With her trusty antique letterpress, affectionately named "Gertrude", Sherry Lam creates vibrant, nostalgic pieces of art that reflect both her creativity and culture. She's the creative force behind Sherry's Palette, a mama of two little boys, a registered dietitian, and a sustainable food advocate. Read on as she shares some nuggets of wisdom about running a small business, her creative milestones, and how her cultural identity as a Chinese-American woman influences her craft.

What made you curious about the graphic design and art of letterpress?
I loved many forms of art as a kid! It wasn’t until college when I signed up to be the graphic designer (with no experience!) of the Asian American Film Festival Committee that I really discovered the world of graphic design. I went on to design for other school clubs and small freelance projects, then a small amount in wedding stationery.
As for letterpress, I have always loved the tactile feel of letterpress printed cards, so I took a class at the San Francisco Center for the Book in preparation to print my own wedding stationery. Printing on antique presses that are close to 100 years old is pretty amazing.
What is something about the art business that you think more people should know about?
Every step from coming up with an idea to making it come to life to marketing to when my products arrive at your doorstep - it all takes a lot of thought and time.
Can you tell us about key milestones and significant events that have shaped your business’s journey up to the present day?
March 2020 (what a crazy time!) - Bought my antique Chandler and Price printing press, placed in my garage, which has truly made my printing of all the cards now possible. Her name is Gertrude/Gertie. :)
Jan 2022 - Officially opened my business. Before this, I was mostly doing freelance projects here and there and selling very small amounts of greeting cards to friends and acquaintances.
How has your cultural identity influenced your journey so far, if at all?
It has influenced a vast majority of my journey. As a Chinese American, I float between the two identities, which really trickles into a lot of my work. My cards that include both Chinese and English are good examples.

What is an aspect of being an entrepreneur that forced you to learn something new?
That understanding and learning about what my numbers mean is so important for business growth. It’s still something that I’m learning to be comfortable with – I’d much rather just do the creating part!
What are your favorite professional resources for running your business?
Proof to product - courses and community has been immensely helpful.
Skillshare - for brushing up on any technical skills
What risks have you taken that ended up a failure, what did you learn?
My business still feels very much in its infancy that I would say I haven’t taken any huge risks, but if there’s anything that aligns with this question, I think starting new product categories should involve a good amount of time to figure out. I say this with the recent red envelopes I launched last year, which didn’t end up a failure, but could use a lot of improvement. Overall for my business, I’m learning that taking the time to work on new products or any component of my business will pay off.

If you could go back in time and tell your past self anything, what would it be?
It can be easy to feel like there’s a lot of similar work out there, which then leads you to think that it might not be worthwhile to share your work. I would tell my past self that there is always room for you and your unique perspective and art!
What is the last thing you were curious about?
The histories and lives of so many people I admire.
Share another Asian-women-owned small business or entrepreneur that inspires you!
Kwohtations (@kwohtations) owned by Janine Kwoh.
What can the community help you with?
All the support I’ve received has been so wonderful! Just sharing our stories and how we can uplift each other and/or their businesses is so helpful. :)
Sherry's story illustrates that true growth often happens beyond our comfort zones. From diving into a graphic design role with no prior experience to launching a business centered around her original designs, her creative journey is incredibly inspiring. There is so much to take away from her wisdom, but if there's one thing to remember, it's that "there is always room for you and your unique perspective and art!"
Here's where you can find Sherry and her work:
Website: https://sherryspalette.com/
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