EP39: Vivien Wong, Co-Founder of Little Moons, the brand that's turned a niche product into a global obsession.

This week Jo sits down with Vivien Wong, co-founder of Little Moons, to discuss how the brand introduced mochi ice cream to the UK in 2010, grew from restaurants into FMCG, and scaled after going viral on TikTok during the pandemic with user-generated “Tesco adventure” videos that drove immediate purchase. Vivien shares the operational strain of a sudden “hockey stick” demand surge—COVID hiring constraints, machinery limits, and supply shortages—plus lessons on maintaining quality, retailer relationships, and culture while expanding into more supermarkets and selling in over 38 countries. She explains how her father’s cancer diagnosis prompted her to leave a city finance career, why she self-funded through five years of restaurant sales, and how she and her brother managed a sibling partnership. Vivien reflects on burnout, the impact of private equity bringing in a CEO, investments in coaching/therapy/training, and announces Mini Moons launching exclusively in Sainsbury’s. 00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro01:43 TikTok Viral Breakthrough03:47 Scaling in a Pandemic06:56 Pivotal Leap from Corporate09:08 Building with a Sibling12:21 Perfecting Mochi from Scratch14:39 Landing Yo Sushi Deal16:42 From Restaurants to Retail19:51 Hiring and Letting Go22:30 Burnout and Better Boundaries25:07 Learning to Slow Down25:26 Working On Business25:42 Flavor Trend Hunting26:36 Stepping Back With CEO27:43 Trusting Leadership Team28:47 Favorite Flavors Origins29:47 Three Two One Segment30:45 Coach Versus Therapy32:54 Dog As Investment35:06 Working Mum Lessons37:44 Hiring Mistakes Regrets38:48 Questions For Dad40:03 Thanking Key Advisor42:00 Networking And AI Tools43:14 Mini Moons Launch44:22 Closing And FarewellSupport the showEdited and produced by Jo Glynn-Smith 2025. Recorded at Eight Works Podcast Studios, 1 Dysart Street, London, EC2A 2BXFor bookings: [email protected] Jo Glynn-Smith is an entrepreneur, professional coach, writer, and speaker from London, she is an expert in career transformation and change. Instagram @jojoglynnsmith and @themidlifeentrepreneurContact: [email protected] CREDIT Easy Money by REX BANNER licensed by Artlist.ioPHOTOGRAPHY by JONATHAN GLYNN-SMITH www.jonathanglynnsmith.com