Today we’d like to introduce you to Christine Goodrich.
Hi Christine, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I have been a designer for the past ten years, working in numerous areas of the industry from agency life to higher education, CPG, and the non-profit world. After I found myself unhappy at my full-time job in 2019, I took a step back and said to myself “It’s time to make a change”. With two solid freelance clients under my belt as a side-hustling designer, I decided to take the leap into full entrepreneurship—and with that, Kona Made was born.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Transitioning from a sole creator to wearing all of the hats of a business owner is no easy task. Especially since I was doing this all on my own in the beginning. There were tons of learning curves I encountered around setting smooth processes, budgeting, sales, outreach—you name it. But over time, I definitely got into a nice flow—realizing what is working and what needed to be adjusted. I always find myself learning new things every day as I continue to grow my small but mighty business. I absolutely find myself feeling more grounded as time goes on. Even through the obstacles of COVID-19, our studio has been thriving and I cannot be more grateful for our wonderful clients and team members who have supported us since we opened our doors.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Kona Made specializes in strategic branding development, custom website design and packaging design. I know this sounds cliche, but we really do love what we do.
We have been told time and time again that our style truly sets us apart from others in our space. As creatives, we stand by the belief that less is more and we approach each brand with a minimal aesthetic to achieve a strong impact.
We aim to provide our clients with a collaborative, immersive, fun experience across the board—always keeping organization and communication on lock. As business owners ourselves, we understand devoting time to your brand is an investment and we always want our clients to know how much we appreciate and value that.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I think the biggest risk I have ever taken was leaving my 9-5 job to see where this business could go. It’s a very scary thing stepping away from a steady paycheck in hopes that you replenish that income, and then some. After going through the experience of taking the leap into entrepreneurship, I wouldn’t change it for the world. Taking risks allows you to grow as a person as well as a professional–only making you stronger and wiser at the end of the day. If you are currently torn on whether to start a new business or pursue a dream, life is too short my friends. Go for it. Work your butt off and watch the magic unfold!
Contact Info:
- Email: christine@konamade.com
- Website: konamade.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kona_made/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/konamadecreative
Image Credits:
Jessica Rockowitz
