What does it take to build something when almost everything says it shouldn’t work?

In this episode of Go All In: Beating the Odds in Business, I sit down with Taro Arai, the founder and Chief Dreaming Officer behind Mikuni Japanese Restaurant & Sushi Bar, to talk about faith, family, risk, resilience, and the unlikely beginnings of one of Northern California’s most recognizable restaurant brands.

Taro came to the United States from Japan as a teenager with very little English and a determination to create a different life. Not long after arriving in Sacramento, his father announced that the family was going to open a restaurant, despite having no restaurant experience, no business plan, and no clear path forward.

What they did have was a dream.

A chance encounter with a stranger helped provide the investment that got the business started, but the years that followed were anything but easy. Taro remembers reaching the point where he told his father, “It’s not a dream, it’s a nightmare.”

His father’s response became a guiding philosophy for Taro’s life:

“Do your best and let God do the rest.”

That line really stayed with me because so much of Taro’s story comes back to mindset. He talks about the moment he stopped looking at hardship as suffering and started seeing challenges as opportunities.

We also get into how Mikuni grew by listening closely to customers and being willing to break from tradition. If someone wanted something different, Taro’s answer was often, “No problem.” That customer-first approach led to unconventional creations, loyal fans, and a brand that became part of the fabric of the Sacramento region.

Taro also shares what it took to grow a family business, how he learned to delegate, why surrounding himself with talented people became one of his greatest strengths, and how giving back became deeply personal after a stranger once believed in his family when they had very little.

Today, Mikuni has grown far beyond that original family restaurant, with multiple locations, approximately 1,500 employees, and even bigger dreams ahead.

What I love about this conversation is that Taro never makes success sound easy or linear. His story is full of uncertainty, sacrifice, mistakes, faith, generosity, family, and a willingness to keep going when quitting seemed like the easier option.

That, to me, is what going all in really looks like.

In this episode, we talk about:
• Taro’s journey from Japan to Sacramento
• The unlikely origin story of Mikuni
• The chance encounter that helped fund the first restaurant
• Surviving years of financial struggle
• “Do your best and let God do the rest”
• Turning challenges into opportunities
• How listening to customers helped shape the Mikuni brand
• Growing a family business
• Delegation, leadership, and dreaming bigger
• Giving back and paying generosity forward
• Faith, family, legacy, and what success really means

If this conversation resonates with you, subscribe to Go All In: Beating the Odds in Business for more conversations with founders, entrepreneurs, risk-takers, and underdogs who refused to quit when things got hard.

Chapter Time Stamps

0:00 – From Dream to Nightmare: Taro Arai’s Story
1:49 – Leaving Japan for America at 16
7:35 – The Unexpected Beginning of Mikuni
14:20 – When the Dream Almost Fell Apart
17:36 – “Do Your Best and Let God Do the Rest”
23:06 – Going All In on the Family Business
26:41 – Growing Mikuni and Dreaming of 100 Locations
33:28 – Listening to Customers and Reinventing Sushi
38:59 – Paying It Forward and Giving Back
51:29 – Family, Legacy and What Really Matters

Thank you so much for listening. I hope you found this episode valuable. To learn more about Phoong Law, visit: https://phoonglaw.com

To follow Anh on social media: 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/phoonglaw

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/phoonglaw/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/phoong-law/about/?viewAsMember=true

X: https://x.com/phoonglawcorp

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GoAllIn-c1u

Go All In is recorded at Phoong Law Studio and produced by Hear Me Now Studio

Josh Fleenor never planned on building a pest control company. In fact, he landed in the industry almost completely by accident—after calling the wrong number while looking for a landscaping job. But what began as an unexpected opportunity eventually became the training ground for the entrepreneur and leader he was becoming. 

In this episode of Go All In, I sit down with Josh, Founder and President of Pest Pros Pest Solutions, to talk about the experiences that shaped his approach to business, leadership, culture and community.

Josh shares what it was like growing up without many entrepreneurial role models, battling his natural introversion, and figuratively putting on a “superhero cape” every morning so he could step outside his comfort zone and succeed in sales. What began as an act eventually helped him discover strengths he didn’t know he had. 

But the defining moment in Josh’s story came years later in a hospital room.

After his newborn daughter Dixie underwent open-heart surgery, Josh finally got to hold her. When his work phone began vibrating, his instinct was to put her down and answer it. Instead, he stopped, looked at his daughter and realized that if he was going to work that hard and sacrifice that much, he wanted to do it for her. That was the moment he decided to build something of his own—and build a legacy for his family. 

We also get into what happened after he made that decision: starting over, creating the culture he envisioned, identifying an underserved niche in multifamily property management, navigating COVID, and confronting a financial crisis that left the company roughly $500,000 behind in receivables and Josh wondering how he would make payroll. 

