Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Hood.
Amy, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
We’re twins and designers living and working in Newport Beach, California. We started out studying art. Amy was working at a coffee shop to pay her way through community college (she was 5 years into a 2-year degree – do the math on that one) and a customer offered her and Jen an internship at a magazine to where they would learn the design programs and get paid. So, they jumped at the chance and worked for 3 years at this knock-0ff Coupon Clipper magazine, making crappy ads and learning the ins and outs of the trade. The magazine folded and we were out on our ear, pretty much un-hirable on paper with no degree and only ad work to show for ourselves. We always wanted to start our own business, but we just hadn’t thought of doing it so soon into our career. But after months of looking for work, we realized it was now or never! We had bills to pay and Hoodzpah Design was born. We hit up all our friends and took to social media to let everyone know we were open for business and taking on work. We pretty much got our logo, branding, and website done in one week and just put it up. Sometimes, that’s the best way to do it.
Please tell us about your business.
Hoodzpah has become known for our identity system and branding work. We create logos and identities for some amazing people and companies. It’s so amazing getting to work with people who have a passion for what they do. We get to help them create an aesthetic and a voice for their company, their product. It’s a huge thing to be trusted with and we love it.
There’s a wealth of academic research that suggests that lack of mentors and networking opportunities for women has materially affected the number of women in leadership roles. Smart organizations and industry leaders are working to change this, but in the meantime, do you have any advice for finding a mentor and building a network?
I think every era has its trials and it benefits. We’re lucky to live in an age where we can work with a person in Australia and be able to create a full identity system via email and Skype. We can share our work with the world on sites like Instagram and Bechance. But in that same vein, it’s harder than ever to stand out and make real connections. I think that’s why we’ve seen the rise of events like Creative Mornings and Connecting Things.
I love seeing cities that support art initiatives. Whether that be free concerts in the park or mural projects around the community. Each city has it’s own personality and can do it in their own way, but the arts are so important and can create a real pride and build connection in a community.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.hoodzpahdesign.com, www.oddsandsods.co
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/hoodzpahdesign, www.instagram.com/oddsandsodsco
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/hoodzpahdesign
Image Credit:
Hoodzpah
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