Today we’d like to introduce you to John Tran.
Hi John, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Before I started john’s kimchi, I decided to join the Air Force as an air traffic controller because I didn’t have it in me at the time to finish college, so I decided to get into a career field where I would spend six years learning the trade, and then I could come out and work for the government and make good money
As it turns out, becoming certified as an air traffic controller and surviving the air force was one of the most challenging things that I had to overcome. Air traffic control was just a nightmare for me, and I was terrified to get into position, because I am clinically diagnosed with general anxiety, and I used to have a really hard time speaking in front of a lot of people, so I was terrible at my job. And I have a really bad memory, and air traffic control requires you to regurgitate everything back like a robot, and it was hard for me to operate that way
One day, I had a panic attack in position and I broke down. Normally, to get rated as a controller at my airbase, you’re usually controlling about 12 different aircraft at peak hours, so it was very busy and there’s always a lot going on. a simple mistake and crazy accidents may occur and lives may be lost, and I didn’t want any of that on my conscience. I remember my heart racing uncontrollably, I was physically trembling all over, my voice was breaking, and I felt like my chest would implode and I couldn’t get out a word. As my relief came and asked for the picture, the picture is what is currently going on in my air space, and I couldn’t say anything because I was so terrified, so I just pointed at aircraft
After I got out of position, I just told myself that I had had enough. I gave it everything I could, but I knew if I kept it up, I would end up losing my sanity, and probably jump off the tower one day because I was losing my mental stability. So, I asked to speak to my crew chief alone, and we went outside to talk. and I said, LD, I can’t do this anymore, I need for us to speak with the chief controller so that I can file for fear of controlling
Fear of controlling is a provision in air traffic that, if you feel you are unsafe to the operation, you can elect to get yourself out of the career field, and I knew I was a hot mess and a huge accident waiting to happen. So, we went and spoke with the chief controller, and I broke down and cried. and the chief controller was like, Jackie, what’s the matter? As an aside, they used to call me Jackie in the military, because my name is John Tran, and then there’s Jackie Chan. Very clever, well played. At least it was better than being called by the call sign they wanted to give me, VC (Viet Cong), but the lieutenant wasn’t going to have any of that, and he apologized to me on behave of my new team that I would be working with
So, I just told him that I couldn’t do it anymore. and he was like, but, Jackie, we like you, we don’t want you to go. And I started crying some more, and I was like, I just can’t. And he was like, Jackie, I’m trying to throw you a bone here. and I was like, no more. so, after a little bit more of an exchange of his trying to convince me to stay in air traffic, he finally said, if that’s what you want, but I’m going to have to take your air traffic control card from you. So, I hastily grabbed it and handed it to him, and I said take it. He was taken aback at how willing I was to just give it up, and I think he thought by saying that it would give me pause and reconsider, but all I was thinking was, here, take it, and kill it with fire, because I don’t want any more of this misery
Once I joined the Air Force, that was when I decided that I wanted to venture into the world of cooking because I didn’t like eating out all the time, and eating things, I like that just didn’t satisfy me. That was why I decided to start cooking for myself so that I can cook things exactly how I would like it
I had always loved fried rice as a kid, so the very first dish that I decided to cook just the way I wanted it was my signature fried rice. As it turns out, everyone I worked with really loved it, and I was thinking, that’s interesting. And someone joking planted a seed in me suggesting that I should open up a restaurant one day named jackies bar and grill. And I didn’t think anything of that comment back then, because cooking for a living never even crossed my mind at that time
So, the thing I love about cooking is, that it’s very therapeutic for me. I could spend hours in the kitchen, and then I would look up and ask myself where all the time had gone. the process is just as fun and important as the finished product, and I would lose myself in my work, and it eases my troubled mind
So, knowing that I wasn’t going to be an air traffic controller when I got out of the military, I knew I needed a backup plan, so I decided to finish up my bachelor’s degree in business administration while I was still in. And all I wanted at the time was a desk job, cause that was my dream at the time
As I transitioned out of the military, I ended up working for the federal government at the veteran’s affairs administration. I thought I had finally achieved my dream, and I felt like I was finally a grown-up. the first year, I did my best of be a superstar, because I wanted to make it big while working for the government. I also decided to pursue a master’s in business administration in hopes that it would better position me for promotions, and I had the silly idea that I wanted to be an accountant or a financial advisor
As I was applying for those positions, the interviewers were always like, well, we’re looking for someone with experience. That’s a classic. I guess I’ll never accrue any experience since nobody wanted to give me an opportunity to acquire them. And during my second year, I was already jaded with the systems, the politics, and the bureaucracy, and I’ve seen too many things there that left a really bad taste in my mouth
So, at that point, I had already absolutely fell in love with cooking, because it was so much fun for me, and on my time off, I would usually spend it cooking and experimenting with recipes. Then one day, I got the silly idea that I wanted to try to make kimchi
Kimchi was always one of my favorite things to eat whenever my mom would purchase some, but it was never consistent in quality or taste. I was living in Seattle at the time, and I told people on social media that was going to attempt to make some kimchi, and people I knew in Orlando asked me to send them some once I made some
The silly thing is, I had never ever made any kimchi in my life, but I saw it as a challenge, and I love challenges. As finished making my first batch, I sent some home to Orlando, and I let my coworkers try it, and the feedback were very positive. shortly after, I decided quit my job and give entrepreneurship a go
As I was working on my MBA, I had told myself that I would like to start my own business one day, but it has to be something that I really stood behind and really loved doing. As for making kimchi, I had no idea what I was doing or what I was thinking when I thought it was a good idea to start a business selling rotten vegetables, but when I did start and gave up my cushy government job, I did not allow myself a plan b, because I had already resolved myself to not work for anyone else and having people tell me how to live my life for the rest of my life. Failure was simply not an option, and I knew that if I wanted to achieve the life I truly wanted, I would have to go out and get it and do it myself
I started this business at the beginning of 2016. my current mid-term goal is to save up for a concession food trailer set up. My long-term goal is to be able to operate a few restaurants of my own that would also serve as a retail space for my kimchi
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
So, I started this business in Seattle, and my first major struggle was that the farmer’s markets there only operate five months out of the year, usually from May until the end of October. So, for the seven months that I wasn’t in business, I had to work as a server at a restaurant in order to make ends meet. and during that time, I just thought to myself, is this what I really quit my full-time job for?
