a pandemic. Since the time of the interview, Grace and Kate have managed to launch two new brands in Bangkok this time in F&B, or food and beverage, and the two new brands are called Good Bento and Good Cha.
I'm excited for you to discover the wonderful spirit of this young and bright entrepreneur. So, Kate in this interview tells me about her story, where she comes from, and how she and Grace got started with the project, with Merandi, why she loves Thai silk, how she's been collecting it for many years. And we talk, of course, about what it's like to build a brand that combines traditional craftsmanship, sustainability, and CSR because both Grace and Kate are keen to contribute to their community, give back as the brand grows, while shining a light on the beauty of Thai silk. So without further ado, I give you my interview with Kate Socatiyanurak, enjoy. Kate, thank you so much for being here. Welcome to Out of the Clouds.
Kate Socatiyanurak:
Thank you so much, Anne.
Anne V Muhlethaler:
So tell me, where am I finding you today?
Kate Socatiyanurak:
In Bangkok, Thailand in my house, and it's 9:00 PM at night right now.
Anne V Muhlethaler:
Thank you for making the time out of hours. It's so lovely to see you again. So as you may have heard from previous episodes and interviews, I love to start conversations with people telling me their story. I like to start this way as, well, at different times in our lives we relate to things in our story differently and I love to see where people pick up. If you indulge me, Kate, tell us your story.
Kate Socatiyanurak:
So, maybe I'll give you a brief introduction, but where I am now. So, I turned 25 yesterday.
Anne V Muhlethaler:
Happy birthday again.
Kate Socatiyanurak:
Thank you, and I'm the co-founder and Co-CEO of Merandi. We are a brand based in Bangkok, Thailand, and we make bag inserts, you can call it bag organizers in Thai silk. So, if I have to begin at the beginning, I grew up in Thailand, in Bangkok, and then when I was in high school in Thailand, my high school brought me to a summer camp in the UK. And so, I had to spend some time there for just three weeks in a boarding school, and I ended up really, really liking that, but when I was being driven out of the school in the car, I immediately called my mom. I never called my mom. I called my mom, "Can I just go back to Thailand, quit that school and move here?" And she was like, "Yes, of course."
Anne V Muhlethaler:
Wow.
Kate Socatiyanurak:
"I've been waiting to hear that from you," because she's very modern and she really wants me to go abroad and stuff. So, that was easy and that is what I did. I didn't even finish the year at my Thai high school. I just went immediately there. And so, I spent like three years in that boarding school where I was the only Thai person. Everyone was international, and the good thing about it was that I already met some friends there, so it was a really easy decision to move there. So, I spent three years there and then I came back to Thailand for a bachelor's degree in economics at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok.
I did go on a brief exchange semester in Barcelona, but I returned to the UK again for master's. I studied master's in management and strategy at the London School of Economics, or people call it LSE. So, I had always wanted to live in London because when I was in my boarding school, it was like four hours, five hours drive from London, that was tough, the ride. So, it has always been a dream and I got to live there for a year for the master's. I love cities. I'm also a fan of the countryside, but I would say I'm a city girl. I feel all right living in the city where there's a lot going on and I feel that I can manage that kind of life. Well, London is a little bit similar to Bangkok in certain aspects and especially in the food scene. I don't know, I'm very into food.
Anne V Muhlethaler:
I came back from London on Sunday and I will say that even though I was there for work and to see friends, it was definitely a foodie trip as well. I loved it.
Kate Socatiyanurak:
But, I did a lot of studying that as well and not just eating, and then again, I returned to Bangkok. So it's like going back and forth, UK, Europe, Thailand, but now I'm permanently based in Thailand, and then I went on to spend two years doing creative content for two brands simultaneously. So one was Beauty Gems, it's a Thai high jewelry brand, one of the oldest, if not the oldest in Thailand. And, I also worked on creative content for Judith Leiber, but the Thailand one. It is a New York based brand, but there's one in Thailand as well, and then during my time I got to learn a lot about how to craft content, how to do copywriting.
And, what is really interesting is that it was not my background at all. My background was economics management, very numerical, quantitative, but from a very young age I had always been a very artistic person growing up in a household with my mommy the pianist. My dad is an economist, so it's a nice balance, I feel, that gives me both the artistic dimension and the analytical dimension. So, it was nice to have worked there. And during my time there, it's when the idea for Merandi came up. And so, I worked on both until I quit from my job two months ago to work on Merandi full-time.
