Meet I Min Lin

We recently connected with I Min Lin and have shared our conversation below.

I MIN, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?

I was born in the United States but returned to Taiwan at a very young age to grow up. My parents divorced when I was in elementary school, and my mother has always been the best example of resilience for me.

My mother worked in the same job for over 20 years. This job required her to work year-round, without any days off, handwashing dishes and clothes for wealthy families every single day. Despite the hardships, she persisted for over two decades until she retired a few years ago. I often asked her how she managed to stick to the same job for so many years. She told me that she didn’t dislike the work and believed in seeing things through to the end. To her, perseverance is far more important than constantly switching to something new.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I am truly honored to be invited to this interview—it’s such a privilege. My name is I Min Lin, and I am the founder of the Hello Jasmine brand. My main responsibilities are twofold:

Defining the company’s development direction and bringing my ideas and creativity to life through the Hello Jasmine brand;
Recruiting the right talent to join our team at Hello Jasmine and work together to realize our vision.
What excites me the most is that whenever I come up with new ideas, I can gather a group of like-minded people to bring these concepts to life.

The brand was co-founded by Jasmine and me in 2016. Our initial goal was to create a Taiwanese breakfast shop. In Taiwan, breakfast shops often greet customers with a cheerful “Hello, how are you?” which inspired us to use “Hello” as the beginning of our brand name. The name “Jasmine” is not only the name of my co-founder but also represents jasmine green tea. As the brand’s main executor and founder, my ultimate goal is to establish a Taiwanese food brand in the U.S. that can endure for more than a century.

The history of Taiwanese (or Chinese) immigrants in America dates back over a hundred years, but as far as I know, there has yet to be a Taiwanese food brand in the U.S. that has sustained itself and continued to grow for more than 20 years. I aspire for Hello Jasmine to stand the test of time and to be a brand that helps Taiwanese food culture thrive and evolve in the United States.

Currently, we are focused on developing within the Chicago area. Expanding the number of locations is not our primary goal. Instead, we aim to immerse our brand in each community, allowing more local residents to experience, understand, and embrace what we have to offer.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

I had no prior experience in the food and beverage industry, but I did have years of experience in business management. With the talent gifted by God, I tend to be less easily discouraged than others when facing challenges. There is a famous saying in the business world: “If you dedicate over 10,000 hours to a specific field, you’ll become an expert in it.” In just over two years, I surpassed 10,000 hours of effort in this field. However, I still wouldn’t call myself an expert—at best, I’ve acquired the basic qualifications to operate in the restaurant industry.

The three qualities I possess are:

The ability to work long-term without the need for breaks;
A willingness to embrace new ideas and adapt to change;
A focus on pursuing ultimate goals.
The first two points are self-explanatory, so I’ll focus on the third.
For example, whenever I need to make a business decision, if there are only two possible outcomes:

Gain short-term benefits but potentially harm the brand’s long-term growth;
Sacrifice short-term benefits but possibly contribute to the brand’s future development.
I would choose the second option without hesitation. I am willing to try any approach that could ensure the company’s longevity and growth, even if it means incurring losses in the present.

Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?

Throughout my entrepreneurial journey, the people who have been most helpful in helping me overcome challenges and develop the essential skills, qualities, and knowledge needed for success are my family and my business partner. They have always trusted me unconditionally and provided valuable advice and encouragement when I needed it the most. My mother taught me the importance of perseverance and patience, while my partner Jasmine has been instrumental in expanding our business with her expertise and creativity. Additionally, I’ve drawn inspiration from many successful entrepreneurs and books, which have helped me find solutions more efficiently when facing challenges.

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Hello Jasmine

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