Ep 224 | Jing Gao

Written By Yasmin Nouri

How to Finally Quit Your Unfulfilling Career, Confront Your Fears & Launch Your Dream Idea

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Jing Gao is the founder and CEO of Fly By Jing, the fastest-growing direct-to-consumer startup and Asian food brand. 

Her first product, the Sichuan Chili Crisp, took the food world by storm in 2018, propelling Fly By Jing into the mainstream and spotlighting Jing as a leading expert in Sichuan flavors. Fly By Jing has since sold over 2 million jars of Chili Crisp to date, making it one of the fastest-growing condiments on the market and a household staple for many. Today, Chili Crisp can be found in thousands of grocery stores across the United States, coming a long way from the Kickstarter campaign that first led to its fame, and Fly By Jing has expanded into a multi-million dollar business.

In this week’s episode, we discuss Jing’s upbringing, the many countries she’s lived in growing up and how those experiences impacted her life. She talks about how she left her stable tech job to pursue a career in food full time, the way she evaluated her risks when becoming an entrepreneur and how she decided to move to the US without knowing anyone to start her product business. We also talk about the early days of the business when Jing first launched on Kickstarter, the multiple challenges she had when creating  & shipping the product to customers, and how she created such an incredible, high growth brand from the power of word of mouth and community. 

Show Notes:

  • Jing’s childhood upbringing and relationship with risk. [2:32]

  • What helped Jing overcome change and push herself outside her comfort zone. [9:45]

  • What motivated Jing to quit her tech job and move to Shanghai for a new opportunity. [11:43]

  • The relationship between food and Jing's personal identity and cultural heritage. [16:09]

  • The significance of seizing opportunities and staying open to chances. [19:13]

  • Jing's parents' viewpoint regarding her career journey. [21:07]

  • Establishing a restaurant and the lessons Jing gained from this experience. [22:21]

  • Choosing the right business partner. [27:15]

  • The financial struggles encountered, and lessons learned while operating a restaurant. [28:54]

  • Jing's shift towards creating her own products. [36:09]

  • Why entrepreneurship is self-work. [42:34]

  • The key stages in the launch of Fly by Jing. [45:12]

  • Jing's latest cookbook and what's next for her and the business. [53:50]

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