Anne V Muhlethaler:
Amazing, we'll get to talk about Merandi in a minute. As you were telling me your story, I was thinking, "How does one go from economics and a master's at LSE to content creation, because it's true, it's a little bit of leap to my ears.
Kate Socatiyanurak:
I appreciate several things for its artsy dimension. I'm very interested in piano, in art and fashion from a young age. The idea to study economics is quite related to my father because he's an economist and I feel that in Thailand it's a belief that if you go into business management, economics, then it's more probable that you'll get some employment.
Anne V Muhlethaler:
I hear you.
Kate Socatiyanurak:
I'm the type of person that can just go with the flow, go with anything, and I can make myself a new field that is interesting enough of course. So, it was probably the safer option, so I went for that. My creative interest is not in the style of like, "Oh, I want to do pattern making, making clothes or paint some paintings or stuff like that." If we have to describe in business terms, I like turning the raw materials into something else. So, it's more about curating stuff and taking existing ideas and bring it into the certain realms or ideas and concepts, and that is what I got to do with Judith Leiber and Beauty Gems.
Anne V Muhlethaler:
And, with Merandi. It's interesting you should say that because when I was younger, I played piano and I sang and at an early stage in my career, I sort of left it behind and I stopped telling people because I was worried that it would confuse them as to my path or my career, et cetera, and it took me a while to realize that I was taking a very creative approach to business. So, I think that these things do permeate, right?
Kate Socatiyanurak:
Yeah, and then actually some of my architecture friends, they have mentioned that I have a different approach to creative works because of my quantitative background. That's what they say, that's quite interesting
Anne V Muhlethaler:
I can't wait to see where that takes you too, that's super exciting. So you founded or co-founded Merandi, so as you explained, it's a luxury bag insert brand, and I love the fact that you made it only for what I heard you call it the holy grail of handbags, which is a few select styles and sizes of Hermes handbags. And so, I originally met you in Geneva only a few weeks ago where you were presenting the brand and the products. To get us started, I'd love for you to explain the value of a bag insert to people who've never come across what that is, or a bag organizer.
Kate Socatiyanurak:
So, a bag insert or a bag organizer, what it does is that it helps organize contents in the bags because it comes with the compartments or zip pockets and stuff like that. And secondly, it helps maintain the bag shape to prevent the bag from becoming slouchy looking over time. And third, it helps protect the back interior from stains or scratches, and these are the things that are very important for luxury handbag users because especially for Hermes bag users because many of them buy these products to preserve the condition of the Hermes bags because one day they may resell the bag and their value cannot drop.
Anne V Muhlethaler:
Sure.
Kate Socatiyanurak:
That's what we do, and we are the first brand in the world to use Thai silk to craft these inserts and also to encourage a color play. So a color play, by this we mean we encourage our customers to choose a bag insert in the color that contrasts the color of the bag. So for instance, let's say you have a black Birkin and your friend also has a black Birkin as well. You've had it for like 10 years and it's getting slightly boring for you, and you want to feel alive again, and so now you can choose which color of the bag insert you want in the bag. For example, you can choose light blue and your friend might go for white. So, now it's a different pairing, and in a way you can express your personality in that.
Anne V Muhlethaler:
I was interested in the color play, so I've never used a bag organizer, although I could definitely do because I'm sure that most women who listen to us will understand that we do have problems with how much content we put in one's bag and how difficult it is to find things, even when the bag is small. I can see the value just in the organizational portion of the bag. I do love the colorful and the texture element that this brings, because of course the bags we're talking about are mostly, not all, but mostly made of various kinds of fine leathers, and your product is silk, so there is also a shine, a texture, another type of contrast that you are introducing with a bag inserts. So, I wrote about what makes Merandi special, and I think I understand it, but I'd love for you to explain to our listeners, how did this idea come about? How did you go from creating content one day for a couple of brands and probably, as I can imagine, doing a great job of it and starting your own brand, especially in the middle of COVID?
