FEATURED CHIK: KRISTIN PERAGINE

Meet Kristin Peragine, Owner of KP Design Co. and upcoming Resin Artist. Kristin shares her story of how she turned her hobby into a small business, selling her art to over 20 shops across the country. 

Tell us a bit about your company! What do you do? What is your mission?
I’m someone who loves gift giving and gets extremely excited to come across a keepsake that is perfect for someone I love. I’ve always loved that feeling of coming across something that’s just perfect for someone, as if it were made special for them. I wanted to create products that give people that same feeling when they come across my art: the joy of discovering something that instantly feels meaningful to give! So I started my company with a mission to make thoughtful gifting possible for everyone, especially those who don’t believe they have the magic “touch” when it comes to curating a gift.

How did you get started with your business?
I started experimenting with epoxy resin (the base material in all of my products) in 2023 with the goal of making birthday gifts for two of my best friends from college - they both have December birthdays and one of them was hosting a Christmas party at her new home in Massachusetts. During the summer, I discovered what epoxy resin can really do and I owe that to one of my cousin's childhood friends for introducing me to epoxy resin! My cousin’s friend and his girlfriend gifted both my aunt and cousin beautiful epoxy resin charcuterie boards when they were visiting for a BBQ and I fell in love with their masterpieces. I got the idea from them to make an epoxy resin charcuterie board just like theirs for my two friends for their birthdays. After spending hours watching Youtube videos and reading different “how-to” articles on Google, I couldn’t get it to look the same and I couldn’t even get the resin to harden - it was a complete fail. Shortly after, I was laid off from my full time job at the time and became determined to master the art medium of epoxy resin. I knew I needed to try and make something different then the original epoxy resin charcuterie boards that I saw at my cousins house, which is when I decided to add the epoxy resin to wooden charcuterie boards and create a totally different product. I practiced nonstop, sometimes even until 1am - I poured epoxy resin day in and day out and eventually mastered the craft.

What do you feel is most important for others to know about your business? 
I want people to know how much dedication has gone into making this business what it is today. I still have a long way to go to build my business bigger, but every step I take is to create gifts that bring happiness to folks' lives.

How would you describe your leadership style? 
I currently am a one-person show and don’t have any employees at the moment. My leadership style would be balanced; I would maintain composure and flexibility, but expect quality results without micromanaging. 
If I did have a team I would aim towards creating and maintaining a hardworking atmosphere, ensuring each piece is meticulous, while having fun at the same time. Epoxy resin can be incredibly difficult to work with but at the end of the day, each piece I create needs to be as close to perfect as I can get it to be. If I had a team, I would need each of my employees to have this same mindset, but I’d encourage talking and laughter throughout the workday. I would want my employees to look forward to coming into a space where they are appreciated and feel important.


When you were growing up, what is your ultimate dream job? If it's this, how does it feel to have met your dream?! If it was something different, how did your dream change over time? 
When I was growing up I didn’t quite have a dream job, although, I can say I always wanted to work in an ice cream shop.

Every business owner faces challenges. How are you empowered to overcome yours? 
My business faces many challenges: material issues, customer education, customer dedication, competition, or custom work demands. I am dedicated to continuing to anticipate challenges, while focusing on problem-solving, learning, and more importantly, remaining adaptable.

Tell us (in one word) how you would describe your boss-chik business! 
Evolving!

Anything else we should know about you, your business, or just a fun fact?! 
Fun Fact! I started my business using the work bench that was my grandpa's for over 20 years. My grandpa was an inventor; a hardworking, talented, and creative man who has his name on more than two patents. Working on his work bench reminds me where hard work and craftsmanship can lead.

Where You Can Find Her:
Website | Linkedin | Email