Creating an All New Spin on the Flavors of her Childhood and Upbringing, with Crystal Ung, Founder of Bowlcut
Dear FoundHer...Real Founder Stories for Women Small Business Owners
Lindsay Pinchuk
4.9 • 1.1K Ratings
🗓️ 27 August 2024
⏱️ 43 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
“I saw firsthand how food can really, I hate to say ‘bridge cultures’ because it’s overused, but it’s true. It brings people together,” says Crystal Ung, founder and CEO of Bowlcut. In this episode, Crystal joins Lindsay Pinchuk to talk about the inspiration behind Bowlcut, a brand that grew out of her passion for healthier, authentic Asian sauces and her desire to challenge common misconceptions about Asian cuisine.
Crystal shares her entrepreneurial journey, explaining how she spotted a gap in the market for nutritious sauces and the hurdles she faced in manufacturing and supply chain management. How does grassroots marketing influence a brand’s growth? For Crystal, it’s been essential. By connecting directly with customers, Bowlcut has expanded steadily, now available in 500 independent retailers, including Sur La Table and World Market, with even more growth on the horizon.
Offering valuable advice to aspiring female founders, Crystal highlights the importance of building a strong support network, choosing the right partners, and making self-care a priority. Lindsay wraps up their conversation with a key takeaway: understanding when to seek help and using freelance or project-based support to drive business growth.
Quotes
- “What I observed working in my dad’s restaurant was that, yes, there was hate and negative comments, but I also saw a beautiful side of humanity. Food really brought communities together and sparked curiosity about our culture and heritage.” (06:49 | Crystal Ung)
- “I saw firsthand how food can really, I hate to say ‘bridge cultures’ because it’s overused, but it’s true. It brings people together. I thought there was no better time than now for a brand like Bowlcut to exist because, hopefully, one day we can scale that impact—bringing people together through food. Being inclusive is a core element of our brand.” (07:24 | Crystal Ung)
- “When we think about our mission, it’s very much rooted in our origin story. But what really excites me and keeps me dreaming about the future is that we’re redefining what eating well tastes like for a new generation.” (09:42 | Crystal Ung)
- “As a small brand, you’re often seen as disposable, like, okay, there will be another small brand tomorrow. Who cares? So, finding the right partners who believe in you and in your future growth is really, really important.” (31:10 | Crystal Ung)
- “I think it’s really important to carve out time for yourself. Even if it’s literally just five minutes, you need a moment to take a step back because there’s going to be so much going on. Your mind will be split in a million ways, and you’ll feel overwhelmed and stressed. To make better decisions, you need that moment for clarity.” (39:40 | Crystal Ung)
Connect with Crystal Ung:
https://www.instagram.com/getbowlcut/
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hi guys, it's me Lindsay Pinchuk, founder and host of Dear Founder. And in a few minutes, |
| 0:06.9 | you're going to hear me talk to today's guest, Crystal Ung, about starting a business from |
| 0:11.7 | scratch and what she did to connect with her community and to get her business and brand off the |
| 0:17.6 | ground. You're going to hear her talk about events and how the connection from |
| 0:21.8 | live and in-person events helped to catapult her business. You'll also hear me talk about how |
| 0:27.8 | events were key in my first business and how as I built Deere found her, they've once again |
| 0:33.7 | played a giant role in the community and the brand that we're building around here. |
| 0:39.3 | So after a hiatus this summer, I just want you to, I want to let you know that we are back |
| 0:44.7 | with both in-person and online events starting the last week of August. This fall will be |
| 0:51.1 | adding more workshop, seminars, and even more live events as well, all with the |
| 0:55.2 | goal of helping women age 40 plus build businesses through simple strategies. There is no gatekeeping |
| 1:02.1 | around here. As you know, I insist that we're better together. I've included the link in the show |
| 1:07.8 | notes to RSVP to the events that we currently have on the calendar. |
| 1:11.6 | Hope to see you there. And now, on to today's episode. |
| 1:16.5 | I joke often on social media that when my kids grow up, they are going to tell their kids |
| 1:21.2 | that grandma only knew how to make stir fry growing up. But as someone who's also health |
| 1:26.8 | conscious, I was floored when I was introduced to |
| 1:30.1 | Bull Cut, the company that you're about to hear all about. Crystal Ung's family owned a Chinese |
| 1:37.1 | restaurant growing up. And in her own adulthood, she wanted a way to carry on those iconic |
| 1:42.6 | childhood flavors. But she also wanted to eat well, |
| 1:46.7 | which is something that is important to me too, something that next-gen kids finally have the |
| 1:52.2 | privilege to do. Bull cut is that way. Their sauces are made the way that they're meant to be |
... |
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