Some Stories Take Time to Find Their Name: The Origin of Kidii

Some stories take time to find their name.

The story of Kidii began almost a year ago.

And it didn't begin with the name Kidii.

The seed was sown when I attended a five-day storytelling workshop with Ameen Haque. What stayed with me wasn't just storytelling, but the gentle nudge to own our stories, to look within and tell our own story before someone else tells it for us.

That stayed with me.

I came back with an idea and eventually a name: You and Your Story.

I nurtured it for almost six months. I worked on it, shaped it and was almost ready to launch.

And then came the seesaw and the questions

Is this for me? Why am I doing this?

The people I trusted gave me the honesty I had asked for. Their feedback made me question the name, the idea and even myself.

Subash my coaching mentor, was very clear: "Pallavi, this name and logo are not there yet."

And then came Sumedha Bhise

Before giving me her feedback, she asked, "Do you want me to be honest?"

I said, "Obviously."

"Pallavi, this is not you. This doesn't sound like you at all. Look at your roots, your culture, your background. Why don't you find something that truly resonates with who you are?"

That stopped me...

I started looking beyond the name. I started looking within.

The more I reflected, I understood what I wanted this space to hold.

We all carry a spark within us. But somewhere along the way, life, expectations, experiences, labels and the stories we carry can make us lose sight of it.

I wanted to create a space where we could pause, reflect, reconnect with ourselves and rediscover that spark.

Somewhere in that process, I had a conversation with Kaveri.

We talked, questioned, brainstormed and went back and forth about what this space meant to me and what I wanted it to stand for.

And within about 45 minutes to an hour of that conversation, Kidii surfaced.

In Kannada, Kidii means Spark.

And somehow, it just felt right.

Kaveri then helped give Kidii its initial visual identity.

@Hemant brought the colours to the logo and slowly, things started coming together.

And that's when Rashi and her team came into the picture.

What started as building a website became something much more. Rashi didn't just build the website; she took ownership of it. She poured her heart and soul into bringing Kidii to life online and co-owned the process with me in a way I will always be grateful for.

And what you see on the Kidii website today is a reflection of that care, ownership and belief.

Looking back, I realize Kidii wasn't born in one moment.

It was nurtured over time through a seed, a story, a name I had to let go of, a seesaw of self-belief and self-doubt, honest questions, uncomfortable feedback, introspection and people who cared enough to challenge me.

Sometimes, the answer isn't found by looking harder outside.

Sometimes, it begins when we finally look within.

And that's how Kidii came to be. ✨