We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jennifer Nguyen. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jennifer below.
Hi Jennifer , so happy to have you with us today and there is so much we want to ask you about. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others developed certain skills or qualities that we are struggling with can be helpful. Along those lines, we’d love to hear from you about how you developed your ability to take risk?
Professionally, I’m typically not a risk taker until 2020. During the mist of the pandemic, like many I lost my job and my husband went from working a full-time job to only working 1-2 days depending on business needs. Financially, we were starting to struggle and I saw a rise in small businesses on Instagram for baked goods, customized crafts and so much more for pick-up. At this moment, my mind set went into survival mode in hopes of creating a small income for my family. August of 2020, was when I started Mochimas and I haven’t looked back.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I am an Aquarius, self-taught Vietnamese American baker, born and raised in Southern California and now residing in South Orange County that does not have any experiences in business or marketing. At a young age, I’ve always loved baking, which was influenced by my cousins where one did customized cake and the other did pastries all for fun. As time passed, I found recipes from pastries/cook books and online. I didn’t grow up with cable, but once I discovered Food Network, I was in awe to see talented bakers create. My parents are very strict and traditional, so going to pastry school was not acceptable. They wanted me to have a secured job in the medical field, although, I knew deep down it wasn’t my passion. Fast forward to my adulthood, I have gained 10 years of experiences in the food and beverage industry with front of house positions (FOH) and of those 8.5 years I worked for Disneyland Resort. I also have a few years of handling legal paperwork for an insurance company. My husband Sebastian and I have two beautiful daughters who enjoys food just as much as we do.
Mochimas specializes in Hawaiian butter mochi inspired baked goods that offers gluten-free and nut free products with select vegan options all while avoiding any food coloring, powder and artificial flavors. We are known for our delicate mochi tarts, which were made by accident. Our products are definitely one of a kind. We offer baked mochi products that have American classics such as brownies, blondies and muffins with a touch of inspired Asian flavors from our Vietnamese and Filipino heritages as well as foods our family enjoys. Flavors include black sesame, tangerine, hojicha, jasmine tea, and turon to name a few. Mochimas’ menu is quite intensive; nonetheless, most items are on rotation or are seasonal that way our customers have something to look forward to. Our business started online for order pick-up and delivery, soon after we were doing pop-ups throughout LA/OC, we also offer catering services and now have a booth at The District Farmers Market in Tustin Sundays. It’s so rewarding to know customers love our products, even more so, when they have food allergies and we’re able to accommodate those allergens such as dairy, tree nuts/nuts and gluten.
As the founder and business owner of Mochimas, I don’t want to just be another bakery. I would like Mochimas to be part of the community. To be the place where we continue to offer our baked goods that gives you joy, celebrate special moments with you, or help raise funds for your organizations such as church events to school events. Mochimas is a space not only where we sale baked goods, but we also pride in our customer service. I’d like to create a space where customers always feel welcomed whether they’re passing by our booth or making a purchase. Without the continued love and support from our community over the years Mochimas wouldn’t be where we are today. Through this journey, I’ve been very fortunate to have had the opportunities to collaborate with Matcha Bloom, cater a special event for Sapporo x Tokyo Hiro at Rhythm Room LA, help celebrate BOPOMOFO Cafe’s 5th anniversary at their San Gabriel location and have met numerous amazing and supportive people. I’m beyond excited to see what the future holds for us!
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Some qualities, skills or areas of knowledge that impacted my journey the most were adaptability, resilience, strong customer service and patience. As you know, my business started the summer of the pandemic and I faced various challenges. I quickly learned I needed to find ways to get sales, legalize my business to expand and create content for social media to allow others to visionally see who we are while pushing myself to create new products. Through it all, I stayed resilient and patient. I tried to look at the positivity in each situation and took it as a learning experience and marketing opportunities because I realized I wanted to project positive energy. Customer service is very important to me. I want to provide a great experience for each guest that comes across Mochimas. I can have the greatest product, but without great service, good attitude and interaction customers may not want to return since they don’t feel very welcomed. A simple ‘hello’ can go a long way. From the beginning of my business journey, I knew I had to be patient if I wanted my business to blossom into what I’ve envisioned. Like any successful business built from the ground up, nothing is done overnight.
To those early in their business stages, keep pushing and have an open mind. Owning a business isn’t easy especially when you don’t have all the tools and knowledge. Ask other businesses questions or for referrals, build strong connections with others in the industry because these relationships can turn into friendships and mentorships, and have resilience. Challenges are inevitable, but it’s how you respond to them that matters most so look at each setback as a way for improvements.
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
We all have those days where we’re burned out and overwhelmed, myself included. I have a lot on my plate as a small business owner, mother of two, wife and eldest child. Take a moment to breathe. On days where I need a moment to myself I would whisk a cup of matcha and set my intensions for the day. It became therapeutic for me. There are times when my husband can sense I’m stressed so he’ll offer to wake up early and help bake while I sleep in for an extra hour or so. My guilty pleasures are iced teas and desserts so I’ll treat myself to something small with my two-year-old to get fresh air and for a change of atmosphere; which we both benefit a lot from.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, I would suggest to have a set schedule to take care of personal agendas and tackle work tasks, do some self-care and ask for help. It is very important not to forget about self-love. Set a day where you have very little to no task to sleep in, go on a lunch/dinner date with yourself, partner or perhaps friend(s), or go on a walk – whatever makes you happy this can be uplifting so you can bounce back refreshed and energized. Don’t forget, you got this!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @mochimas
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/mochimas-lake-forest
- Other: https://linktr.ee/mochimas
