A Young Entrepreneur's Journey in Ulsan
- Original source
- blog.naver.com
This time, we meet a young entrepreneur from Ulsan who aspires to infuse the city with his unique scent through his workshop brand, 'Hi Yellow.'
After spending some time away, he returned to Ulsan to build his own brand, capturing the precious stories and landscapes of the city in his fragrances while deeply engaging with the local community.
We spoke with CEO Kim Do-yeon about his passionate desire to gift warm moments to people's memories and to promote the true value of handmade crafts.
Q. Can you introduce yourself?
I am Kim Do-yeon, the founder of 'Hi Yellow,' a workshop brand that expresses Ulsan's local stories through fragrance. I research and create scents that embody Ulsan's unique narratives and often participate in local festivals and events to run experience programs and markets. I am also part of the instructor team at the Ulsan Youth Activity Promotion Center.
This November, I have been selected to operate a booth at the Ulsan Cultural Expo at UECO. Meeting and communicating with various people at these events brings me immense fulfillment, especially when I see participants smiling during group classes, which motivates me to continue working hard.
Q. What motivated you to start your business?
I was born in Busan but grew up in Ulsan from elementary school and completed my university and first job in Gimhae. However, I struggled to adapt to my job and decided to resign.
While preparing for reemployment, I resolved to challenge myself to do what I truly wanted before it was too late, and it has now been two years since I returned to Ulsan. I wanted to create a brand that reflects my name and color, and I have always been interested in fragrances, even collecting perfumes as a hobby.
My mother, who previously operated a workshop, has been a great help during event preparations, and we run the family workshop together.
Q. What activities have you been involved in as a young person?
The term 'youth' is a core keyword in my life. While living in Gimhae, I had diverse experiences working at a youth center and serving on the Gimhae City Youth Employment Committee and the Gimhae Youth Policy Council.
Since settling in Ulsan, I have continued my journey as a talent-sharing volunteer at the Uljin Youth Center and as a player in the Youth Itso FESTA. Planning and participating in youth festivals in the past was a significant and enjoyable experience for me.
Through this talent-sharing activity, I am preparing to present a unique class where young people can express their stories and those of their community through fragrance.
Q. What advice would you give to young artisans or aspiring entrepreneurs?
I want to emphasize the importance of establishing a clear direction and perspective. I am still in the learning phase, so I tread carefully, but in the craft world, it’s easy to lose one’s center while focusing on learning various techniques.
While learning itself is not bad, moving without clear goals can lead to exhaustion. Additionally, in Korean society, the value of handmade crafts is still not widely recognized, often leading to artisans’ hard work not being compensated fairly.
Despite the challenges in the craft industry, I am committed to improving product quality and changing public perception.
Q. Any final thoughts?
Having conducted numerous classes based on Ulsan's representative tourist resources, I am now at the stage of preparing for official sales and plan to actively promote my brand. As a citizen who spent all my school years in Ulsan, I hope our city becomes richer in cultural elements for young people to enjoy.
It would be wonderful to have a representative street where diverse crafts and cultures can be experienced in one place, similar to Gyeongju’s Hwanglidangil. I will continue to play my part in spreading the warm values of handmade crafts and promoting a positive perception of them.
Through the scents I create under my name, I aim to gift pleasant memories to people's daily lives and bring a new cultural warmth to the city of Ulsan. CEO Kim Do-yeon’s journey, which continuously communicates with the community and proves the true value of handmade crafts, already emits a deep and captivating fragrance.
Source :https://blog.naver.com/ulsan_nuri/224418812097
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