Your Firsthand Experiences Shape the Way You Run Your Business — Here's How Mine Shaped Me Growing up in a family-owned Chinese restaurant instilled in me the entrepreneurial spirit that now drives my tech venture. From handling customer complaints to managing staff, these early experiences shaped my approach to business and leadership.
By Arthur Wang Edited by Kara McIntyre
Key Takeaways
- Growing up in a family-owned restaurant provided a unique perspective and valuable lessons on entrepreneurship.
- Early responsibilities and challenges faced in the restaurant business instilled important qualities such as accountability, hands-on experience and an appreciation for hard work.
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
My grandparents came to the U.S. with a dream and a deep sense of purpose. It's to support the family and secure a better future for their children. As a tech entrepreneur, I share the same dream. I want to create something meaningful not just for my customers and investors, but also for my family and the broader community through the Fud app.
Research shows that a variety of firsthand experiences, such as making tough decisions, tackling challenges head-on and taking responsibility for the outcomes, builds a founder's resilience. I had my share of these experiences early on during the years I spent working in our family's restaurant, which greatly influenced how I now manage Fud. And for that, I am forever grateful.
Coming from generations of chefs who captured the taste of home for many immigrants, my family opened a series of authentic Chinese restaurants in Georgia and Southern California in the 1970s. And like many children in family businesses, I grew up working in our restaurant. I filled in whenever help was needed, especially when we were short on staff or overwhelmed with customers.
Now that I'm building my own business, I've come to realize that growing up in a family-owned restaurant gave me a unique perspective on entrepreneurship which has contributed in shaping me into the entrepreneur I am today. Here are some of the experiences that taught me valuable lessons in running a business.
Taking responsibility for my mistakes
When I was a teenager, I helped deliver food to customers. One time, my cousin and I accidentally tilted the bags causing the sauce to leak out of the containers. Instead of taking it back to the restaurant and fixing it, we delivered it as-is. As expected, the customer complained about the messy delivery and we had to redo the entire order.
This experience taught me that hiding and avoiding problems would only make things worse. Had we been more accountable for our actions, we could've avoided upsetting the customer and damaging the reputation of the restaurant.
As an entrepreneur, I know that mistakes are inevitable. It's important to confront problems directly and take responsibility for your actions. Instead of dwelling on the failure, I try to focus on the learnings and steps I can take to prevent the same mistake from happening again.
Experience is my best teacher
People learn best by doing. During my stint as a cashier in my elementary school years, I got used to doing real-world math and became good at handling money. The hands-on experience also boosted my confidence in interacting with customers, teaching me how to communicate well to ensure they had a positive experience at the restaurant.
Spending time at the restaurant has shown me the bigger picture, how the whole team works together to deliver quality service, handle customer complaints and still have some fun. Even with my BA and MBA, I can say that I learned the most from my experience working in our family's restaurant.
Related: I Learned Everything Important About Succeeding as an Entrepreneur Washing Dishes for My First Boss
Appreciating the work
Working as a host and waiter instilled in me a deep respect for the hard work and dedication of our staff. They have to endure long hours on their feet, work in a fast-paced environment and perform thankless tasks. It's truly a demanding and underappreciated job.
Delivering an entertaining and delightful experience is not an easy task. Beyond greeting guests with a smile and ensuring their orders are accurate and timely, it takes empathy to anticipate and respond to customer needs, strong interpersonal skills to foster genuine relationships and a commitment to make every interaction memorable.
This appreciation for every craft and form of craftsmanship comes naturally to me and has become a core value within the Fud community. I believe that every craft, side hustle, venture or any effort someone makes to provide for themselves and pursue their goals should be valued and celebrated.
Embracing the competition
I learned from my family that competition in the restaurant industry can be a good thing. In fact, having our restaurant located alongside other successful establishments created valuable synergies for all. It's not a zero-sum game. The success of neighboring restaurants attracts large crowds and enhances the area's overall reputation, which everyone benefits from.
Knowing that diners could easily choose another place to eat kept us on our toes, pushing us to innovate in our restaurant. We are always looking for ways to improve our customer service, diversify food options and nurture relationships with our patrons.
I have carried this mindset until now. As an entrepreneur, I learn a lot from the competition and it drives me to bring more to the table and be creative. I would rather share a larger pie with several competitors than be the most successful business in a small market.
Related: Business Doesn't Need to be Cutthroat — Embrace This Mindset and Watch Your Business Thrive
Building the business without the owner
My family introduced me to the concept of "building a clock" in business. The idea is to build a thriving and sustainable restaurant that can run without depending solely on the owners. For this to work, there should be standard processes, systems and structures in place for the employees to follow and rely on when making decisions.
Another key element to building a sustainable business is fostering long-term relationships with customers. As a Chinese restaurant, our unique differentiation lies in serving authentic food that brings people and families together, keeping traditions alive. Our regulars aren't just customers, we treat them as part of our family.
By focusing on forming strong bonds within the community rather than pursuing short-term gains, both the business and customers benefit in the long run. As a founder, my goal is to work on the business and not just in the business. I believe in making genuine connections and engaging a community that supports your business.
