Today we’re interviewing Karen Chiu, Senior Brand, and Business Development Manager at Lypid Food. A foodtech ingredient company that creates Phytofat, a plant-based fat that’s healthier and more sustainable than animal fat.
I actually was able to meet Karen before the interview in which she invited me to try the phytofat burger at Sun Berno. This was a really interesting place in Taipei as it felt like I stepped into an American mini-mall.
Anyways, we couldn’t do the interview over there so we did it when I was in Kaohsiung online.
Karen’s specialty is branding and she actually did a bit of branding in the United States. She’s specifically interested in community and what aligns with what Karen does has to do a lot with the community.
Karen’s first job is with Green Monday, in what I see is a company with a huge presence in Asia. This company does a really good job with brand integrity as it seems like everyone in every Asian country knows them. She then talks about her experience working for both Green Monday and Lypid.
We also get into a deep dive into how to put a unique ingredient into the hands of restauranters and the feedback loop you develop when launching a successful collaboration.
Links
Lypid
Coconut Oil
Palm Oil
Founders of Lypid
Cornell
Green Monday
Luisa Coffee
Little Tree Food
Hoya Foods
Karen on Linkedin
What’s Up With Adam
We’ve finally launched Sobo Foods. A Plant-based dumpling company with my cofounder, Eric Wu. It’s been about a year moonlighting it and a half a year going full-time on it and it’s been really rewarding seeing my friends and past connections show interest in it
So there’s a big reveal is that after maybe this episode and one or two more, I’ll be transitioning over to a Sobo podcast which we’ve dubbed: “Hey, Have you Eaten Yet?” If you’re Asian, you know.
Anyways, I’m going pretty much all in this company so please, watch me grow.
My final days in Taiwan and the end of my trip were a bullet train back to Taipei and then a flight to Hong Kong in which I realized just how many people there were just travelers. In the 3 months I’ve been abroad, so much has changed. What used to be barren with travelers was full of this multicultural mosaic as I wandered through.
As I boarded my flight, I slept and woke up, and I was back iN San Francisco, where my dad picked me up and I slept in my own bed. Overall, coming back was easy.
Something that was different though, was the day afterwards. I took a walk through my neighborhood. Something I’ve done for the past 30 years of my life but this time, things were brighter. Things just generally felt brighter. The trees were changing colors but it felt more vibrant. The red, yellow, green, and orange felt picturesque. It’s like a new filter was put on my face
Even now, everything seems brighter to me. I feel happier, more fulfilled, and people say they can tell whenever I talk to them.
It’s a strange feeling, but I like it.
End of the Show
Ok, this is the end of the show. This series started in August where I decided to record a few episodes in California to catch up with friends. In August, I started recording my episodes in Australia and throughout the whole trip, I kept on recording and recording.
I’ve stockpiled episodes from August to November and it lasted me until now, Sue I’ve had a few American guests here and there, but now I can put the international journey of My Food Job Rocks in full view. When I think of the journey editing episodes week after week, It allows me to reflect and sometimes even reconnect with the wonderful people I’ve met abroad. Those people I’ve even met again in conferences in California.
I find this absolutely amazing. If I never would have thought of revitalizing the podcast, I would have never me thtese people, if I never would have panicked and asked my network of fans who would be interesting to talk to, I would never have tasted so many amazing products, drink with so many new friends, learn so much about the world from their eyes and laugh with them along the way, it would have been a completely different trip.
I’m not sure if it’s wise to combine work with play. But for me, my work is my play. I’ve just had such a fulfilling career that this career break was anything but. But it never felt like work.
Something can be said for all of this. I just think, if I never started this 7-year podcast, I would never have felt more fulfilled than I’ve ever been.