Kate Socatiyanurak:
Yes, sure. It was one night during Songkran. So, Songkran is like Thai New Year in April last year. One night in April, my phone rang, my friend was calling and was like, "Kate, you are interested in Thai silk, right? You're so passionate about it. Everyone knows that you've been collecting it forever. Do you want to do something together, maybe like a business or something from Thai silk, maybe like a product idea? Should we brainstorm?" And I was like, "Yeah, sure." That was my friend Grace. She's my friend from high school in Thailand. We never talked, but we were reunited through a friend later during my bachelor's. And so, of course I said yes. I was like, "Yeah, let's find something to do with this, but what can we do?" Grace, she was doing a lot of home, soft furnishings like pillows, among many things. And so I was like, "Should we do some soft furnishing from silk? Maybe like a tissue box made from Thai silk?"
But, then we weren't so confident with this idea. It's not something that we feel like we could wake up to and be confident that it's going to sell. We wanted to be drastically different from other product offerings out there. So, Grace mentioned bag organizers. I was like, "What is a bag organizer?" I didn't know what it was actually, but Grace knew everything in the world. And I was like, "Okay, what is it?" And, she told me what it was. She was like, "We should try doing it in Thai silk." And, then I started to imagine how would that play out, and actually it would look great.
Imagine if your bag is in one color and then you put some Thai silk inside and it's in another color. I was imagining myself carrying the bag to dinner or something, and then when I had to open the bag, it would be full of luster in a spotlight and shining. And I was like, "Oh, it could be something." So, I was feeling hopeful. And so, we were talking for three hours to brainstorm ideas, the branding and everything, and then the next day when we woke up, we went straight into research. We did 100 PowerPoint slides for the research in one day, and then we tested it out straight away and seven months later we were able to launch, and it has been one of the best things in my life so far.
Anne V Muhlethaler:
Thank you so much for sharing that. It's so cool and so wonderful to see how quickly you guys went from the initial spark, what if we did this, what if we did something with Thai silk, to the ideation, to the actual product launch. So, I understand you're a big collector of Thai silk and this podcast is listened to, well, in a large number of countries around the world. So this is selfish, but I'd love for you to tell me, why is Thai silk so special? Because I want to hear more about it.
Kate Socatiyanurak:
For sure, so Thai silk has been a longstanding heritage in Thailand, and it is full of luster. It shines in any kind of light, and I feel this is why it is so widely appreciated around the world and is also used in bulk too. The process of making Thai silk is very intricate as well. Oh, it starts with Bombyx mori or silk worms feeding on mulberry leaves, and then it starts to build a cocoon with the spittle, the saliva, and then after a long while, you can then separate the thread from the silkworms, and then you have to put it in... I don't know how you call it in English, spindle? Because each thread is super thin, so you have to make it smooth, separate it a bit, and then combine it with several threads at once to create a fiber that can be used for fabric, and then you enter dye in and then the weaving processes, and some people weave with hand and whereas some people prefer to use a machine. The same goes for the dye. The dyes used can be natural or some people use some chemical dyes.
Anne V Muhlethaler:
How young were you when you first developed an appreciation for silk?
Kate Socatiyanurak:
I think when I came back from boarding school when I was starting off with my bachelor's degree. I would go on trips a lot with my mom and her musician friends. It's a group of musicians that is very appreciative of Thai silk. So, we always take trips to the northeastern part of Thailand. Usually, [foreign language 00:18:47]. I don't know if you know that or not, and we would source very rare ikat silks, and then this comes with very intricate and detailed patterns and turn it into a sarong, a skirt, and my mom and her peers would wear those sarongs in the concerts because after all, they do Thai traditional music, so we integrate it.
Anne V Muhlethaler:
So, we actually haven't talked about that. So, what kind of music does your mother play?
Kate Socatiyanurak:
So, my mom plays Thai traditional music, and basically she plays Thai classical songs on piano and three string fiddle. She was one of the first to learn how to play such traditional songs on a Western instrument, which was piano. And from a very young age, like 15 years ago I would say, I started learning from her. So, at one point it was just me and my mom who I would humbly say that it was just me and my mom back then [inaudible 00:20:00]-
Anne V Muhlethaler:
That's amazing.
Kate Socatiyanurak:
[inaudible 00:20:00] style, but later on she taught some people, so that it doesn't disappear from the Thai cultural landscape and I'm not the only one anymore, but I do practice it every day for like 10 minutes a day.
