We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Nathan Bounphisai. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Nathan below.
Nathan, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.
Creativity is such a roller coaster for sure. Sometimes when my ideas run dry, it’s as simple as taking time away from things for myself. I discovered that taking breaks from time to time and using that time to travel has had the biggest impact on keeping my creativity high. When I travel, the places I go to and see help inspire and give me fresh ideas by showing me different perspectives on things. I can’t ever tell what will or won’t help me, and that’s the beauty of it. Sometimes the biggest ideas can come from a simple walk or car ride. I try not to force a creative outcome to happen. If I try to force it too much, I know the end product will not be what I want it to be.
I will always be an advocate for trying new foods and experiences. When you face different situations and environments, how you learn and grow from that as a person will take you to new heights. Being “down” in a creative aspect has to be seen as a learning experience.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I own Inu-San Onigiri, a Japanese grab-and-go pop-up concept that specializes in serving onigiri and fruit sandos. Onigiri are rice balls wrapped in seaweed that contain different fillings such as meat, vegetables, and seafood. Fruit sandos are Japanese sandwiches that contain fruit, whipped cream, and a special milk bread called ‘Shokupan’ in Japanese.
On top of that, I have another brand revolving solely around design and merchandise called Konbini Klub. This brand is an extension of our Japanese convenience store aesthetic hence where the word ‘konbini’ comes from. My art and inspiration comes from my experiences with Japanese culture and the brand features my own original characters; one of them being a cherry blossom named ‘Chiharu’.
The most exciting part about what I do is how I never know what I will serve or create next. Every single week for inu-san onigiri I change and rotate through old/new menu items. Konbini Klub is more like my super creative outlet for random ideas and designs so I love playing around with that project the most. I’ve created so many merch items so far like tote bags, mouse pads, car fresheners, key chains, shirts, and I want to do so much more!
I have big plans for 2024, another extension of my 2 brands, so I’m super excited to announce that in the year to come!
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
One important quality to have in mindfulness. Being in an industry like this, you meet many types of people and endure many different environments. How you take in those experiences and how you process what people say are important factors to personal growth. There can be a million things going on in my mind, but I have to remind myself to focus on one thing at a time and focus on what is in the present moment.
A skill that goes hand in hand with mindfulness is the ability to stay composed. Remaining calm and collected while under pressure has helped me manage situations in a more positive and more optimistic mindset. Being a business owner and team leader, I have to lead by example and be the anchor of the operation when times get tough. I have to remind myself that when chaos breaks loose, joining the chaos will not help at all.
The skill of consistency is key. Just like they say, practice really does make perfect. When you have a good system locked down, continue to use it and you can make updates as you continue to learn. I don’t adapt to change very well, so keeping things done with certain methods not only helps my mentality, but continues to keep the operation alive.
My advice for people that are early in their journey would be to never stop learning. Take everything you experience and hear to heart and allow that to help you grow. Without the connections and people I’ve met throughout my journey, I would not be where I am today without their knowledge.
Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
A big challenge I’m facing is how to penetrate different markets and regions. What I serve can feel very niche at times, and when I step out of my comfort zone it’s not always rewarding. That’s the hardest part about running a business, the constant risk factors.
Not everyone has been to Japan nor knows that much about Japanese food and culture, so it can be a doubled edged sword at times. I love educating people about things and meeting people that have had similar experiences and looking for the same things as me. Having such an exclusive/different product can be rewarding in that aspect. At the same time if people are intimidated and not open minded to trying new things they are nearly impossible to convert into a new customer.
Many people think that we can just open up shop in a busy area with high traffic and do well, but that’s almost never the case. I’ve done much better in smaller pop-up events than some of my biggest events I’ve attended.
Contact Info:
- Website: inusanonigiri.com
- Instagram: @inusanonigiri
