Today we’d like to introduce you to Kat Thongnoppakun.
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?
I’ve always been passionate about food and always saw it as a way to connect with people. My dream was always to cook food that filled people’s souls and provided them comfort just like how my grandma and mom did for me growing up. The path I took to get here wasn’t necessarily as straightforward as the dream I had for myself.
Like most Asian kids growing, I was boxed into only a select number of careers: engineering, doctor and lawyer. So the safe, secure route was what was always pushed onto me. Since I loved being hands-on, I decided to pursue engineering despite my true passion surrounding food. I went to school and studied Aerospace Engineering and obviously knew it wasn’t what I wanted to do. Despite it all, I still finished and went to work in the aerospace industry.
Then Covid happened. I got laid off from my work and here I was lost. I decided to pursue entrepreneurship since my brother had quit his job a year prior and started an e-commerce store. Thus my entrepreneurship journey started. I continued to help him build his store for a while until I received an email from Shef, a platform that allowed home cooks to sell their food online!
At that moment, I jumped at the opportunity and decided to try it out with my mom. I slowly built my following via social media for my foodie account, katsumunchies, along with my brand, siritong foods. I started hosting events and creating avenues for myself to grow.
I felt lost still though, I wasn’t nearly making as much money and found it hard to keep pursuing what I loved but struggling financially. To make matters worse, my grandma’s health was declining. My biggest supporter and inspiration was nearing the end of her life. Here I was lost and uncertain about my next step. Mad that I wouldn’t be able to show her my dream become a reality. Unfortunately on June 18, 2022, she passed… and here I was still lost and hurting. I kept going because I know that’s what she would’ve wanted me to do.
Fast forward to July 2022, an opportunity came knocking. I got a phone call with a contracted offer to consult for a company called Chups after they had found me on Shef. I was tasked with creating a Thai concept for them. So I went and demonstrated my abilities to the max to create something I would be proud of. They saw that decided to offer me a full-time position as well as part ownership of the Thai concept. I decided to name it Ladda Thai, in honor of my grandma, Ladda. So her spirit could live on through the food I create.
Chups is a platform that allows food creators to launch their own brand. I was the very first to do so along with working with them as one of the founding members. Chups hopes to democratize the food industry by interconnecting food creators, restaurants and vendors.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Financial troubles. I wasn’t earning nearly as much as I was in my previous career so there was a lot of doubt, wondering if I had made the right decisions in life. I was constantly comparing myself others. I was facing imposter syndrome as a chef since I never went to culinary school. I was in a constant battle with myself and my mental health was taking a toll. I went through constant battles with feeling depressed and lost and was in a vicious cycles of ups and downs. I still haven’t broken the pattern of those bad depressive states, but I’m definitely becoming stronger and more resilient.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I currently work at a Food Tech Start Up as one of the founding members, Chups. Chups is a platform that allows food creators to monetize their following by launching their own brand of edible merch. Chups hopes to democratize the food industry by interconnecting food creators, restaurants and vendors. As one of the first creators on the platform, I’m able to be a pioneer in the food content creation space.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
The biggest risk I took was leaving my safe career within engineering. I pursued something that I knew I was passionate about but knew there would be major risks when it came to finances. That’s still a worry but I try to focus on the present and what I can fully control. Normally I’m pretty risk-averse as I grew up with a lot of financial troubles with my family, so I always tried to take the safer and secure route. But sometimes you have to take the risk to truly do what you love, and hopefully good things will happen.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://laddathaikitchen.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katsumunchies/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/katsumunchies/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kat-thongnoppakun-502499123/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/ladda-thai-anaheim
