Meet Heather from Tokki Design!

Meet Heather from Tokki Design! She is our local maker of our 14ers coloring book. It is a pleasure to have her our box. Lets learn more about Denver from her perspective.

●      Favorite season in Denver and why?

o      I LOVE fall. The city cools down and the weather is perfect for walking or biking EVERYWHERE. The sun isn’t so scorching, haha.

●      Favorite outdoor location and activity?

o      Oh man, that’s a hard one! There’s a hike/trail run that I love to do up in Granby that’s a 16 mile loop. It starts at Monarch Lake and then “ends” at Mirror & Crater Lakes, but you can keep going and do some alpine rock climbing up on Lone Eagle Peak. That hike is best done in the fall. Winter time is a different story when all I really care about is snowboarding. My husband and I really like Keystone up in Summit County. We like to freestyle ride and be creative with natural features and Keystone is great for that!

●      Favorite restaurant in/near Denver?

o      I love Watercourse! In fact, they just added some new dishes to their menu and what I’ve had so far has been amazing! It’s 100% vegan (even the wine), but it doesn’t taste vegan, haha. I’ve brought friends there whose minds have literally exploded at the table when they bite into their vegan Cuban sandwich.

●      Favorite place to visit? Food? Activity? Hidden Gem

o      As I mentioned before, snowboarding has my heart. I usually start dreaming about ittwo months before the season opens and then I obsessively watch tutorials to learn new tricks or fall asleep watching big mountain films. But in the warm months I enjoy running around North Table Mountain in the cool of the morning or walking around Breckenridge after a day of hiking. I also really like Durango and Telluride- lots of hiking and the drive out there is beautiful especially during the fall when all of theAspens are changing. Oh! And Mount Princeton Hot Springs. Pay the extra few bucks to get access to the Adult Only area! Kombucha on tap with a full bar, snacks, cold pools and hot spring pools, sauna, steam room. It’s an awesome weekend get away!

●      Where do you want to visit next?

o      I would like to check out Fruita. Though I’m not a mountain biker and I’m told it has excellent biking, I found some trail runs I would like to do. We were supposed to go there for Thanksgiving, but COVID thwarted our plans.

About You & Your experience:

●      To what do you attribute your success?

o My parents and husband. Both have always told me that I could do whatever I set my mind to do, so when Idecided to start selling my art I didn’t really think twice. Having a support system like that is priceless and affects every other aspect of my life, not just art.

●      What has your experience been as a small business owner?

o I would say that it’s been a positive one. Sometimes it’s a little intimidating because your art is YOU and if someone doesn’t like it, well..haha. But, I just don’t take it personally. Selling my art was on my bucket list,so it’s been rewarding to check that off and also rewarding to just be creative and spend alone time with my thoughts. I think that society is overwhelming with the hustle and bustle, and at the end of my work week being alone and in silence has been an excellent way for me to recharge and recenter.

●      How has your experience in running the business been different from what you expected?

o      I’m an all or nothing type of person. When I jump into a situation, I obsess over it. I was a little surprised at how my interest to do more art has ebbed and flowed. After realizing that though, I came to the conclusion that that’s normal and I should just accept it.

●      Are there specific advantages, disadvantages to be a small business owner?

o      The advantage I like is that I can do work when I feel like it. I’m my own boss and set my own perimeters. When I feel inspired, I draw. When I don’t feel inspired, I simply don’t draw. The way I’ve structured this small business gives me what I want- a creative outlet, supplemental income, and a connection to nature and the community since a portion of all sales goes to the Colorado 14er Initiative. I’ve structured it to serve my needs, therefore disadvantages don’t come to mind.

●      For young entrepreneurs, what specific advice would you have for them?

o      One, don’t be scared. It’s scary stepping out and putting yourself in a vulnerable position, but you can do it if you put your mind to it. Two, structure your business in a financially sound way. Figure out your business strategy, for example how much time and money areyou willing

to put up front. Do research; check The Google and talk to other small business owners!!

●      What have you done that has been very effective in helping to grow the business?

o      I actually think that having an Etsy shop has helped. I’ve had a handful of clients commission personalized pieces from finding prints on my Etsy shop, and currently I’m designing a tattoo for a client that I’m really psyched on.

●      With so many social movements going on in Denver what are you doing to join in. If you are able to?

o      I haven’t really joined in with the social movements especially because I’m not in the city anymore. However, in my freetime over the past 8 months, I occasionally post YouTube videos about transracial adoption and what that means in “White” America. I’m a KAD- Korean Adoptee and my niece and nephew are also KADs. I want them to grow up knowing that they aren’t alone and I want to provide a space for other KADs to feel comfortable in. Right now, racism has become even more prevalent in America and Asians are not an exception to feeling this hatred. As a KAD, I’ve struggled with my identity lately. I was raised by a Caucasian family and identify as such, but the world doesn’t see me as that and it’s become very obvious in the last year. So, I guess I’m just trying to let other KADs know that they’re not alone in their feelings or thoughts. I want my niece and nephew to be able to watch my YouTube videos and say, “Oh, Aunt Heather felt that way too..I guess it’s okay that I feel that way.”

●      How has the current social climate affected your business?

o      Over quarantine I was really busy with commissioned pieces, which was nice since I really didn’t have much going other than online Pilates, cooking, and taking a language class, haha. But since large gatherings aren’t permitted, I haven’t done any pop-up markets or EarthTreks events. I’m a pretty chill person, so I just go with the flow.

●      What would you want consumers to know about your business and how to best support local businesses especially small local businesses?

o      Like I mentioned before, a portion of all sales goes to the Colorado 14er Initiative. If you’re not familiar, CFI not only helps to maintain hiking trails but also educates the public on how to take care of the fragile ecosystems that the trails wind through. They do a lot of trail work high up in the backcountry that we take for granted. As far as supporting local businesses, there are TONS of them here in the Front Range. During “normal” summers, there are different markets to checkout that showcase amazing local artists. But while we’re still battling this pandemic, Etsy and Instagram. I’ve found so many cool artists on both and all it takes is searching a hashtag or specific style!