Is there an age at which it makes sense to build a startup or become an entrepreneur? 🤔 Allow my next Opportunity Knocks guest to SMASH 👊 whatever preconceptions you have about starting a business.💸
Talk about a special human being! 🥰 It was so much fun and such a special time for me to sit down with my good friend, Yunnie Kim-Morena, the Founder of Kim-Chi Avocado and someone who is quickly becoming a very prominent digital creator in the food space.
Yunnie's story is fascinating. She originally decided to follow a path in fashion and opened her first boutique at Fred Segal before launching Fred Segal Couture with the iconic Fred Segal Santa Monica. But when Fred Segal sold half of its Santa Monica retail compound in 2012, Yunnie began exploring opportunities outside of fashion.
In 2013, her mother announced that she was ready to hand over the reins of Santa Monica Pier Seafood and Yunnie and her husband (Greg Morena) decided to take the helm of the Pier mainstay. The moment marked a shift for Yunnie who renamed the restaurant The Albright and together with David Alvarez of Studio Alvarez, oversaw a complete revamp of the building and interiors.
Yunnie and her husband now own and operate The Albright under their EST. 1977 Group, a boutique restaurant group specializing in the revitalization of legacy businesses and curated food concepts. Under Yunnie's direction, the group has rapidly expanded.
All of which led to Kim Chi Avocado which launched in late 2019. It's a passion project that combines the California lifestyle with her Korean roots that celebrates food and the ways in which nourishing meals connect people. Do yourself a favor 🛑 stop what you're doing, and go check them out right now. Order one of her grazing boards for your next gathering and you'll understand why this new venture has taken off. 😋
Yunnie is more than an inspiration in the business world, she's an incredible and loving person and her passion will rub off on you as you listen to her insights. You're going to learn a lot and probably want to chase your passion project once this chat is over.