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

Hi Kat, thanks for joining us today. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

3 years ago I left my corporate engineering career path to pursue food entrepreneurship. People are usually curious about my situation and ask me. How and when did I know I was ready to make the jump? I’ll be honest. I wasn’t really ready. During Covid, my trajectory shifted when I got laid off as a contracted Aerospace Engineer, and instead of continuing down the path, I decided to walk down a different path. I got offers to continue being an engineer, but I knew for a while that wasn’t what I truly wanted to do.

With no real vision in mind, I decided to start creating content on my food Instagram. In these 3 years, it wasn’t like I had it all figured out. I took so many routes and detours but it’s led me to this moment where I can confidently continue this journey. I failed so much. Created and joined so many businesses; some are still ongoing but many have faded into a lesson. I’ve picked up different jobs and experienced different roles within the food sector. Through all the twists and turns and failures, or as I like to refer to them learning lessons, I was able to gain so much perspective and insight. The skills and knowledge I was able to gain from those experiences and “failures” allowed me the opportunity I have today. The engineering experience gave me structure and critical thinking skills. My startup experience and business ventures gave me my entrepreneurship know-how. Most importantly, all my failures gave me the resilience to keep getting back up. You can never fail if you never quit.

I’m still on my journey though so I wouldn’t say I’m at the level of success that I want to be, but I’m happy where I’m at, pursuing what I want and love to do. The biggest lesson I’ve learned through it all was just taking consistent action. I’ve fallen in love with this quote, “Inaction breeds fear and doubt, but taking action breeds confidence and courage.” Hard work will never fail you. So if you’re also considering leaving your job to pursue your passion, just know it takes time and effort. There will be days where you question your path but just know if you put in the work and effort, it’ll be all worth it. Take consistent action and you’ll get there

Kat, 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’ve always been passionate about food and always saw it as a way to connect with people. My dream was always to cook food that filled people’s souls and provided them comfort just like how my grandma and mom did for me growing up. The path I took to get here wasn’t necessarily as straightforward as the dream I had for myself.

Like most Asian kids growing, I was boxed into only a select number of careers: engineering, doctor, and lawyer. So the safe, secure route was what was always pushed onto me. Since I loved being hands-on, I decided to pursue engineering despite my true passion surrounding food. I went to school and studied Aerospace Engineering and obviously knew it wasn’t what I wanted to do. Despite it all, I still finished and went to work in the aerospace industry.

Then Covid happened. I got laid off from my work and here I was lost. I decided to pursue entrepreneurship since my brother had quit his job a year prior and started an e-commerce store. Thus my entrepreneurship journey started. I continued to help him build his store for a while until I received an email from Shef, a platform that allowed home cooks to sell their food online!

At that moment, I jumped at the opportunity and decided to try it out with my mom. I slowly built my following via social media for my foodie account, @katsumunchies, along with my food concept, @siritongfoods. I started hosting events and creating avenues for myself to grow.

I felt lost still though, I wasn’t nearly making as much money and found it hard to keep pursuing what I loved but struggling financially. To make matters worse, my grandma’s health was declining. My biggest supporter and inspiration was nearing the end of her life. Here I was lost and uncertain about my next step. Mad that I wouldn’t be able to show her my dream become a reality. Unfortunately on June 18, 2022, she passed… and here I was still lost and hurting. I kept going because I knew that’s what she would’ve wanted me to do.

Fast forward to July 2022, an opportunity came knocking. I got a phone call with a contracted offer to consult for a company called Chups after they had found me on Shef. I was tasked with creating a Thai concept for them. So I went and demonstrated my abilities to the max to create something I would be proud of. They saw that and decided to offer me a full-time position as well as part ownership of the Thai concept. I decided to name it Ladda Thai, in honor of my grandma, Ladda. So her spirit could live on through the food I create.

Chups is a platform that allows food creators to launch their own brands. I was the very first to do so along with working with them as one of the founding members. Chups hopes to democratize the food industry by interconnecting food creators, restaurants, and vendors. After working with them for a year, I realized that ultimately my vision and there’s didn’t fully align, but more importantly I knew I still had an itch to truly build a successful business for myself.

