Podcast Summary
From Unknown to Known: Embracing New Opportunities: Committing fully to new opportunities, allowing mistakes, and the unique value of introverted entrepreneurs.
Making your unknown known is more important than success or failure. Christina Tosi, the founder of Milk Bar, shares her story of starting her business with minimal funding and scaling it up to multiple locations. She emphasizes the importance of committing fully to new opportunities and allowing yourself to make mistakes and figure things out as you go. Tosi also discusses the unique mindset of introverted entrepreneurs and the value they bring to the table. The Netflix special "Chef's Table" provided an in-depth look into Tosi's background and showcased the power of storytelling in sharing inspiring and authentic experiences.
From humble beginnings to inspiring journeys: Starting a small business can lead to profound impacts, inspiring others through honesty, perseverance, and staying true to one's passion.
Starting a business, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, can have a profound impact beyond what was initially intended. Christina Tosi, the founder of Milk Bar, started with a simple goal of making accessible cookies for everyone. She worked tirelessly for years in high-end restaurants, but her true passion was baking cookies at home. When Milk Bar started, it was just about making and selling cookies. However, the story of Milk Bar resonated with people on a deeper level. It became a metaphor for pursuing passions, overcoming obstacles, and finding connection. The episode about Milk Bar blew up their universe, touching people in ways that had nothing to do with food. It was about the journey of ordinary people chasing down their callings and the importance of staying true to oneself. Milk Bar's story became a source of encouragement and inspiration for many, and it took years of hard work to get to that point. Honesty, perseverance, and staying true to one's passion were the keys to their success.
Discovering Fulfillment in Your Work: Following your passion and finding fulfillment in your work, even with initial challenges, can lead to great rewards.
Finding fulfillment in your work is crucial, even if it doesn't come with great financial rewards. The speaker in this conversation discovered that while she found joy in the creative process of being a pastry chef, she wasn't resonating with the status and routine of being a top chef. She was introduced to Dave Chang, who had a similar experience and democratized savory food by opening a ramen shop where he could cook whatever he wanted. Inspired by Chang's approach, the speaker started working for him and eventually opened her own dessert business, Milk Bar, despite initial challenges like limited kitchen space and time constraints. The key takeaway is that following your passion and finding fulfillment in your work, even if it means taking risks and stepping out of your comfort zone, can lead to great rewards.
Staying true to your vision and taking risks: Authenticity, unique vision, and calculated risks can lead to business success despite initial lack of planning and preparation.
Following your unique vision and taking calculated risks can lead to great success. David Chang, the founder of Momofuku, started his ice cream business next door to his restaurant with unconventional flavors and long hours. He didn't have time to worry about potential failures or negative feedback because there was a line out the door from the very beginning. Chang's focus on being authentic to himself and his perspective on food allowed him to differentiate himself from competitors and establish a successful brand. Despite the lack of planning and preparation, Chang and his team learned from their mistakes and climbed to new heights. The success of Momofuku Milk Bar demonstrates the importance of staying true to your vision, taking risks, and learning from mistakes in order to build a thriving business.
Creating a personal connection with customers during unexpected challenges: Improvising with authenticity and human approach can lead to longer customer lines and business success
Creating a personal connection with customers, even in the face of unexpected challenges, can lead to a successful business. The story of Milk Bar in New York City illustrates this idea perfectly. When the team found themselves without menus one morning, they improvised by using a dry erase marker on their prep tape to communicate their offerings to customers. This authentic and human approach resonated with people, and the line out the door grew longer with each passing day. The high rents and fast-paced lifestyle of New York City made it essential for Milk Bar to be a part of the street scene, providing customers with a quick, delicious treat on their way to explore the city. As the business grew, Milk Bar transitioned from making desserts in individual stores to a large warehouse, allowing them to scale production and maintain their signature quality. The key to Milk Bar's success lies in their unwavering commitment to their craft and their ability to connect with customers on a personal level.
Starting small and adapting to grow: Learning from past experiences and adapting to new challenges are essential for scaling a business. Equipping oneself with necessary skills and working smarter, not harder, can help overcome bottlenecks.
Experience and adaptability are key to scaling a business. The speaker shared how they started out in the baking industry with a small mixer at home and ended up running a huge bakery, cooking for 800 people every day. They faced challenges along the way, such as operating a giant mixer they had never seen before, but learned to adapt and figure things out. When they opened Milk Bar, they encountered new challenges related to scaling up their operations, and they approached these challenges by drawing on their past experiences and learning from them. They also emphasized the importance of equipping oneself with necessary skills to solve problems, no matter how big or small. As the business grew, they had to consider bottlenecks and work smarter, not harder. The speaker's journey illustrates the importance of being open to learning and adapting in order to grow a business.
Maintaining Milk Bar's unique identity while expanding: Milk Bar balances growth and preserving core values by ensuring each store reflects its community and continues to make a difference in people's lives
Running a business, especially one that aims to make a meaningful impact on people's lives, involves a delicate balance between growth and preserving the core values and connections that make it special. Milk Bar, with its current 17 locations, strives to maintain this balance by ensuring each store is unique and reflects its community, rather than just a replica. The ultimate goal is to inspire and be a part of people's lives in the little ways, creating human connections that can't be easily measured but are the true mark of success. Milk Bar's founder envisions expanding the brand to reach more people, but only if it continues to embody the philosophy that sets it apart. This approach is not just about opening stores because they can, but about making a difference in people's lives and maintaining the magic that makes Milk Bar unique.
Empowering Imagination and Individuality: Starting a simple project can ignite creativity and personal growth, requiring introspection, reflection, and meditation for continuous development. Embrace self-empowerment and the mind-over-matter mentality.
