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Apr 2023
1h 37m

984: Cynthia Wong Founder of Life Raft T...

Inspiring interviews with todays most successful restaurateurs 2-days a wee
About this episode

Cynthia Wong is the Founder of Life Raft Treats. Cynthia knew she wanted to become a baker at a very young age. She went to culinary school in San Fransisco and then began working as a bread baker there. She then went off to culinary school in France and returned to the states and became a baker in various restaurants across the nation. She worked as a pastry chef in Atlanta for 12 years and moved to Charleston 8 years ago where she worked in her last restaurant. She burned out of the restaurant industry because she didn't appreciate how she was treated and what was unfairly expected of her. She then created Life Raft Treats in 2018 and it has beeb growing ever since. Life Raft Treats has done pop ups, food carts, food trucks, and now it's a full-on wholesaler.

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Show notes… Calls to ACTION!!! Favorite success quote/mantra:
  • "It's all I got."

In this episode with Cynthia Wong we will discuss:

  • Burning out of restaurants
  • Starting small
  • Chefs stealing credits from their cooks/bakers
  • Inventing a unique product
  • Being nominated for a James Beard
  • Pop ups
  • Food trucks
  • Wholesale
Today's sponsor:

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1Huddle1Huddle is a coaching and development platform using quick-burst mobile games to more quickly and effectively level up and fire up your workforce. With a mobile-first approach to preparing the modern worker, a library of 3,000+ quick-burst skill games, and the option to instantly create personalized content – 1Huddle is changing the way restaurants develop their workers by transforming traditional manuals and videos into deceptively simple, highly effective mobile games proven to level up workers quickly.

Key clients include Loews Hotels, Novartis, Madison Square Garden, Yum, FB Society, Hakkasan, TAO Group, and the Dog Haus.

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Knowledge bombs

  1. Which “it factor” habit, trait, or characteristic you believe most contributes to your success?
    • I have a gear that other people don't
  2. What is your biggest weakness?
    • I'm really impatient
  3. What's one thing you ask or look for when interviewing/growing your team?
    • What's your favorite stupid movie?
  4. What's a current challenge? How are you dealing with it?
    • Supply chain and inflation
  5. Share one code of conduct or behavior you teach your team.
    • Don't be a asshole and don't let anyone be an asshole to you
  6. What is one uncommon standard of service you teach your staff?
    • Try our best to accommodate wacky ideas
  7. If you got the news that you'd be leaving this world tomorrow and all memories of you, your work, and your restaurants would be lost with your departure with the exception of 3 pieces of wisdom you could leave behind for the good of humanity, what would they be?
    • Be as generous as you can possibly be
    • Don't be an asshole
    • Don't let anyone be an asshole to you
Contact:

Website: https://www.liferafttreats.com

Thanks for listening!

Thanks so much for joining today! Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below!

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Huge thanks to Cynthia Wong for joining me for another awesome episode. Until next time!

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