Anne V Muhlethaler:
That's exactly what I should be doing with my piano skills, but I am not at the moment. Thanks for reminding me of that challenge. And so, what you were saying is your mother, who was touring, and doing concerts or playing with other musicians, was dressing herself in these traditional rare, amazing, crafted silks.
Kate Socatiyanurak:
Yes, mostly in concerts.
Anne V Muhlethaler:
Sounds gorgeous. I can see why you developed such an appreciation for it. I remember when we met on the panel behind you, you had brought some of these really stunning pieces, collectible pieces.
Kate Socatiyanurak:
Those are the ones, yeah.
Anne V Muhlethaler:
As you describe what your mother was wearing and the fine ikat prints and stuff, that brings me to one piece in particular that was the top, right behind you. It looks very beautiful. So it's interesting, when I first read up about the work that you were doing with Merandi, it struck me that I don't really think about collecting so much, although I do collect books it seems, but it's strange, it's not like you want to call it collecting, it's more like amassing. I'm just buying more and more and more. So, I was thinking about the word collectible from how beautiful the silks are that you use and how the Hermes fans also collect their bags. And so in that way, there's a real, let's say business crossroads between the work that you do and the brand that you chose. I was looking at one of the films that you did for your autumn winter collection, and also I read some reviews that some people have done online and some of the colorways are truly stunning. You could turn this into an evening bag quite easily.
Kate Socatiyanurak:
Thank you.
Anne V Muhlethaler:
So between you and Grace, who is working on the color palettes and how do you select the artisans who make the bags for you?
Kate Socatiyanurak:
Right, so in terms of branding or product offering, we work on it together. As for the artisans, it depends on the fabric as well. So, we do have trips to each region in Thailand that we would go on to saw some fabrics or sometimes to partner with local artisans to create certain kind of fabrics that we want. For example, our fabrics are divided into ultra fine and fine. So, let's start with the fine one. So the fine one is one tone, and this is created from weaving similar tones of threads. For the ultra fine ones, these are the fabrics that are patented or iridescent. And so, the iridescent effect is created through weaving different colors of threads. For instance, the whiskey color from After Hours collection, it is bronze and also electric blue, and it's absolutely gorgeous and we fell in love with it, so we chose it for the collection. When it comes to color selection, we also take into account how it looks overall in that collection. As for the colors not to, in the business sense, not cannibalize each other in terms of sales.
Anne V Muhlethaler:
Sure. So, talk to me a bit about the business model because I know that Merandi has some strong stakes in terms of sustainability in particular.
Kate Socatiyanurak:
So with Merandi, every bag insert is handcrafted to order, and so this in a way minimizes the waste created, but we also take on low waste cutting technique. And for the off cuts that are created anyway after that, we turn it into silk dehumidifier sachet, so basically kind of like a small silk piece, and then we put some soil and dehumidifier inside and we give this out for free to customers, so that they can protect the bag from mold and moisture, and the rest of the off cuts are then either donated or recycled. And then in terms of the packaging, we do use some recycled and/or recyclable materials for roughly 85% of the packaging, except for stickers. And, working with local artisans has been a very nice experience. We provide jobs to them, we support the economy in that province. We preserve the longstanding heritage of Thai silk, so everyone is happy and it's a nice feeling. The Hermes bag users are happy with the colors and we are happy with Merandi. So overall, it's a very fulfilling journey.
Anne V Muhlethaler:
That's great. It's well thought out, and I read somewhere that you originally had created a little cotton bag, I guess, to be the external packaging and that you were saying that you realized that the Merandi buyers are not using it and that you are going to scrap that because you didn't want to produce more things that were not going to be user-friendly essentially.
Kate Socatiyanurak:
Yes, exactly because with Merandi, we want to create a product that does not become waste itself. We want to create something people really need. It doesn't only have the artistic dimension, but it has to have the functional side to it, and at the same time with a Merandi insert, in a way it helps prolong the usage of the Hermes bags, so it's all interrelated. So, when you find out something is not needed anymore, you have to take it out. So for the cotton bag, our users are actually not using them to store the inserts because they keep the inserts in the bag to maintain the shape, and so it's not needed anymore.
