How to Say "Yes" to Risk and Start Up: Claudia is in conversation with Sophia Cheng

Sophia's definition of happiness @ 0:00Sophia discusses her background in the corporate world, including roles in management consulting, a hedge fund, and consumer companies. She explains that she never really aspired to be an entrepreneur, but was inspired to start Oddball after becoming frustrated with "catfish foods" - highly processed products masquerading as healthy.Also, seeing more diverse role models in entrepreneurship gave her the courage to make the leap. When she was younger, she did not see female founders that "looked like her". So in the beginning of her career, the thought of starting up on your own was too daunting. We are also talking about the importance of meaningful work, making a difference in the world and meaningful relationships. Sophia explains that as she has grown, she has learned to rely on different friends for different needs, rather than expecting one person to fulfill all her needs.She openly shares her challenges with stress and anxiety, and finding ways to truly relax and recharge. She finds solace in activities like travel, exercise, and discovering new, beautifully curated spaces. Connecting with other entrepreneurs also helps provide perspective and motivation when she struggles.Sophia started Oddball to create a healthy, minimally processed snack inspired by how ate growing up in Hong Kong and Singapore: balanced and whole food-based eating. The goal is to bring bach the fun and joy into snacking, without the guilt or pressure associated with many health foods today.Sophia is gearing up for a nationwide launch by the fall and discusses the lengthy prosedd of perfecting the product formulating and building out the team and supply chain to support the larger launch.Follow and learn more about my guest today:Instagram: Sophia Cheng LinkedIN: Sophia ChengInstagram: Oddball WorldWebsite: Oddball WorldTo learn more about SHIFT HAPPENS, click here To learn more about Claudia's business Curated Conversations and her Salons in New York, Zurich and Berlin, click hereYou can also connect with Claudia on Instagram @shifthappens.podcast and LinkedIn at ClaudiaMahlerNYCThis podcast is created, produced and hosted by Claudia Mahler.Social Media support Magdalena Reckendrees