From Noodle Shop to 8 Businesses—My Unfiltered Origin Story

From Noodle Shop to 8 Businesses—My Unfiltered Origin Story

Lesson: You’re Only Boxed In If You Let Yourself Be

I’ve co-founded a multi-million-dollar Korean noodle restaurant, starred in a “Got Milk?” commercial while managing Starbucks stores, consulted for the First Lady of California, scaled Philz Coffee to 55 locations, and launched eight companies—all before turning 40. None of it followed a straight line, and that’s the point: the only limits are the ones we choose to accept.

Insight: A Condensed Timeline of Messy Wins & Face-Plants

• Early 20s – Ran a restaurant to $3M+ revenue while nearly failing college.
  
  
• Mid 20s – Starbucks manager, opened stores, hired the company’s first employee with Down syndrome, and—yep—wore a milk mustache on national advertising campaigns.
  
  
• Late 20s to 30s – Managed Steve Jobs’ hometown Apple store, built GoVoluntr, scaled Philz Coffee, and hired 1K+ people in 1 year.
  
  
• Late 30s – Moved to Austin, failed at most investment verticals including real estate/stocks/angel investing/crypto, but learned that building “hard” businesses is my superpower.
  
  
• 40s – Launched multiple ventures (Blue Ocean Pool Service, OC3, and more), became a fractional CFO, and started posting daily on LinkedIn at 8:30 AM CST.
  
  

Through every pivot, one theme stands out: Don’t worry about what other people think. Singularly focus on finding your path. The wins are sweeter—and the face-plants less painful—when you don’t compare yourself with others and focus on finding you.

Action Item: Map Your Next Chapter—Then Tell Someone

1. Write Down One “Impossible” Goal you’d pursue if no box existed.
   
   
2. Identify the First Tiny Step—a call, a LinkedIn post, a prototype.
   
   
3. Tell someone—accountability will push you further than silent planning.
   
   
4. Get Started—Taking action puts you in the top 10% percentile. And keep putting one foot in front of the other.