Get Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable | Ellen Chen

How do you adapt your business model when the world suddenly changes around you? Meet Ellen Chen, co-founder of Mendocino Farms, one of the most lucrative gourmet sandwich restaurants in California. In this episode, she shares just how she and her company adapted to these trying times to maintain their brand values, keep their customers and employees happy, and how to do it yourself! She shares strong words of encouragement and wisdom to help your business stay successful. Listen in! Timestamped show notes 05:55 - Ellen shares how Mendocino Farms is handling the lockdown 10:55 - Remind yourself: what is your brand’s purpose? 16:19 - Ellen shares what she thinks businesses will be like as restrictions ease up 17:29 - She discusses how her company plans to pivot in order to adapt to the current situation 19:07 - What is a “cloud kitchen?” 21:27 - Ellen talks about how she was able to break into the industry by finding a niche 24:41 - Ellen shares how food has always been an important aspect of her life 26:18 - Yin and yang in business 28:07 - What is it like being a family business? 31:03 - Ellen shares some of the other projects she’s working on 37:10 - The benefit of being part of a network of driven, hard-working entrepreneurs 38:52 - How to prepare for an uncertain future 41:32 - The tenacity to keep going 43:48 - As an entrepreneur, nothing is ever truly uncomfortable anymore 48:08 - Don’t get too comfortable! 49:20 - Failure is not a bad thing Links Mendocino Farms: https://www.mendocinofarms.com/