Today we’d like to introduce you to Vivian Ha.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Where to start with Vivian Ha… My parents immigrated to the United States from Vietnam and I was blessed to grow up in Orange County, California. I graduated from California State University, Fullerton with a bachelor’s in Business Administration. If you’re into astrology, my big three are Aries Sun, Gemini Moon, & Scorpio Rising. Make of that what you will, but in short, I was go go go until I had to learn to take it slow. My life has taken me through many transformative hardships to come to a recent realization of my true self and the power I hold to be incredible. I am thankful to all the people and experiences who have shaped me into the person I am today. Though life is a constant journey of continuous growth and learning.
The roots of Smoove Shop began when the Covid19 lockdown started. I was never called back to work from my serving job and just really tired of jobs where I didn’t enjoy upper management. With the extra time, I started talking and journaling to myself. I asked what is it that makes life worth living? My immediate response was to the youth and to see what the future has in store.
As a millennial who grew up during the tech boom, I have learned so much from Gen Z, the internet, generational trauma, imperialism, and much more that I was determined to apply my knowledge and experiences to contribute to the world. I found that my true calling was to become an entrepreneur who is fair and just. That’s when I knew I wanted to work my way up into owning a storefront.
Once I realized my purpose I asked myself, “Vivian, what are you really really good at?” The only answer I got was making Smoothies. I have been making smoothies for myself since I was 6 years old, standing on a stool to use my family’s old blender. One of my earliest core memories of making smoothies was my dad teaching me how to make Sinh Tố Bơ, aka avocado smoothie in Vietnamese, and the recipes grew and got more creative from there.
I started by selling smoothies from my boyfriend’s place and when we moved out into our own place, I continued to sell smoothies and added more to the menu. I stumbled upon a dessert business for sale across from my old high school. And finally with the support from my family, blood, sweat, and tears, my pride and joy, Smoove Shop was born in June of 2021.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Smoove Shop, ironically has been so very far from smooth. Some struggles include, not having enough capital, electricity, and breaker issues, AC units breaking down, freezers and refrigerators breaking down, soft serve machines being down, power outages, having limiting management, training high school employees, burglaries, my crippling health, considering I have Lupus and arthritis, recovering from a broken ankle, consistently overwhelming myself, anxiety, depression, imposter syndrome, balancing self-care, the list goes on and on. Even though running a business is very tiring and stressful, I don’t regret it for a second, maybe.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I sell vegan smoothies, soft serve, Italian ice, tea, boba, and more! I am most proud of myself and my employees for all our hard work in keeping our store clean and providing fresh treats to our community, all at a competitive price. I buy and transport all local and fresh fruits and food to put into our house-made desserts and drinks, all made with love. Most of my staff including myself have some sort of disability from being deaf in one ear, autistic, autoimmune, and ADHD; so it makes me that much more proud when we are all able to work together as a team to serve our Smoove Shop community!
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
Youtube has helped me so much with this entire journey. From building recipes, learning photography, and reminding me about business 101. A special shout out to Enya and Drew of the Emergency Intercom Podcast! They really help me lift my spirit every time I’m feeling lonely and in need of a laugh.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.smooveshop.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smooveshop/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/smoove-shop-westminster
- SoundCloud: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37nz6cKqgf8HaST7L5Hfj7?si=1d9afed2ab38422d
Image Credits
Food Photos by Kristy Kim
