I Sold a $3 Million Restaurant to Save My GPA—Lessons on Priorities & Growth

 I Sold a $3 Million Restaurant to Save My GPA—Lessons on Priorities & Growth

Lesson: The Day Grades Beat Revenue‍

At 21, I was a cofounder of a Korean noodle spot that cleared $3 million a year. Entrepreneurial dream? Absolutely. Reality check? I was also a full-time college student pulling 90-hour weeks at my business. My advisor finally said, “Raise your grades or you’re out.” I chose to sell the restaurant and graduate—marketing degree in hand (the “easy” option).

Insight: Skill Sets Over Report Cards

• Priorities Shift – Sometimes you must trade a short-term win for long-term growth.
  
  
• Hard Skills Matter – Operations and management aren’t electives; they’re lifelines.
  
  
• Learning Never Stops – A diploma posted on the wall didn’t build my later ventures; ongoing curiosity did.
  
  

Looking back, maybe I’d have kept the restaurant and dropped out. But hindsight is 20/20, and the bigger takeaway is this: success is passion plus resilience, not just GPAs and degrees.

Action Item: Audit Your Skill Gaps

1. List three areas where you feel under-equipped (ops, marketing, finance, etc.).
   
   
2. Pick one to tackle first—course, mentor, or coach.
   
   
3. Schedule 30 minutes this week to start closing that gap.