7 days ago
How I Lost My Food Business - and What It Taught Me | Bonnie Chung
What’s the most distressing thing that can happen to a founder? Losing the business you started, nurtured and poured your heart into has got to be up there.
Bonnie Chung founded Miso Tasty and was soon listed in a thousand Sainsbury’s stores, had Jamie Oliver using her product TV and became a regular guest chef on Sunday Brunch. In short, she helped put miso firmly into the mainstream. Then, that business was no longer hers.
Now a self-described “recovering entrepreneur”, Bonnie is refreshingly honest about why. She talks about the burnout of running a business for more than a decade, the grief of separating from something she created, and the early signals she misread. She also explains why she won’t let anyone sugarcoat the words “I lost my business”.
Looking back through my PACE lens (Product, Audience, Commercial, Execution), she shares the product decision she’s proudest of and the negotiation mistake that still makes her wince. And she makes the case for why every founder should build with the ending in mind.
Listen to discover:
- Why an early supermarket listing and investment can be false signals
- The product decision Bonnie is proudest of
- Side plate or centre plate? The question that sets the ceiling on your brand
- The price cut that made a Sainsbury’s buyer suspicious, and why you should think carefully before moving on margin
- Why “exit” is a loaded word, and why every business ends in one of three ways
Chapters
1:15 – What is a “recovering entrepreneur”?
03:12 – From Goldman Sachs to chef to founder
05:15 – Redefining success, and the problem with “exit”
08:43 – The four chapters of Miso Tasty
14:10 – Product: the decision she’s proudest of
18:21 – Side plate or centre plate?
19:52 – Audience: Florence and Jenny
24:03 – Commercial: the negotiation mistake that still makes her wince
28:46 – Build with the ending in mind
33:25 – How to Lose Your Business (Without Losing Your Mind)
38:03 – Quick-fire questions
Links and Resources
- Join the waitlist for Bonnie's book at https://www.howtoloseyourbusiness.com/
- Connect with Bonnie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bonniechung/
- Miso Tasty: https://misotasty.com/our-story
--
Ever wondered why sometimes achieving goals is effortless and other times, it feels like pushing water uphill? Get your Friday Accelerator scorecard to find out why. Answer ten questions about your approach to work, goals and success, to access your personalised report and action list. Go to fridayaccelerator.scoreapp.com now.
If you want a regular dose of inspiration and impetus for growth, resilience and success, subscribe to The Friday Accelerator wherever you get your podcasts - https://pod.link/1849435884 - and why not leave a review too.
If you want to accelerate your personal and business performance, you can book a discovery call at https://calendly.com/buyerology/friday-accelerator-1-1
No comments yet. Be the first to say something!