Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Diana Ingles. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Diana, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

I’ve been a graphic designer for over 20 years and started seeing patterns in packaging that were not sustainable. Knowing that I didn’t want to add to the problem and be more of the solution, I niched my studio in October 2022 to focus on helping my clients become eco-conscious brands using materials and methods that they could brag about and not want to hide. I knew it would be a worthwhile endeavor… every day articles of plastic pollution, negative impacts of packaging on water ways… legislation in countries to eliminate single use plastics… the writing was on the wall. So many consumers were voicing that they wanted to use products that came in sustainable packaging and gosh, they just wanted to support a brand if they made is easy to love them for it.

In a nutshell, I wasn’t solving a new problem… I was joining a pack of other designers who saw the same things happening and they knew they wanted to be a part of the solution and leave the planet better than they were currently.

My clients aren’t in an area that is regulated or has a high rate of recycling and composting… so what I’m offering is unique for my area and I hope to not only design eco-conscious brands, but to also educate how I’m doing it. The more people understand it’s not hard to choose better materials and methods, the more on board they become. I don’t want to burden them with more decisions, but enlighten them with options and ordering from vendors who make it easy (like ecoenclose.com or naturalfiberwelding.com)

Diana, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

For folks who may not know me, Hi! My name is Diana Ingles. I’m a native Midwesterner who grew up on a family homestead where I learned to be connected to the earth and love it. I’ve always known that I wanted to be in some discipline of design and I’ve done that through my whole career. My love of nature drives me to use my talents and passion to leave the earth better than I found it.

My studio offers eco-conscious brand creation that includes positioning your company as sustainable to designing packaging for your products and shipping. What are you most proud of… I really enjoy listening to my clients tell me why they’re passionate about owning a flower shop or three brothers who want to make grooming products sustainably in plastic-free packaging. The more I can use what I know to empower brands the better! We all win.

If you’re a business owner who has always wanted to move towards being more sustainable… I’d love to connect and share some simple steps to making that happen. I have a vendor resource page on my website. Feel free to check that out too!

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

The best source of connecting with new clients has been word of mouth from my network and media (i.e. being on radio, magazines ect.) I think these type of connections let people know who I am, what I am passionate about and that they can trust me to design and implement for their eco-conscious goals.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I’m currently applying to be a woman-owned business. It’s been a bit of a journey because forms and paperwork just aren’t my thing or passion (sorry to all those form-lovers out there and thank you!)

Months have gone by and I’ve learned that I don’t always have to have the answers and it’s ok to reach out for help. I’ve built a very good network around me and they’ve helped me navigate this much better than if I were doing it alone. So some times resilience isn’t about doing everything yourself … but, more about surrounding yourself with the right people to help you in good times and not so great ones.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.rootlebox.com
• Instagram: rootlebox
• Facebook: rootlebox
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianaingles/
• Youtube: rootlebox

Image Credits
videogenique – Raphael Rodolfi