Anne V Muhlethaler:
I appreciate that you are so quick to make that notice. So, I'd love for you to tell me now, because I feel like this could be the right tie in, where does the name Merandi come from?
Kate Socatiyanurak:
Merandi, that's a long story, but I'll make it short. So me and Grace, we're very strict when it comes to branding. It has to feel absolutely right and when there are two co-founders, it needs to feel right for both. It cannot just feel right for me. And so, we wanted to find a name that doesn't sound like it strictly belongs to a certain language, and at the same time, it has to be easy to pronounce no matter what language you speak. You have to be confident to speak out loud the name, and we want the first letter to be a symmetric letter because that will make it a lot easier when it comes to branding. Yes, and it has to end with the sound E because the next word is insert, so it has to be like Merandi insert, so that it flows. Everything has to be seamless.
Anne V Muhlethaler:
I love the level of precision that's going on, keep going.
Kate Socatiyanurak:
Yes, so we were trying to find several names like Mogata, Merandi and well, so something that sounds kind of similar to this. And after a month, Grace came up with Merandi. I have to give her the credit. She always comes up with the good stuff. So, we ended up with Merandi and then we found out later from my mom's friend that Merandi can actually be modus operandi in short. And so, I looked it up and I found out that it is a Latin phrase meaning a specific way of doing something, and that is definitely our brand because we take existing products like bag inserts or bag handle wraps, and then we twist it and give it a new concept and make the whole experience for the user different from other brands that have existed before.
Anne V Muhlethaler:
Naming is such a crazy process. Well done because I do think that Merandi sounds pretty good. That's a personal feeling.
Kate Socatiyanurak:
And, in Japan they call it Merandi. So, many countries have their own way of adopting it. So in Japan it's Merandi, so in America it's Merandi.
Anne V Muhlethaler:
I like the Japanese way.
Kate Socatiyanurak:
In Europe, it's probably Merandi, I don't know. I call it Merandi.
Anne V Muhlethaler:
Interesting, that's so funny. So, you did mention the bag handle...
Kate Socatiyanurak:
Handle wrap, we call it a wrap.
Anne V Muhlethaler:
So if I understand correctly, you've also done a beautiful collaboration for the handle wraps and for our listeners, for specific bags, whether they're precious or not, you can just wrap the handles of your bag with a scarf or whether it's silk or not, just to make sure that the leather is protected because that's an area of the bag that's going to suffer a lot. There is a specific twist to that collection, which I think is important for you in terms of CSR as well, right?
Kate Socatiyanurak:
Yes, we use recycled fabric from Pasaia. So, this collaboration is with Pasaia and they do luxury bed linens, pillows, and stuff like that, and basically we take the off cuts for those fabrics and turn it into something useful and also enjoyable, which is Merandi bag handle wrap, and we offer it in five styles because we are not trying to associate our brand or be affiliated with Hermes. We do it in a different style where we're not trying to be a Twilly from Hermes. We do it in candy cane style and zigzag style in very modern and quite minimalistic approach.
Anne V Muhlethaler:
Sweet, but am I right in saying that also for every single one of those sold, there are 10 meals donated to kids in difficulty in Thailand?
Kate Socatiyanurak:
Yes, so it's a program called 1M for 10M. So, one Merandi wrap equals 10 meals to the children of Thailand, from several schools around Thailand. Again, it's Grace's idea which is we wanted to give back, I guess, because we feel that we have achieved quite a lot, I would say, in a short period of time, and it's always a good thing to stay grounded and think about ways to first, not create waste, second, to give back to society.
Anne V Muhlethaler:
Thanks for sharing that. Now, one of the things I was curious about is, how does your background in content creation helps you lead in terms of the business development for Merandi? Can you talk to us a bit about your strategy?
Kate Socatiyanurak:
So strategy for me overall, it actually starts from the product. So, you need a strong product that has a very strong USP or unique selling point to be different enough to have things to say on social media. Otherwise, there's nothing to write about, and some of the things have to be hard facts, not different from other brands through artistic expression or stuff like that. It has to be like, "Oh, we use Thai silk and we encourage a color play and we are the first to do that." So, I think being the first in something is very important.
