We were lucky to catch up with Owen Isachsen recently and have shared our conversation below.
Owen, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
That’s a great question, purpose to me as a creator has many different meanings and changes quite often while running a business. When I was a kid growing up in Southern California this allowed me to be surrounded by so many amazing people, places, and other companies as well. I always really enjoyed making art and drawing pictures, but it wasn’t until I got to High School that I got really into it. I went to high school in Encinitas and attended San Dieguito Academy, this allowed me to be creative and push the boundaries of my personal work and develop a much stronger understanding of what I wanted to do. It wasn’t til Senior year that I found my purpose and how I could create something that could be truly meaningful to not only myself but the people and community around me as well. As I created my first little T-Shirt business sophomore year of high school I got burnt out and quit on it a couple months in, and this happened about four more times until I found something that lit me up inside. I shaped my first surfboard in my senior year, and to say the least it was not pretty but there was something about it that I really enjoyed. I then decided to try one more time to start a new business, I decided I would be multi-faceted and produce several types of work such as paintings, clothing and artwork which are the three things I enjoy the most! This is when I truly found my purpose and I knew I couldn’t stop at the three or four month mark so I pushed myself and kept going which is why I’m glad to be here today talking to you guys!
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
SunnySide was first created in 2022 with the goal of creating the highest-quality clothing and hand shaped surfboards that are made locally right here in Leucadia, Southern California. I started my senior year of high school and started making paintings and different kinds of art and started designing for my own brand. Up until now it has been just myself as a one-man-show making work and creating and developing a business that is thought out and means something to not just myself but to my community as well. Being a waterman and a surfer myself, this influenced a lot of my decision-making as a brand-owner and has allowed me to see a fresh view on things like design elements, marketing strategies, products and so much more.
As I keep growing and scaling the business you can expect to see some boards being created for the local shops in the San Diego area and hopefully you can get your hands on one, if not I am always more than willing to craft a custom shape or paint something special for my customers. I’m really excited for where the brand is going, and I’m excited that I have such an amazing team and community around me that supports small businesses and creative individuals like myself.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Great question, I think looking back some of the most important qualities or skills that have been impactful for me is just say yes! A couple other skills would be to always keep creating even on the days you don’t feel like it, when business gets slow that’s the best time to create new product and get back into why you started in the first place, and lastly enjoy what your doing because it’s what you love!
I think it’s really easy to dig yourself into a hole quickly as a creator and business owner because you can fill up your schedule with things and opportunities that don’t aline with your brand and your companies morals and you can quickly get lost in that. So I think it’s always important to remember why your doing what your doing and understand the impact you can leave on the people around you. There are so many small businesses and brands out there today that are trying to make it so it’s always important show love to the community that you have built because not everyone sticks around for the long run. Overall, enjoy what you get to create and accept the criticism and always remember why you started.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
Awesome question! Short answer, yes! As a brand owner of a company that is focused around creating artwork and clothing and surfboards as well, it’s always a huge part of our business to be able to collaborate with others like us. One of the best things about having a local brand is meeting other members of our community and being able to talk about our products and receive feedback and take measures to better ourselves.
As far as kinds of people we are looking to collaborate with, I would say any and all are welcome to reach out of course but specifically if your an artist or individual that likes to design and create clothing pieces we’d love for you to reach out as this is a massive part of why I love my brand so much! If you feel like you’d be a fit, definitley reach out to me at [email protected] or shoot a call at 760-402-8490!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sunnysid3.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunnysid3/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100083935697180
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/owen-isachsen-9734a825b/
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
