Today we’d like to introduce you to Ae Southammavong.
Before this life, I was an enthusiastic corporate ladder climber. I went to college for finance and did everything right, based on society’s standards. But after 10 years of hustling for biweekly paychecks, I gradually started to realize how unfulfilling my life was. One day, I found myself being mistreated at work and immediately knew I had a decision to make, so I decided to quit my job on the spot! I had no plan, no stability, and no idea on what I was going to do. Ironically, instead of feeling scared, I felt liberated and free.
I decided to risk everything for me; for who I wanted to be. From that point forward, I started to pursue my passion in cooking and sharing my Lao culture to the world. This fueled my soul and slowly I realized that I was finally living in my purpose. I branched out and started to share with the world who I was, unapologetically. From that honesty, I fearlessly create opportunities for myself and along the way, found new opportunities opening for me. Aside from my small business, I was also casted on Gordon Ramsey’s Next Level Chef Season 1, which aired on the FOX network. It is also available on Hulu right now so please go check it out!
Every business has its challenges, and I had many! I was a one-woman show, so I oversaw sales, marketing, cooking, you name it, I did it all. I had to be creative and approach all aspects differently. Social media helped tremendously with marketing and sales. I had to learn how to post effectively and market efficiently. I knew that the best advertising for food was word of mouth, so in the early days I would give out free food so people could see and taste what I was all about. People talk and come back when the product is good, no matter what the product is, so that was my approach to marketing. The cooking is self-explanatory, long days whipping the wok and having meals ready on time for clients was a struggle for sure, but I kept going because of pure passion. From there my business started to take off, purely from referrals. To this day, I still have not paid for an ad to promote my business.
I would say that the most challenging thing for me so far is building a team and expanding. I want to maintain my meal prep business but branch out with pre-packaged products, sauces, and maybe even cookware. I want StirFryMaster to be available to the masses and sold on shelves of different supermarkets. The vision is there, and I need to get to work!
I cried a lot, I still do, and my favorite places to cry are in the shower and in my car. A good scream while holding your steering wheel works wonders too, highly recommend. People think that owning your own business is fun and exciting, and it is, but many do not know the struggles of it. As I am growing my business, I learn new things every single day, and I can proudly say that some days I wake up clueless, but I keep going.
I want to world to eat and experience Lao and Southeast Asian food, and I feel it is my purpose to share my culture and flavors to the world!
Contact Info:
- Website:www.stirfrymaster.com
- Instagram: @aebaybayy @stirfrymaster
- Facebook: @aebaybayy
- Twitter: @aebaybayy
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/c/twerkingtastebuds