So, I would recommend emerging brands to try to find something that they can do that with. And in terms of content, I wouldn't say really an expert, yes, because I feel like everything and everyone is a work in progress, but I would say that storytelling is extremely crucial and we have to speak the truth. We have to communicate crystal clear and be a little bit artsy in terms of the words that we choose for copywriting, but I'm actually struggling a bit with this myself because now that I'm the co-founder, I have a lot on my plate and sometimes it can be hard to give this task to someone else because I'm quite into crazy content, but that's what I have to do right now, but I feel I'm going off topic.
Anne V Muhlethaler:
I'm so glad you said that because one of my coaching clients not long ago, who works in branding, was expressing how creatively blocked he had felt in promoting his new services, and the reality is when you are promoting yourself as something that's so close to you, it becomes hard. It's easier when there's a little bit more distance. That's what I find at least.
Kate Socatiyanurak:
That's true, and especially if you have to work on something every day for 10 hours a day or something, it doesn't feel as exciting as the first time you came up with the idea, but then when you communicate it to other people on social media, it has to feel fresh and this is why mindfulness is so important in life because it creates space to be creative, to feel alive again, and to fall in love with a brand again. Sometimes it gets dull when you have to work on something every day.
Anne V Muhlethaler:
Yeah, we were talking with an amazing beauty brand that I interviewed not long ago, Kim Walls, and sometimes it's also we become identified too much with the product or the experience because we're too close to it. And so yes, mindfulness helps us dissociate with the experience, giving us a different perspective. Sometimes all we need is to just take that step back, take a breath, reconnect to ourselves and look at it with fresh eyes.
Kate Socatiyanurak:
And, regain the calmness in the mind, not having the minds racing all the time, so many things on the to-do list and life can get hectic.
Anne V Muhlethaler:
And, it's true that there are other things like taking a walk or movement helps balance the left and right hemispheres of the brain, and so it sort of restores the connection, especially when we don't feel creative, and the alpha part of the brain keeps on talking about the to-do list. I feel that pressure.
Kate Socatiyanurak:
I actually walk for like an hour a day in silence around my house, outdoors, but around my house areas. I like music, but I actually don't listen to that much of music. It's hard to describe. It's like when you are taught music, you feel like you cannot focus if you have to work with music on because you end up paying so much attention, even if there's no lyrics, you end up missing intently. Also, when I do my daily walking, I just do it in silence.
Anne V Muhlethaler:
I'm so glad you said that because I absolutely cannot work to music because otherwise it just completely distracts me and I stop paying attention to my work and I just go off on one. And as for walking without music, it's better because otherwise I start singing in the street, people can hear me. It's very embarrassing. So talking about mindfulness, so given that the podcast is at the crossroads between business and mindfulness, tell me, how do you keep grounded? What is your go-to ritual or tool or tactic that helps you feel connected to yourself?
Kate Socatiyanurak:
So, recently I got into Ashtanga yoga and I found it to be very beneficial. I've never tried other types of yoga though, but Ashtanga yoga, what I like about it is that the poses are fixed. So every day when you do it, you have to start from the pose one, two, recent solution, et cetera, and that is nice for a life that is so hectic, you just need something that you know what you have to do. You can't just skip to certain poses like, "Oh, I want to do this and I want to do that. Oh, I'm already done. I'm just going to go shower and watch Netflix." So with Ashtanga, you just have to finish the whole thing, and it's actually quite challenging physically, and with that, it helps you gain focused because if the mind doesn't take you there, your body cannot do it.
And, that is what I really like, but I also do cardio or high intensity workouts, and I find them to help clear my head really well. I usually do all of this late in the afternoon. When you get up, you still feel fresh, and by the time it gets to 3:00 or 4:00 PM you need to feel fresh again, so that's why I do it then. But, I would say that I'm quite a night owl. I don't wake up early at all. I feel like I work better at night and I'm very creative at night, and thankfully Grace is the same. It wouldn't work if it was like-
Anne V Muhlethaler:
Oh God, can you imagine if she was up and texting you at 7:00? That would be really annoying.
Kate Socatiyanurak:
So, we're basically the same person.