In June 2023, I decided to take a leap of faith embark on a new journey, and quit my job to fully pursue my food business full-time. I knew it was a risk but I knew deep down it was the move I needed to make to pursue the purpose I knew I was intended for. I’m still currently figuring things out, but I love it every step of the way. The more I put my energy and passion out into the world, the more I’m able to fully see the energy being reciprocated and new opportunities emerging. One big project I’m working on is still under wraps, but my partners and I are currently on a food concept that’s going to change up the food industry. I can’t wait to show what we have cooking up! Hopefully, when we launch, I go into greater details, but for now, just know that it will be an amazing food experience unlike any other.

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

One story that comes to mind is when I decided to open my own food pop-up at my friend’s food truck. I had been experimenting with different recipes and flavors, and I thought it was the perfect opportunity to showcase my creations. However, the initial setup and coordination were tough. This was my first time running an operation like this, and I wasn’t sure what to expect.

I could have easily given up, but I refused to let failure define me. Instead, I decided to push through despite my lack of experience and adversity and used it to improve my experience. I experimented with different marketing strategies and reached out to local food bloggers for exposure. Slowly but surely, I started to make the idea come to life.

It wasn’t an overnight process, but I didn’t let that discourage me. I continued to persevere, even when faced with setbacks and doubts. Eventually, on the day of the launch, I was able to bring my creation to life, Thai Tacos. I’m proud to say that my Thai Taco concept is thriving along with my other food businesses, and I’ve even expanded to other opportunities.

This experience taught me the importance of resilience and determination. It showed me that failure is not the end, but rather an opportunity to learn and grow. Treat failures not as something to be ashamed of but rather as learning lessons that will expedite your progress toward success. I’m grateful for every challenge I faced along the way because it made me stronger and more determined to achieve my dreams.

”You can never fail if you never quit.” – Alex Hormozi. Our journeys are never defined by our failures and oftentimes, no one really sees these setbacks, rather they only see the success. When I come across challenges and setbacks, I always remind myself that this is a long game and I can never truly fail if I never give up and just get back up.

How did you build your audience on social media?

When I first started building my audience on social media, it was a slow and gradual process. I knew I always wanted to start a food Instagram, but I was always hesitant to start as I wanted to have everything perfectly lined up. Honestly, I wished I started sooner. I’ve learned it’s better to take imperfect consistent action than trying to find the perfect moment (which doesn’t exist).

In the beginning focused on creating high-quality content that showcased my passion for food and my unique creations. I posted regularly and engaged with my followers by responding to comments and messages. I was initially posting daily and going for volume, which led to a lot of burnout. Ultimately, I decided to come up with a content strategy and focus on quality over quantity, and that helped my growth tremendously.

One strategy that helped me gain traction was collaborating with other food bloggers and influencers. I reached out to them and offered to create content together or feature their work on my page. This not only exposed me to their followers but also helped me build relationships within the food community. Building a community is probably one of the best ways to truly grow, but also helps to build a foundation and make it way more fun. At the core of social media, it’s all about community and connections.

Another important aspect of building a social media presence is consistency. I made sure to post consistently and maintain a cohesive aesthetic. Start with at least posting consistently once a week or whatever works for you, but make sure to abide by that, especially in the beginning. I also used relevant hashtags to increase the visibility of my posts and attract new followers.

My advice for those just starting to build a social media presence is to find your niche and stay true to yourself. When I say niche, I mean you can create your own and expand from there. Don’t be afraid to showcase your unique personality and perspective. Engage with your audience, respond to their comments, and create meaningful connections. And most importantly, be patient and persistent. Building an audience takes time, but with dedication and authenticity, you can achieve your goals.

If you’re a bit lost and looking for a community to be a part of, feel free to shoot me a DM on my Instagram @katsumunchies, and I’ll be more than happy to invite you to my community of creators :)

Contact Info:

• Website: shef.com/refer/shefkatross407
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katsumunchies/
• Other: https://www.instagram.com/siritongfoods

Image Credits
Adam Mora