Creating something as simple as a milk bar can be empowering for a 10-year-old or anyone, allowing them to express their imagination and individuality beyond the norm. The process of dreaming and reinventing goes beyond the initial dream, requiring introspection, reflection, and meditation for continuous growth. Running serves as a meditative space for the speaker, providing clarity and inspiration for personal and business development. It's essential to start, trusting that the journey will unfold as you go. The speaker values the importance of self-empowerment and the mind-over-matter mentality, embracing the human experience and understanding that perfection is not required.
Embracing challenges and quieting inner criticism: Focusing on goals, taking action, and maintaining a growth mindset can help quiet the critical inner voice and lead to personal growth.
Pushing through pain and adversity during challenging experiences, whether it's running or pursuing personal goals, can lead to feeling stronger and capable of achieving more than we thought possible. It's essential to quiet the critical inner voice and focus on the positive, empowering voice within us. This balance can be improved by focusing on our goals and taking action towards them, keeping ourselves motivated and serving others. The critical voice often emerges when we're alone and introspective, but recognizing and acknowledging our accomplishments can help silence it. The percentage of critical versus positive voices throughout the day can vary, but staying focused on our goals and maintaining a growth mindset can help keep the critical voice at bay. Ultimately, self-awareness and self-compassion are crucial in managing the inner dialogue and achieving personal growth.
Importance of openness to feedback and new experiences: Being open to feedback and new experiences can lead to personal growth and success despite discomfort or difficulty.
Self-reflection and openness to feedback are crucial for personal growth and success. While it's important to have a clear sense of self and personal standards, it's equally important to be open to constructive criticism and the perspectives of others. Defensiveness and closing oneself off can hinder growth and limit opportunities for learning. The speaker emphasizes the importance of recognizing that one only knows what one knows, and that there is always more to learn. Being open to feedback and criticism, even if it's difficult or uncomfortable, can lead to growth and blossoming. The biggest lesson the speaker learned about herself was the importance of being open to new experiences and perspectives, rather than closing herself off in her 20s. By letting people in and being open to conflict and criticism, one can be better for it and grow in ways that might not have been possible otherwise.
Staying true to your vision and taking care of your team: Christina Tosi's determination to open Milk Bar despite criticism led to a successful business with over 300 employees and 17 locations. She prioritized her team's financial security by implementing a 401K program.
Following your passion and staying true to yourself, even when faced with opposition, can lead to great success. Christina Tosi, the founder of Milk Bar, shares how her determination to open a bakery despite criticism and expectations to the contrary, led her to build a thriving business with over 300 employees across 17 locations. She also emphasizes the importance of taking care of her team, which included implementing a 401K program to ensure their long-term financial security. This not only benefits her employees but also contributes to the growth and success of Milk Bar as a whole. The journey was not easy, but the ultimate reward was worth the effort. Tosi's story is a reminder that staying true to your vision and taking care of those around you can lead to remarkable outcomes.
A care package brings love and connection: Receiving a care package from a loved one can evoke feelings of love, comfort, and connection, transcending physical distance and time.
Receiving a thoughtful and personal care package from someone, especially from a loved one, can bring immense feelings of love, comfort, and connection. The speaker shares how receiving a care package from her mom, filled with small treats, baked goods, and handwritten letters, makes her feel seen, loved, and anchored. The simple act of sending a care package transcends physical distance and time, reminding the receiver of their identity and the love and support of their loved ones. The speaker also mentions the idea of starting a business around care packages, emphasizing the importance and value of this tradition. Care packages are more than just a delivery of goods; they are a symbol of love, comfort, and connection that can brighten someone's day.
Adding personal touches to care packages: Creating homey, less corporate care packages with personal touches stands out and brings joy to customers. Commitment, authenticity, and continuous improvement are essential for success.
Creativity and thoughtfulness can make a significant impact on a business, even during challenging situations. Christina Tosi, the founder of Milk Bar, shared how adding personal touches like quilt squares and notes to their care packages helped create a more homey and less corporate feel for their customers. This not only made their business stand out but also brought joy to their clients. Despite the logistical challenges of shipping thousands of care packages during the holiday season, Milk Bar went the extra mile to ensure their products arrived fresh. When reflecting on her accomplishments, Christina emphasized the importance of showing up, meaning it, and making things better as her three truths. These lessons can be applied to all aspects of life, emphasizing the significance of commitment, authenticity, and continuous improvement.
Emphasizing Authenticity and Connection: Milk Bar's Christina Tosi encourages fans to engage with her brand authentically, whether in person or online, and defines greatness as finding happiness within oneself and being true to oneself.
Milk Bar's Christina Tosi emphasizes the importance of showing up authentically and connecting with others. She encourages fans to engage with her brand in person or online, and shares her personal journey of pursuing her dreams despite challenges. Tosi defines greatness as finding happiness within oneself and being true to oneself. Milk Bar, known for its delicious and addictive treats, has expanded to cities like New York, LA, DC, Las Vegas, Toronto, and most recently, Boston. Fans can follow Tosi on social media, sign up for her bi-weekly newsletter, or visit a Milk Bar location to experience the brand firsthand.
Start taking action and be open to adapting and innovating: Don't wait for perfection, start taking action and be open to making adjustments as you go
It's important to start taking action on your ideas and projects, even if you don't have everything figured out. As Lewis mentioned, businesses and projects evolve and grow over time, and trying to make everything perfect at the start can only lead to wasted time. Instead, be willing to adapt and innovate as you go. Christina Tosi, whom Lewis discussed, is a great example of this. She was able to grow her business by being creative and willing to try new things. As Georgia O'Keeffe once said, "Making your unknown known is the important thing." So, don't let analysis paralysis hold you back. Start taking action today and be open to making adjustments along the way. Remember, it's not about succeeding or failing at the start, but about learning and growing. So go out there and do something great!