Anne V Muhlethaler:
That's awesome. So I love what you said, if the mind isn't focused, the body cannot take you there. That's a really great way to explain or to showcase what's absolutely true about that integration that yoga offers because your body cannot do things if your mind isn't going into the posture, isn't fully present on the mat. Obviously different teachers will take you to different paces, but what I love about it is the breath and movement connection. It feels even more meditative, and I don't know about you, but when I was a teenager, I remember I thought to myself, "God, I don't breathe very well," and for some reason I thought it was just me, that I didn't know how to breathe. And of course, later on I realized that none of us breathe well. We rarely breathe full in breath and out breath until we are brought to it by something. And so, whenever I find any kind of movement practice that invites me to breathe in pattern and repetitively and deeply, I generally feel very, very in myself just because it just gives you that integration aspect.
Kate Socatiyanurak:
It's very much related to how you feel. For example, if you breathe really quickly right now, you become agitated, so it's very much related.
Anne V Muhlethaler:
I remember, so last time we talked, and I think you mentioned it already today, you are quite the foodie and you're not done on you're entrepreneurial journey. So, can you tell us what you are cooking up?
Kate Socatiyanurak:
Grace is of course a foodie as well, and she has worked in Michelin starred restaurants and have done something in the food business before, and that would be something we consider in the very near future. And, in the far future we would like to have a restaurant, but let's work on Merandi first, but I'm quite a foodie and I feel like all Thai people are very much a foodie. It is in the culture. We're always on a hunt for new restaurants and new dishes to try. We have a to-do list for food, and when I was in London, it was the same, me and my Thai friends, we would take it to the next level. But overall, I feel like I would like to focus mainly on Merandi, but at the same time start something in the food business just to get some things going, kind of a soft opening. And for Merandi, we're actually extending our product line to other types of accessories, potentially charms, bag charms, and then let's see. Please stay tuned.
Anne V Muhlethaler:
Sure, it's exciting. I can't wait to see what happens. I know that if you do something food wise, it will be in Bangkok, but I love any excuse to come and visit Thailand, so keep me informed. Let's move to the closing questions now. So the first one is, what is your favorite word? But, that would be a word that you could tattoo on yourself theoretically.
Kate Socatiyanurak:
Will it be boring if I say Merandi?
Anne V Muhlethaler:
It's not as long as that's what you want.
Kate Socatiyanurak:
Well, that's actually a sentence in Latin. It's from a Latin poem, I think, that I like. I don't know how to pronounce it, so basically it says... It starts with Cras amet qui numquam amavit , that's the first half of the full sentence. What it means, tomorrow he will love who never loved before and who has loved will love tomorrow.
Anne V Muhlethaler:
That's beautiful.
Kate Socatiyanurak:
Life is trying to say, or at least that's my interpretation, that those who yesterday did not love, hopefully they will love today, and those who already love today, they will love even more tomorrow or as well tomorrow.
Anne V Muhlethaler:
I love it, that's beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing. Do you know who is it by? Is it from a poem?
Kate Socatiyanurak:
I think it's a really, really long time ago, and it is through a debate who wrote it? I'll send it over after.
Anne V Muhlethaler:
Thank you so much. Now, what does connection mean to you?
Kate Socatiyanurak:
Connection for me, so connection can be between a person and an object and a topic or with another person. And I feel that in terms of personal connection for me, it is when you feel the true sense of belonging in someone, and this can be a friend or a partner. It's actually what I find in my co-founder, for which I am very grateful for such a sense of belonging, connection to be formed. Many things have to be aligned in terms of values and the things that you stand for. That's my meaning for connection.
Anne V Muhlethaler:
Thank you. Now, this one is a very hard one. What song best represents you?
Kate Socatiyanurak:
What song? I like sad songs. I like listening to Pavarotti and classical stuff. I don't know all the new singers or hip hop or rap and stuff like that. I'm not very into that, not like people my age. Oh, but I'm a big fan of Michael Jackson. I do collect stuff about Michael Jackson, and so any songs from MJ.
Anne V Muhlethaler:
But, if you could pick one that represents you.
Kate Socatiyanurak:
Represents me? Hallelujah, maybe.
Anne V Muhlethaler:
Oh.
Kate Socatiyanurak:
I don't know why, but it's the vibe I guess.
Anne V Muhlethaler:
Gorgeous, thanks so much. What is the sweetest thing that's ever happened to you?
