How did you come up with and decide on the name for your business?

'ONDO' in Korean means temperature. I wanted to highlight temperature as a key aspect to our body health image. I myself have Raynaud's Disease and Cold urticaria which basically means I'm allergic to cold temperatures. We often take for granted the importance of temperature in our daily lives, which is an important component to maintaining a healthy functioning body. 

 Where do you find inspiration? 

I find inspiration in the most random ways. It could be through art, films, books, etc. Lately I've been finding a lot of inspiration through vintage books and encyclopedias of herbs, crafts, and art. 

How does your Korean heritage manifest in your business?

My business is actually a huge reflection of many things my mother taught me while growing up. She taught me how to make soap and many Korean homemade remedies she learned from her mother in Korea. My work, vision and intentions all stem from my core Korean values and traditions passed down to me by my family.

What aspects of Korean culture, history, or community do you hope to promote through your products?

Going forward, I definitely want to introduce more herbal ingredients commonly and historically used in Korea. Korea has so many wonderful items, herbs and remedies that I think a lot of people still aren't familiar with and I would love to show that to the world. 

If you told the younger you what you were doing now, how would they react and what would they think? 

 I think my younger self would be absolutely thrilled! By creating ONDO, I’m semi-fulfilling a childhood fantasy in a way. One of my favorite 90’s books (& movie) when I was younger is Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman. It’s about two witch sisters who grow up learning magic from their aunts. The main character, Sally Owens, runs a botanical shop selling body care products using herbs and natural botanicals with a sprinkle of enchantment and magic. I thought that was so cool as a kid and I always fantasized about living a life like hers and I guess I kind of am now! (without the witchcraft).

When you are not feeling particularly inspired or motivated, what do you do? Who do you go to? Where do you go? 

I go to the beach where I become a little child again marveling at little creatures and looking for shells and treasures. This definitely sparks inspiration and motivation in me because it reminds me that sometimes we shouldn’t take everything so seriously, we should enjoy life as it comes and that we all need to detach ourselves from our work sometimes and let the inspiration come to you naturally.