Amy Park shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Hi Amy, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: What are you being called to do now, that you may have been afraid of before?
In the past, I’ve been so focused on providing really high value branding, packaging, and website design for my clients. But I often feel I send them off with well-designed materials, and they don’t know how to properly market themselves. The next thing I’d like to tackle in my business is marketing – educating my clients on different approaches to take and recommendations for service providers or programs that support their specific path. I’d like to send people off with a plan on how to actually sell their products!
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi, I’m Amy Park! I design packaging, branding, and Shopify websites for small CPG brands. I focus on providing clients with thoughtfully designed, compliant packaging that tells a story and aligns with their vision. And I do all of this for so much less than the average agency, providing small brands with an opportunity to look big and compete with well-funded companies at a fraction of the cost.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
This may sound cliché, but the answer is: my parents.
The year was 2013. I had graduated with a graphic design degree 5.5 years earlier, and had yet to realize my full potential as a designer. After years of piecing incomes together, I was working part-time at a small packaging design firm for $16.83 / hour with a terrible boss. That’s when my parents convinced me to quit and start my own business. Normally, they’re big fans of job benefits and a consistent income. But they saw something in me, and realized that this was the time.
What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
Since college, I’ve had a major wound around work and not feeling good enough. I applied for roughly 80 jobs in the year after I graduated and barely got a single interview. (Thankfully, I eventually got hired by Marczyk Fine Foods, on a whim, to design in-store signage for their market, and I credit them for getting my career in motion.)
I haven’t worked at a legitimate design agency like most of my classmates, so I never learned any standard techniques or processes and have had to invent my own. But in a way, that’s what’s shaped my business. If I functioned like other design agencies, I would focus on low volume / high dollar. But my business is the opposite, which requires a completely different set of rules.
I wish I could say that the imposter syndrome and not feeling good enough was fully healed, but I’m still working through it by owning my path. It’s such a unique one, and I wouldn’t be where I was today without it.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
Aesthetics, in every sense of the word. I want to look at pretty things – always.
I want my house to be beautifully decorated with curated art, and functionally organized. I NEED my workspace to feel the same (or work is a slog). If I go to a coffee shop to work, it has to have “the vibes”. When I’m picking out a hotel or AirBnB for vacation, interior design comes first (before A/C, which drives my husband crazy).
But it doesn’t come from a place of vanity, in fact, I spend 5 minutes or less getting ready every morning. I just have such an appreciation for art and beauty, which also greatly influences the quality of my work.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What will you regret not doing?
Someday, I would love to create a really well-designed and thoughtful space that brings people together. I don’t know exactly what that looks like yet – I’ve toyed with a bed and breakfast, coffee shop, third space, or art framing studio. A venture like that requires a lot of capital, so maybe that’s something I can do in 10-20 years. But for now, I’m just trying to visualize what my space would look like and how I could use it to help people connect with others.
And I know if I don’t fulfill this vision someday, I will regret it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://goldsparkdesign.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goldsparkdesign/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/goldsparkdesign
Image Credits
Headshot by Amy K. Wright
