Today we’d like to introduce you to David Pham.
David, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
This love story begins in my sophomore year of college while studying to become an industrial designer. Through this profession, I was able to beautifully combine my passion for artistic creativity and problem solving to turn my product ideas into reality. While on my sleepless and tiring journey, I met the most beautiful young woman and had our very first date at a boba café. We immediately bonded over our shared obsession of bubble tea drinks and would always make time to meet and share our day’s events over matcha tea latte and her favorite Vietnamese coffee.
Our chemistry was undeniable, our conversations were endless, and I was falling deeply in love with her. At the height of our relationship, I knew she was the one for me. Until one day, it all came crashing down. She could no longer come to terms with the reality of how I, a Vietnamese-American man, could possibly fit into the culture of her conservative Indian family. Despite being a short-lived relationship, it had been one of the hardest breakups I had endured. Years had gone by without a single word exchanged between us. But eventually, I came to realize that I would rather have her in my life as a friend than none at all.
Mustering up the courage, I decided to reach out and simply catch up with her. To my surprise, she responded and of course, we decided to meet at our favorite boba shop. I still remember that day like it was yesterday when she walked back into my life and the sparks, the chemistry, the comfort of each other’s company, all came rushing back to us. One thing led to another and we found ourselves falling deeply in love all over again. Inspired by the heartfelt memories we shared around bubble tea, I wanted to create an intimate candle collection that truly pays homage to some of our favorite tapioca drinks. I finally felt like things were falling into place when my now girlfriend’s sister, Cynthia, was inspired by my idea and wanted to help bring it to life. The Ginkgo Project has given the amazing opportunity to tell my story of hope and love to the world and those are the same attributes that we have constituted in our business. We chose the ginkgo Biloba leaf as the symbol for our company, inspired by its Chinese and Japanese representation of resilience and an optimistic view of the future.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
As with any business, we had our fair share of obstacles along the way but have always managed to overcome them. One of our biggest struggles has been finding dependable resources for our natural coconut wax, wicks and fragrances during a time of heightened market saturation due to the global pandemic. Finding multiple scarcities in our ingredients has at many times forced us to reevaluate our methods and constantly revise our recipes. We had also underestimated the hurdles we would face going into candle-making with no prior knowledge of the art whatsoever. This led to months of sleepless nights spent on self-teaching and familiarizing ourselves with varying techniques until we had truly mastered the trade. In addition, managing our time was particularly difficult given that we are juggling our day jobs along with our business venture. But through all of the struggles, our passion has been our driving force and we have come to appreciate those who follow their dreams with resilience.
We’ve been impressed with The Ginkgo Project, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We are an independent design studio with an emphasis on creating luxurious and timeless pieces for home decor drawn from mid-century modern designs with Asian influences. All of our products are conceptualized, designed and hand-crafted in-house. Our latest boba-inspired candle creations are made from all-natural coconut wax with no paraffins or harmful chemical additives. Our Tealuxe Collection candles come in premium double-walled vessels that are easy to clean and reusable as insulated glass mugs. This collection also features fragrance-infused lava beads that carry the scent of the candle and act as a light diffuser while maintaining the visual effects of realistic-looking tapioca pearls. But beyond our meticulously curated products, we believe in giving back to our community and are immensely proud of our Ginkgo Promise to donate a portion of all our proceeds to suicide prevention organizations in an effort to promote mental health awareness and well-being.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
One of the most important lessons we have learned in the wake of Covid-19 is that each day is a precious gift. We have a chance to start fresh, learn something new, become better at what we do and keep moving forward. Through the darkest of times, we have learned to look inward and discover more about ourselves and to spend the time with those we love. We have applied the same philosophy in everything we do as part of The Ginkgo Project. We continue to learn about the products we create and optimize every day in our quest to provide unique products that make our company what it is today. As the renowned author, Doe Zantamata, once said, “It is only in our darkest hours that we may discover the true strength of the brilliant light within ourselves that can never, ever, be dimmed”.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@theginkgoproject.com
- Website: https://theginkgoproject.com/
- Instagram: @ginkgoproject
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheGinkgoProject
