Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Konkol.
Hi Emily, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Cheetah Pak was born from my passion for helping business owners build brands that not only look beautiful but also connect with people. Funny enough, I found out I was pregnant with my first daughter just two weeks before officially launching the business. It wasn’t exactly the timing I had planned, but in hindsight, it couldn’t have been more fitting. Both have grown side by side ever since.
Creativity has always been part of who I am. My brother and I were homeschooled in Boise, Idaho, and spent our childhood building miniature houses out of cereal boxes, complete with tiny roof shingles, and inventing businesses from just about anything we could find. Growing up in the ’90s meant a lot of freedom, and that freedom gave us endless opportunities to create, imagine, and experiment.
One of my favorite memories still makes me laugh. My brother came up with an idea that we sell Barbie Corvette parts at a curbside “auto parts” stand. This was a thrilling proposition. So we climbed on top of the woodpile, dropped a 2×4, collected every piece we could, and proudly displayed our inventory. As it turns out, there wasn’t much demand for Barbie Corvette replacement parts. It was probably my first lesson in entrepreneurship: not every idea is a winner, and sometimes you have to pivot.
At 14, I started my first swimsuit company and sold exactly two swimsuits to my two best friends. Years later, at 22, I launched another swimwear brand called Folly Beachwear. While I enjoyed designing and sewing the pieces, I realized what truly excited me wasn’t making the product itself. It was building the brand around it: the hang tags, the photography, the packaging, and the overall visual identity.
That realization eventually led me to a small design and packaging agency in Medford, Oregon, where I spent seven years learning every aspect of the industry. I fell in love with taking someone’s idea and transforming it into something tangible: a bag, a box, or a label that would eventually sit on a store shelf. Seeing a product go from concept to something you can actually hold never gets old.
When the time felt right, I took the leap and started Cheetah Pak, my own branding and custom packaging studio. Today, I have the privilege of working with an incredibly diverse group of businesses from bakeries and automotive companies to med spas, event planners, wellness brands, and manufacturers throughout Southern Oregon and across the country. Every project is different, but they all have one thing in common: helping passionate business owners create brands they’re proud to put into the world.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Not even close. Entrepreneurship is a constant roller coaster, and honestly, I think that’s just part of signing up for it. One week you’re celebrating a new client, a price increase that everyone happily accepts, or a logo getting approved on the first round. The next week you’re tossing an entire presentation because it completely missed the mark, or wondering where the next project is going to come from.
Then there’s a whole other layer to entrepreneurship: being a momtrepreneur with babies under two. That comes with its own set of daily pivots.
For the first six months of Cheetah Pak, I wore my daughter in a front carrier while standing at my desk, gently bouncing her to sleep as I designed. Then she graduated to a playpen beside me. Now I work around nap times, early mornings, and whatever little pockets of quiet I can find. Every stage has required me to completely rethink how I work.
As challenging as that’s been, I wouldn’t trade it. Motherhood has made me more decisive and more efficient. When you’re building a business with little ones at your feet, you learn pretty quickly what actually matters and how to make every hour count.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Cheetah Pak?
Cheetah Pak is a branding and custom packaging studio that helps businesses look as professional as the products and services they’ve worked so hard to create. We design everything from logos and visual identities to custom bags, boxes, labels, and marketing materials – essentially everything a customer sees before they ever experience what’s inside.
One thing that sets me apart is that I don’t just design pretty things. My background is in packaging production, so I understand how a design actually gets manufactured. I know what works on press, what materials are available, how to keep projects within budget, and how to bridge the gap between a great idea and a finished product. That knowledge saves my clients time, money, and a lot of headaches.
I’m also a big believer that good design should feel approachable. Branding can be overwhelming, especially for small business owners, and I love taking what feels complicated and making it simple. My goal is always to create something that feels authentic to the business owner – not just trendy for the sake of being trendy.
The thing I’m most proud of is the relationships I’ve built. Many of my clients have been with me for years, and getting to watch them grow – from a startup with one product to a brand expanding onto retail shelves – is incredibly rewarding. I’m helping people build businesses they’re proud of, and that’s a pretty cool job to have.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
Most people know me for branding and packaging, but I can’t seem to stop making things. If I’m not designing for a client, I’m probably woodworking, bringing an old piece of furniture back to life, or sewing something. And when I need to clear my head, you’ll find me on a hiking trail. I climbed Mount McLoughlin in Southern Oregon and the Sawtooths in Idaho a few years ago, and I still think getting outside is one of the best creative resets there is.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.CheetahPak.com
- Instagram: @cheetahpak
- Facebook: Cheetah Pak
- LinkedIn: Emily Konkol
