We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jonathan Park. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jonathan below.
Jonathan, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
Finding purpose can be a life-long journey with a dynamic destination. The path I walk today is one I walk confidently & comfortably, for the most part, albeit having an ending uncertain; as cliche as it sounds, I’ve enjoyed the expedition as much as the milestones. From birth, I’ve always been creative/craft-adjacent being born from two loving, creative parents. My mother always displayed her unconditional love in many ways, one prominent medium being her cooking while my father has a familial history of development & construction. Their love language was through acts of service, whether it was cooking delicious meals daily or building a treehouse that lives in our memories beyond the days of climbing into it in childhood.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
In my teen years, I found myself in a front-of-house position at a mom & pop restaurant to be financially independent. My job was simple: provide a comfortable environment to the restaurant patrons during their brief visit. Through this simple yet demanding job, I found a purpose; represent to the best of my ability the craft or the creative process and craft that is presented for the public’s digest. I ran with this purpose until the screeching halt of 2020 that shook the world. The food and beverage industry that I committed to was backed into a corner. Fortunately, I was in discussion with a ceramicist in South Korea to be their curator in California. What drew me to this ceramicist was that she sources her clay blend from California to handcraft her dinnerwares. After two years of trial and error, our ceramicist finally discovered a blend of California clays that createslightweight-yet-sturdy dinner wares that elevate the everyday dining table to an elegant one. Each meticulously crafted ware utilizes the high-quality ingredients that is uniquely Korean American just as myself.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
One: Have an open-mind. Remember that every day is a day to learn. Two: Research. Don’t ever expect to be spoonfed and do as much research on your own. Google is your best friend.
Three: Timeliness. Respect your own time and respect other people’s time. Remember that time is one aspect of life that can never be recouped.
Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
Coming from someone who loves to “freestyle,” planning is key. At the minimum, set an outline to operate within. If you are one to detail each hour, or minute, keep doing what you do. But learn to adjust as the roadbumps present itself.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.hwasoban.com
- Instagram: @hwasoban
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hwasoban.la/
Image Credits
instagram / @sohyunimages