Kate Socatiyanurak:
Now this is a real really hard question because I'm very thankful that all my friends and family, everyone is so nice to me, and sweet things happened to me on a daily basis, but from the beginning when I founded Merandi, I've been receiving endless help. Even when I don't ask for it, people just come to me offering if they could help me with anything at all, and overall, collectively, it's one of the sweetest things that one can ever hope for, and career is very important for me.
Anne V Muhlethaler:
That's really cool, I'm so glad you shared. Thank you. What is a secret superpower that you have?
Kate Socatiyanurak:
Secret superpower? I would say my piano playing with my Thai traditional music because as I've said, at one point I was one of a few who could play it, not anymore, but it was once a superpower, and another thing is that... This may sound really weird, but I type very fast. I type on the laptop, so many people recognize me for the skill.
Anne V Muhlethaler:
I love that. I also type very fast and I love it, but it's interesting because we're both piano players.
Kate Socatiyanurak:
Yes.
Anne V Muhlethaler:
Agility in the fingers,
Kate Socatiyanurak:
Yes, coordinated.
Anne V Muhlethaler:
Awesome. What is a favorite book? So you don't have to have your one favorite, but what is a favorite book that you can share with us?
Kate Socatiyanurak:
A favorite book would have to be 700-page book by J. Randy Taraborrelli and it's a biography of Michael Jackson, and I read this when I was like 10 because I really liked Michael Jackson and I finished the whole book, like 700 pages.
Anne V Muhlethaler:
Amazing. Where is somewhere you've visited that you felt really had an impact on who you are today?
Kate Socatiyanurak:
That would have to be a small town called Sidmouth in Devon in the UK, that's where my boarding school is. Basically, I grew up there. I would say the most important years that will go on to shape a person's life was spent there, and I still remember all the memories I shared with the many international friends, lifelong friends, and it has shaped me to be who I am today in terms of personality, interest, and open-mindedness and ability to connect with people from different backgrounds and culture.
Anne V Muhlethaler:
Imagining that you can step into a future version of yourself, what most important advice do you think that future you needs to give to the present state you?
Kate Socatiyanurak:
I would say to hang in there and work hard because the life that you've always wanted will one day be the reality. So when I imagine myself being free, having a lot of free time in Tuscany, enjoying my life and just dreaming about my next destination, but at the same time feeling very content that customers around the world are using my products, and that's my ultimate goal. And I will say to myself today, to hang in there because it's coming.
Anne V Muhlethaler:
Awesome, and that takes us to my last question. What brings you happiness?
Kate Socatiyanurak:
What brings me happiness? Happiness can actually be found in most things. It's not about having the most expensive meals or wearing the most expensive clothes, although I do appreciate the luxury world, but I feel like spending time with family and friends whose values align with yours, it's the best thing ever. It doesn't matter where you go for dinner, you would just have a great conversation and you just feel so lucky to go on this journey of life together. That's what brings me happiness.
Anne V Muhlethaler:
Kate, thank you so much for joining me today. It was such a pleasure to talk to you. I really enjoyed discovering your journey. So, if people want to connect with you and discover Merandi, where can they find you?
Kate Socatiyanurak:
And so for Merandi, we're on Instagram and Facebook and then many other channels. And for me, just you can connect with me on LinkedIn or Instagram, yes.
Anne V Muhlethaler:
I'll make sure to add all of the links in the show notes. So thank you again, I hope you have a wonderful rest of your evening and we'll keep in touch.
Kate Socatiyanurak:
Yes, thank you so much, Anne, for having me. I really enjoyed the session and have a good day.
Anne V Muhlethaler:
Thanks so much, talk soon.
Kate Socatiyanurak:
Thank you.
Anne V Muhlethaler:
So friends and listeners, thanks again for joining me today. If you'd like to hear more, you can subscribe to the show on the platform of your choice. If you'd like to connect, you can get in touch with me @annvi on Twitter, and Anne Muhlethaler on LinkedIn, or on Instagram @ _outoftheclouds, where I also share daily musings about mindfulness. You can also find all of the episodes of the podcast and much more on my website, annevmuhlethaler.com. If you don't know how to spell it, it's also going to be in the show notes. If you would like to get regular news directly delivered to your inbox, I invite you to sign up to my monthly newsletter. So, that's it for this episode. Thank you so much for listening to Out of the Clouds. I hope that you will join me again next time and until then, be well, be safe, and take care.