From the Desk of Packaging Chic | June 2026
Still basking in the glow of a 32-day vacation over here! We were gone in so many ways! LOL
The trip was really 5 trips rolled into one with the majority of our time spent in Portugal. Portugal has everybody talking - maybe you’ve been! It was a beautiful country and we saw a lot of it but left some things to go back to next time.
Here’s the gist of it: Lisbon 3 days + a 7 day river cruise on the Douro River + a long weekend in a surf town + 5 nights in a large suite at a Marriott resort in the Algarve region + a 10 day Mediterranean cruise.
Ahhhhh, and now back and refreshed with some things I’m working on! Want to talk about Portugal or cruises? I’m available! Email me at sharon@packagingchic.com.
And now back to packaging!
This is the month things start to move fast. It’s also called June Gloom here in San Diego at the beach. Typically a thick marine layer each day with occasional clearing. We’ll see what happens this year!
June also feels like a turning point. The year is officially half over, summer is here, and somehow the to-do list hasn't gotten shorter; it's just gotten louder. If you're a product-based brand, you know exactly what I mean.
But here's what I love about June: it's also the month where some really smart decisions get made. The ones that set you up for a strong Q3 and Q4, instead of scrambling to catch up in October.
So let's talk about what's on my desk— and what's coming up this summer that I think you'll want to know about.
A Summer of Showing Up
I've always believed that packaging knowledge is best shared in real conversation — not just in documents and decks, but in rooms (and sessions) where you can ask the actual question you've been sitting on for months.
This summer, I'm doing exactly that. Three times!
WBENC National Conference | Salt Lake City | June 15–18, 2026
First up: I'm heading to Salt Lake City, June 15–18, for the WBENC National Conference — one of the largest gatherings of women business enterprise owners in the country.
If you've followed Packaging Chic for a while, you may already know that we are a certified woman-owned business through WBENC, and I'm proud to be part of the regional organization WBEC-West. This conference is a big deal — not just for networking, but for learning, connecting, and being in a room full of people who genuinely understand the journey of building something on your own terms.
I always come back from WBENC energized. A little tired, too — but mostly energized.
If you're attending, I'd love to connect in person. Drop me a note at sharon@packagingchic.com and let's find time to say hello.
The Summer Packaging Challenge™ | July 13–26, 2026
And then there's this — something I'm genuinely excited about:
The Summer Packaging Challenge™ is happening in July.
Here’s what I know! Turning a packaging concept into something that not only looks good, but could actually work in the real world, is always the goal.
That's exactly what this challenge is designed to do.
From July 13–26, 2026, participants will choose from a series of fictional brand briefs and create packaging concepts inspired by summer. Featured Projects will be announced on July 31.
This isn't your typical design challenge.
It's not a logo challenge. It's not a social media graphic challenge. And it's not one of those expensive competitions where you're paying a large entry fee just for the chance to be judged.
The Summer Packaging Challenge™ is designed to help you think through a packaging project the same way real brands, designers, marketers, and production teams do every day. Check it Out
What's on the Other Half of My Packaging Mind This Month?
Since we're talking about the midpoint of the year, I want to bring up something I see constantly this time of year:
Brands who are almost ready — but not quite.
They have great product. They have a vision for what the packaging should feel like. They might even have artwork that looks beautiful on screen. But somewhere between that vision and actual production, things get fuzzy.
The timeline gets compressed. The quote comes back higher than expected. The physical sample doesn't match what anyone imagined. And suddenly "almost ready" turns into a three-month delay.
This is the exact space where I do my best work. Not after things go sideways — before.
If your packaging has a project on the horizon — a new SKU, a refresh, a shift in materials — June is a genuinely smart time to pressure-test your plan. Not because the year is half over (though it is), but because the decisions you make now will show up on your shelf — or in your shipper — by fall.
Does your packaging know its job?
Before I close out this month's desk note, that’s the question I want to leave you with:
Not "does it look good." Not "did the designer like it." Not even "does it fit the product."
Does it know its job?
Is it optimizing for efficiency, or for premium perception? Is it built for retail shelf, or for ecomm unboxing? Is the structure doing what the brand needs it to do — or is it stuck somewhere in the middle, trying to be too many things at once?
With every client, every project, every brief, when packaging knows its job, everything else gets cleaner: the materials decision, the print spec, the cost conversation, the supplier relationship.
If you're not sure your packaging knows its job, check out my Packaging Plan Strength Assessment.
Let's Stay Connected This Summer
Here's what's coming up — keep these on your radar:
June 15–18 — WBENC National Conference, Salt Lake City (Say hi if you'll be there!)
July 13–26 — Summer Packaging Challenge™ (Registration details dropping soon — want more info? Sign up here)
Aug 1 — Summer Packaging Challenge™ Featured Projects announced
Ongoing — The Packaging Plan Strength Assessment is available if you need a practical self-check
As always, I'm reachable at sharon@packagingchic.com and active on LinkedIn if you want to continue the conversation.
Here's to a strong second half. 🖤
— Sharon