During my second year in business, which was also my last year in Seattle, I had done research on the farmer’s markets in Orlando, because I grew up in Orlando, and my parents live there. I discovered that the farmer’s markets in Orlando operated year-round because the temperate climate allowed it. That was when I decided to move back in with my parents and relaunch my kimchi business here
From the inception of my business until present, it has been an absolute struggle. one of the struggles with the farmer’s markets in Orlando is that the weather can really affect business, and when it’s really bad with rain or thunderstorms, the markets would be closed, and that really hurt sales
It has been very difficult just trying to generate enough revenue to stay in business. most weeks, I would have to work seven days a week. Monday through Thursday, I would spend those days producing kimchi or prepping the food that I would serve at the farmer’s markets. Then Friday through Sunday I would spend at the markets, and each day is at least a twelve-hour proposition
A lot of times, I would just get so overwhelmed with work that I would suffer mental health breakdowns and I would not attend the markets. I just know that once I am able to bring people onto my team, things would be a lot better, but I am not in a position to hire anyone at the moment, so I have to do everything myself
There are a lot of times when I would wake up filled with dread and despair, and I would ask myself if I had made the right decision to work for myself, because sometimes, it feels like in insurmountable task, and most times, I feel like I am able to take one step forward and then have to take three steps back. On many occasions, all I want to do is throw my hands up and say I quit. But quitting is never an option, and I refuse to lose. And I happen to be a very stubborn donkey, so the only thing I know is to put my foot in front of the other
Having to do everything myself is super inefficient because switching task takes up a lot of my time. And one of the things I hate doing the most is having to wash dishes, but I deal with it because it’s part of the job. I just know that once I build a team around me, I could assign tasks and things would be so much more streamlined, and economy of scale would be achieved
As much of a struggle as it has been, what really makes it all worth it is when I see the smile on people’s face and the happiness I can impart when people have my food. That’s when all the work and struggles feel like it’s worth it, because one of my objectives is to affect positive changes, and I just want to make people happy. That’s why I haven’t given up
One of my favorite quotes is: entrepreneurs are the only people willing to work 80 hours a week in order to avoid working 40 hours a week
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
John’s Kimchi specializes in artisan/handcraft kimchi, as well as kimchi-centered food such as kimchi fried rice, kimchi chicken curry, kimchi meatloaf, kimchi mac and cheese, kimchi chili cheese dogs, kimchi everything. but not all my food will be with kimchi, because I love me some beef noodle soups (pho) and stuff like that
So, what I do is I cook for a living and I’ve been called a chef in the past, but I don’t like that moniker, and I would never personally refer to myself as a chef because I think it’s too pretentious for my taste. I’ve never had any formal culinary training, and I would not know what criteria you have to meet in order to be called a chef. I just tell people I simply cook for a living, and that’s enough for me, cause all I do is know how to work with a knife and work an oven, nothing more, nothing less
What I’m about to tell you is based off customers feedback to me, but what really differentiates me from anyone in the food industry and in the kimchi, business is, people often tell me that my kimchi is the best kimchi that they’ve ever had. And what further sets me apart with my food is that I integrate my kimchi into a lot of my cooking and it’s never really been done before, so a lot of my offerings are very unique to me
When people try my food for the first time, they are always very skeptical, because they’ve never heard it done before, but many of my customers whom have tried my food tells me that I make the weirdest things, but they’re always so good
As for my everything I make, I am really proud of each and every single product that I currently serve, because I’ve spent a lot of time getting everything right, and I would only serve customers something that I would eat myself, at the portion size that I would like my food. I never try to accommodate my products to fit any market needs. I just do it how I like it, and I just hope customers enjoy it as well. so, when you taste something, I make, just know that you’re eating the same thing I would be eating
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
I am not quite certain where the restaurant industry and the kimchi industry will be in the future, and I don’t really concern myself with all that. all I know is, I just try to do the best job that I possibly can, and hopefully, I am agile enough to adapt to changes
My current goal is to be able to own my own food trailer set up in five years. with the food trailer, I will be able to offer to my customers a lot of the menu items I would like to serve at my eventual restaurants. I believe that with the food trailer, it will really take john’s kimchi to the next level, and I hope to reinvest the profits to eventually owning my own restaurant within the next 10 years
As for my restaurant, half of the business will always be the sale of my kimchi, because that will always be my bread and butter. The other half would be my food offerings, and I will use that platform to use my food to tell my story
I’ve always envisioned that people who would come to my restaurant(s) to purchase kimchi would see that I serve food as well, and they would purchase food as well. Then there will be people that come in for food and see that I have kimchi on offer, and hopefully, they will purchase kimchi as well, so my restaurant’s survival would not be based solely off food alone
Contact Info:
- Email: Correspondence@johnskimchi.com
- Website: www.Johnskimchi.com
- Instagram: @Johnskimchi
