Meet Amy and Jennifer Hood. Twin sisters and Founders of branding agency, Hoodzpah.
Hoodzpah is a branding agency with moxie. They relish in creating things that delight the senses and serve the purpose and have branded hundreds of businesses, and designed on projects for cultural pillars like Google, Disney, Vox Media, and Target. We talk to Creative Directors and Founders, Amy and Jennifer Hood about their backgrounds, work, and what they’re up to.
Sandip: Let’s start from the beginning, where are you from? Tell us a bit about yourself (growing up, family, school, etc).
Amy & Jen: We were born in Huntington Beach, California, moved to New York, then ended up in Kentucky on our Grandma’s farm for middle school and high school. Lots of creek floating, rock n roll shows, and barn parties. Junior year we moved back to California. Manifest Destiny called.
Sandip: Sounds fun! Growing up, would your parents say your current career choice was pretty obvious given your hobbies or what you both were good at?
Amy & Jen: We were always artistic like most designers. We wanted to be illustrators and “oo-ed” and “ahhh-ed” over Mary Blair illustrations.
Sandip: What was your first job in “design”? Recall what you liked, what you learned, what you disliked?
Amy & Jen: Our first job was where we learned how to design. We worked at a coupon clipper magazine. We learned how to work fast because there were always crazy deadlines. Also hierarchy and client relations, all of which have been invaluable. It was grueling and local advertising is usually not the most creative work, plus we weren’t paid much, but we learned a lot of what to do and what not to do in business.
Sandip: So when did you start Hoodzpah? What made you both want to take the leap and do your own thing?
Amy & Jen: It’s funny because we always knew we wanted to start our own business. We were entrepreneurs before we knew what that word meant. We’d sell custom t-shirts we designed with sharpies and bedazzler guns in high school, we sold our art and made greeting cards at street fairs, and all sorts of crazy things. But the story of how Hoodzpah started is much less brave.
We got really comfortable in our first job — too comfortable — and stayed there way past the time we should have. We ignored the warning signs that we should look for another job and soon the magazine we were working at folded and laid us all off. 7 years ago if you didn’t have a degree no one would hire you. So we decided to hire ourselves because we knew we had the talent but no one would give us the opportunity. Sometimes you have to make your own opportunities! So that’s what we did and Hoodzpah was born in a week. Logo, website, everything.
“So we decided to hire ourselves because we knew we had the talent but no one would give us the opportunity.”
Sandip: I love the name, it’s a riff on the yiddish “hutzpah” right? How’d you both land on that?
Amy & Jen: It was a phrase we grew up hearing a lot in Syracuse, NY. It means bold, brazen. It’s the kind of design we wanted to do and it was a pun on our name… you know how designers love puns.
Sandip: Hoodzpah does amazing work and across the gamut. What do you both personally love to do the most? What most excites you?
Amy & Jen: We love branding work. Getting to establish the whole system and aesthetic and voice of a company is such a blast. Take ownership of the brand like it were your own when you do branding. It’s also just amazing getting to work with talented people who make great products. It’s cool being a small part of what they do.
Sandip: Walk us through the process of starting a new project. What’s that look like? How do you start, who does what, the different phases, tools you might use, like, etc.
Amy & Jen: Probably a lot like how most creatives do: Discovery phase with the client to get to know the ins and outs of the brand, the demographic, and the goals. We hone in on one goal for the project that we measure all decisions against it going forward to make sure we stay on track. Then it’s on to sketches. Then we finally hit the fun part of opening Illustrator or Sketch or InDesign. Ideation with the client follows to strengthen the favorite option. There’s no one right answer which is why collaboration is so key. There are many right answers in design.
There’s no one right answer which is why collaboration is so key. There are many right answers in design.
Sandip: You’ve done work for Google, Disney, and Target. How did you land those projects?
Amy & Jen: Building friendships. Invest in your community, design and otherwise. Be curious about the world around you and you’ll meet interesting people doing very interesting things. Be open about what you love and your goals and be open to new opportunities. It’s amazing how one opportunity leads to another and another. You just never know where you and your friends will end up in 5 years.
Sandip: What’s the hardest part of what you do (can be either in craft or business side of things)?
Amy & Jen: The hardest part of branding is communicating the value of what we are creating to get paid what we were worth. A logo is so nebulous to people because it’s not always tangible like a website or a sign, etc. You have to explain the importance of a cohesive brand system from the logo to everything else. It took us a while to hone in our messaging, our pitch deck, and our process to clearly explain what we do, how we do it, and why it’s worth it.
Sandip: Let’s talk Odds and Sods. How did that come about?
Amy & Jen: Odds and Sods is our accessories line of pins, patches, posters, and other fun stuff like that. It was an opportunity to make things we liked for ourselves. It gave us a chance to trust our gut. Collaborating with clients can sometimes cause you to doubt your choices when you hear no a lot. So having your own creative outlet is really important. We also saw it as a chance to diversify our income in a fun way and meet new people. We’ve had a blast doing pop-up shows and events.
Sandip: So the pins or the bandanas (that poppy is dope) for instance. Where does one even go about sourcing that? How does someone get started?
Amy & Jen: All we did was start googling. We did our research and that’s all anyone else has to do. Google and then do your research on the companies you find to make sure their practices match your ethics and quality. The bandana turned out amazing! We love that project. In the process of making that we met the guys at Freenote Cloth who really helped us learn about fabric and cut and sew and making things that look good and last. That was our white whale of a project. It took forever, cost a ton, but it was a blast and something we’re very proud of.
Sandip: How do you split your time on side projects like Odds and Sods and the events you started like #ConnectingThings and client work?
Amy & Jen: You have to be smart with your time. You only have so much of it, and over promising yourself will always lead to burn out. So we do what we can when it makes sense. Around the holidays we focus a lot more time on Odds and Sods because that is peak selling time. With #ConnectingThings we have a solid crew that makes the event work every month. Sure we could be doing more or monetizing it probably, but right now it’s amazing and the community is getting so much out of it and that’s enough. That’s why we started it. We can figure out growing it and maybe even monetizing some of it down the road.
Sandip: What advice would you give your 20 year old selves?
Amy & Jen: Be grateful for opportunities and make the most of every one of them even if it isn’t your perfect scenario. Grow as much as you can and when you stop growing and learning it’s time to move on to the next new thing.
“Be grateful for opportunities and make the most of every one of them even if it isn’t your perfect scenario.”
Sandip: Love that. Do you both have a favorite book or podcast (or both)?
Amy & Jen: Amy’s favorite podcast right now is My Favorite Murder. If you like true crime you will dig it! Jen’s favorite books are any and all the regency era novels she can get on Audible.
Sandip: Last question, if someone reading this was going to Newport Beach, what are 5–6 things you’d tell them are a must-see or must-do?
Amy & Jen: Bear Flag for ahi poke and chips. Kit Coffee for coffee and to shoot off some emails. Balboa Bars from any of the crappy stands on Balboa Island or at the Fun Zone. Daydream Surf Shop for trippy hippy California style. Buy a bunch of champagne and snacks and rent a Duffy boat to tool around Newport Harbor. Ride your bike down to the Wedge: pick out which mansion you want along the way and watch one of Newport’s most legendary breaks.
Thanks for reading! Each week our team will be publishing an interview with designers, illustrators, filmmakers, animators and artists that inspire us. A big thank you to Amy and Jen for taking the time to chat with us! You can see more of their work over at Hoodzpah or their Dribbble account. You can also follow Amy on Dribbble, Twitter and Instagram, and follow Jen on Dribbble, Twitter, and Instagram too.
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