Episode 29: Jennifer Choi on How She Quit Her Corporate Job to Open Her Dream Bakery

Jennifer is a Korean-American mother and wife who followed the traditional path working in finance until she couldn't ignore her love for the creative arts any longer. Jennifer was hyperaware of aesthetic quality and constantly searching for ways to channel her creativity. After many years, a little curiosity about baking quickly became a full-blown obsession, and Jennifer found herself spending hours poring over recipe books, up late at night baking experiments, and making many educational visits to the best bakeries to sample one of everything. She soon enrolled in culinary school to learn the fundamentals of pastry. With her passion grounded in technique, Jennifer launched her professional career in a busy retail bakery and a Michelin-starred restaurant in NYC. Working behind the scenes in the kitchen gave Jennifer valuable experience, insight, and refined skills, but she longed for more creativity and artistic expression. The launch of Sugarsuckle brings Jennifer the opportunity to share her sweet vision with you. In this episode, we talk about how she was able to transition from a corporate job to owning her own bakery, how she hired a high-functioning and collaborative team, breaking away from family expectations, and that taking risks is really not a big deal.