About the founder

Tansy Haak is a multifaceted individual, who has successfully built KIND Collection over the past 5 years, all whilst raising two children, supporting dozens of other women led businesses and maintaining an ethical and transparent supply chain - the whole way through!

She truly is a wonder - and we are very excited to share her story, ethos and visions for the brand in the coming future, in the lead up to International Women’s Day, 2021.

As the founder of KIND Collection, you are at the heart of the KIND Change Makers campaign for IWD 2021. What steps have you taken since starting the business in 2016 to create change?

Its a BIG Question! I would like to think that KIND promotes positive change. I have always wanted the pieces we create to represent our good ethics and fight for a fairer supply chain. By doing our due diligence, asking questions about our materials and paying a premium for responsibly sourced precious metals and gemstones we are putting people and planet over profit and advocating for change in the industry as a whole. By supporting the global charity 'One Tree Planted' we are investing in the future and contributing to reforestation projects world wide. Day to day we explore ideas of sustainability and I am a big believer that it's small steps and every positive change we make will make a difference long term. We reject the concept of mass consumption sales by offering alternative shopping events which give back to charities like Fashion Revolution and The Marylebone project. We feel businesses can be successful whilst also contributing positively to the world we live in.

In August last year, in the middle of a pandemic, you had your second child Frankie. How did you balance having two kids - whilst continuing to run a successful start-up?

I feel like I am on a constant mission to achieve a balance in life but I ultimately think it is something that you just need to keep checking back in with. I try to work flexibly within a 4 day week. Fridays are my day to enjoy hanging with the kids all day so I try to avoid work all together and concentrate fully on having fun. This week I have made sure I go for an early walk each morning before I start work and I think taking regular breaks to hang with little Frankie and clear my head make me more productive when I get back to it! I'm not going to lie, it's pretty full on running a business with a 6 month old crawling around but he has been a welcomed addition to lots of my zoom appointments and it won't be long before I can teach both him and Isla Zee the family business!

KIND Collection often promotes and highlights other small businesses. How important is it to you that small businesses support each other, and do you think #shopsmall and #shoplocal is the way forward?

We are all in it together and there is an amazing focus on “collaboration over competition” now. For businesses like KIND, social media platforms act as our shop front on the busiest high street in the world. It's amazing to be able to share so many incredible brands and projects that I find inspiring and might be of interest to the KIND community. Running a small business can be tough, but recommendations and word of mouth help to create a supportive network of customers, who have a genuine interest in what you are offering. We've seen people #shopsmall & #shoplocal more than ever this year and it is so fantastic to see. People are choosing to vote with their money and connect with the person they are buying from.

What is your standout moment within your KIND Collection journey?

There can never be just one as I am still learning and evolving each day! I think the proudest moments are reading lovely testimonials from customers, It makes my day!

Imposter syndrome is (unfortunately) extremely common for small businesses owners. Do you have experience with this, and if yes, how do you overcome it?

EVERYDAY! It can be absolutely stifling but I think it's important to remember that we are all human, we are capable of amazing things but we are also capable of making mistakes and feeling out of our depth. I try to have trust in my experience but also stay constantly open to learning new ways of working.

For many, jewellery acts as a visual mantra and holds significant symbolic meaning. What does jewellery mean to you? And how does it feel to be able to create modern heirlooms that will be cherished and worn for generations?

Jewellery always reminds me of my mother, especially gold jewellery. She doesn't wear much but the pieces she does wear have been staples that she wears day in day out. She wears two fine gold bangles on one wrist which she can't get off and mean you can always hear her coming! She designed an incredible chunky wave ring which incorporated all of the gold pieces of jewellery she had inherited. It's a powerful ring with different intertwining strands which signify her strength, independence and freedom. These are the pieces of jewellery that are close to my heart and will one day be passed down to my siblings and I. They are the pieces that will always represent her. My children will associate different pieces with me. I wear two necklaces every day. A Gold Horizon Bar with Isla Zee, my daughters name engraved on it and an Gold Otto disc with an F for Frankie Wilde and a little diamond set into the back. I hope one day they will enjoy wearing them, give them to someone they love or redesign them into a new piece that represents them!


Your love for jewellery and passion for ethical processes are well known amongst your friends and family. How important was it for you to be able to combine these two great loves, when KIND was born?
My Tutor at art school was a huge influence on me. They once said 'the world is so full of stuff, so it is your responsibility as a designer to make sure the things you add to it are meaningful'. This stuck a cord with me and helped me to form the foundation of every decision I have made from KIND's conception to where it is now. I am passionate about making and take a hands on approach wherever possible, this combined with a desire to learn about my materials and where they come from and the impact they could cause on our environment and the people we share it with created the perfect storm. I hope to offer timeless pieces which are made fairly and take responsibility for their presence in the world. My work gives me everything I had hoped for in a career and the energy I bring to it is from a pure enjoyment of what I do!