From Finance to Korean Food Fame: Celebrity Chef Judy Joo on Reinventing Yourself
What happens when you stop playing it safe - and start betting on yourself? Celebrity Chef Judy Joo is living her dream: she left behind a safe, well-paying finance career to follow her passion for food. Today, she’s a Korean-American chef and TV personality, a best-selling cookbook author, and the first-ever female Iron Chef UK. She’s also the founder and CEO of Seoul Bird, a global restaurant brand famous for its Korean fried chicken – with locations from Tottenham Hotspurs Stadium to Madison Square Garden. She has become an international ambassador for Korean cuisine, and her latest cookbook, "K-Quick: Korean Food in 30 Minutes or Less," makes it even easier. Judy’s story might surprise you: she studied engineering at Columbia, and started her career on Wall Street. Her story strikes a personal chord for me, because she left behind a prestigious career path to embrace the unknown - which I'm attempting myself! In this episode of Alchemy Social, Judy shares: Why she made the pivot from finance to food What helped her find the courage to go against convention How she’s successfully managed a multifaceted career – from cooking to writing cookbooks to live television and social media What is so unique – and addictive - about Korean fried chicken (hint: it's that crunch); and How Korean culture obsession has gone global. Whether you’re thinking about a career pivot, building a personal brand, or just love Korean food and culture, this conversation is for you. Follow Judy Joo and Seoul Bird: Judy on IG - https://www.instagram.com/judyjoo/ Seoul Bird https://seoul-bird.co.uk Judy's latest cookbook: K-Quick Follow Sujean: Instagram - www.instagram.com/sujeansong YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@sujeansong Newsletter - https://sujeansong.substack.com/subscribe LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sujean/ Linktree - https://linktr.ee/sujeansong Thanks for being here. I hope you enjoy this conversation, and I'd love to stay connected, so please subscribe in the links above. Yours, Sujean