Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Christina Hong. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Christina, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Being a business owner can be really hard sometimes. It’s rewarding, but most business owners we’ve spoken sometimes think about what it would have been like to have had a regular job instead. Have you ever wondered that yourself? Maybe you can talk to us about a time when you felt this way?

I am the happiest as a business owner, I had regular jobs to get here. The best job is working for yourself. If you are confident in who you are and confident in a vision, you should be your own boss. I knew I wanted to share my culture with the world, that was my purpose. I could only do that by being in the role to make those decisions

Christina, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I grew up in with my Korean mom cooking every meal with love from our Korean culture. It wasn’t until I left to college that I learned to appreciate what I didn’t have anymore. It was in the absence of my mother’s cooking that I missed home. I would always love cooking and baking growing up, but college is where I would call her for her recipes. As college came to an end, I knew I wouldn’t pursue my degree in Education, I wanted a restaurant. Since I had no money, I had to start from ground zero. I started working 80 hours a week, saving every penny. 5 years later, my parents asked me to invest in purchasing a franchise. It was all the money I had worked so hard for, but without hesitation, I gave them every parents. With the life they sacrificed for my siblings and I, it was only a fraction of what I could’ve given back. Luckily, it did well and they opened 2 more with the years that came. It was a Philly Cheese Steak franchise and because I learned how to make that sandwich, when I finally moved to LA to open my restaurant, I fused that with my Korean culture and created the Bulghoagie. Alas, the Pandemic hit so it prolonged the process but I opened a pop up for 2 years since bars couldn’t be open without food. Finally, in 2021, I opened my restaurant Seoulmates with the food truck following shortly after.

I am the most proud of my story of how I got here, it took patience and growth through really difficult growing pains. Seoulmates is the culmination of a lot of hard work and love, passed down through an amazing family. The recipes are made with real love. You can taste it when you experience our Korean Street Fusion.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

After years of hard work and patience, I was ready to open the restaurant. As I did absolutely everything to get it open on the projected date, it got prolonged for almost half a year. It was devastating and difficult, but at this point, I had already hired and trained a team. I was responsible of peoples’ livelihoods and that felt like a tremendous responsibility. I remember feeling like I was so unprepared for the burden of running a business because you expect everything to succeed. I was never one to live in fear of failure, but the pressure was something I wasn’t prepared for.

I pulled myself together and with support, I was able to find a way to keep the brand moving. We got a food truck. Finally, the restaurant opened back up, but it was through that experience, we gained another business that thrives at the moment. It’s amazing to see the outcome when you trust the process and find strength in those moments.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

Running a business is a PEOPLE JOB. You have to learn how to work with others, and that begins with knowing yourself. It’s a journey I am on every single day. I have learned an incredible amount by being a leader, I learned by failing a lot. I’ve always been a people pleaser, I always want everyone to be happy, but at what expense? There is a balance, and it is the hardest role to achieve respect in but it’s possible.

That is my greatest advice, know yourself and listen to how you show up.

I remember there was a moment that my staff would say they didn’t want to stress me out and I always thought I was good at masking my discomfort. I had asked them how I would show up that made them feel like I was stressed out and they would share with me certain details of when I would get flustered. Instead of discounting their experience, I listened and paid attention, I was definitely showing up irritated in those moments.

When I had staff lash out or act inappropriately, instead of reacting. I would check in with myself and ask myself questions, “how do I feel?” “Why did they react that way?” “why could they be feeling that way?” “what do they need right now?” I would be mindful of how I showed up and responded. I would be assertive if they did something wrong, but always addressed it with compassion. If you show up angry, you’re leading them by example, expressing that emotions can be the appropriate response in the work place.

You show up by being conscious, they will maintain high morale because they will respect you, they will want to show up for you, they will want to do a good job for themselves.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.seoulmatesla.com
• Instagram: @seoulmatesla
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/seoulmatesla
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/seoulmates-los-angeles

Image Credits
me