And then the conversation goes somewhere even bigger.

Josh talks about discovering that success itself wasn't enough. Through giving back, mentoring other entrepreneurs and his work with the American Heart Association, he found another level of purpose. His belief today is simple: you aren't really a leader until you've created other leaders.

This is a conversation about entrepreneurship, but even more than that, it's about mindset, responsibility, purpose and what happens when you decide there is no Plan B.

Because as Josh puts it: going all in doesn't mean everything suddenly becomes easy. It means you keep going all in on whatever comes next.

Chapters

00:00 — “I’m Going to Build a Legacy for You”
 01:00 — Meet Josh Fleenor & Pest Pros Pest Solutions
 03:00 — The Wrong Phone Number That Changed Josh’s Career
 08:00 — Putting on the Superhero Cape & Conquering Fear
 13:00 — Learning Leadership and Discovering Entrepreneurship
 17:00 — Frustration, Fear and the Moment Everything Changed
 20:00 — Josh Goes All In and Builds Pest Pros
 25:00 — Finding a Blue Ocean and Growing the Business
 27:00 — $500,000 Behind and Wondering How to Make Payroll
 31:00 — Finding a Bigger Purpose Through Giving Back
 37:00 — Mentorship, Collaboration and Paying It Forward
 44:00 — Go All In or Fold: Pest Control Edition

Thank you so much for listening. I hope you found this episode valuable. To learn more about Phoong Law, visit: https://phoonglaw.com

To follow Anh on social media: 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/phoonglaw

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/phoonglaw/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/phoong-law/about/?viewAsMember=true

X: https://x.com/phoonglawcorp

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GoAllIn-c1u

Go All In is recorded at Phoong Law Studio and produced by Hear Me Now Studio

Success rarely begins with perfect timing, unlimited resources, or a clear roadmap. For Samantha Tov and Judy Cuong, it began with long hours, rejection, sacrifice, and an unshakable belief that hard work could change the trajectory of their lives.

In this episode of Go All In: Beating the Odds in Business, Anh sits down with Samantha and Judy, the owners of Portfolio Real Estate, to hear how two very different women with remarkably similar work ethics built successful careers—and eventually an extraordinary business partnership.

Judy entered real estate as a teenager after growing up in a family with very little money. Her path to success included years of cold calling, door knocking, open houses, and thousands of rejections before landing the listing that proved to her she belonged in the business.

Samantha’s journey took her from restaurants in Los Angeles to building a real estate career as a single mother in Sacramento. She brought her children to open houses, worked when other agents took holidays off, studied successful agents, and learned the business through observation, persistence, and sheer determination.

When Judy realized she could no longer do everything alone, she saw something familiar in Samantha: the same work ethic, the same hunger, and the same commitment to doing whatever it took. Their partnership would eventually become the foundation of Portfolio Real Estate.

Samantha and Judy share an unusually candid conversation about why their partnership works, how they handle disagreement, why equal effort does not always mean identical effort, and why trust matters more than keeping score.

They also talk about mentoring the next generation of agents, building a company culture without drama or toxicity, using AI in real estate, navigating motherhood and entrepreneurship, and learning that success means very little if you never allow yourself the time to enjoy it.

This is a conversation about resilience, partnership, sacrifice, and what can happen when you bet on yourself—and find the right person willing to go all in beside you.

You can learn more about Portfolio Real Estate by visiting their website: https://portfoliore.com/

Chapters

00:00 The Work Ethic Behind the Partnership
 00:52 Meet Samantha Tov and Judy Cuong
 01:24 Samantha's Real Estate Journey
 03:42 Judy Starts in Real Estate at 19
 05:25 Thousands of Cold Calls for One Big Break
 09:20 Samantha's Letter That Landed a Major Listing
 12:20 Surviving the Early Years of Real Estate
 15:40 How Samantha and Judy Found Each Other
 17:10 Why Judy Needed the Right Partner
 21:15 Building Portfolio Real Estate
 23:30 Creating a Culture of Mentorship
 27:00 Conflict, Communication and Business Partnerships
 31:00 Why Their 50/50 Partnership Works
 35:00 Navigating Real Estate Markets and Building Wealth
 37:00 Advice for New Real Estate Agents
 41:10 Entrepreneurship Beyond Real Estate
 42:30 How AI Is Changing the Real Estate Business
 45:40 Motherhood, Business and Finding Balance
 52:20 Go All In or Fold: Real Estate Edition

Thank you so much for listening. I hope you found this episode valuable. To learn more about Phoong Law, visit: https://phoonglaw.com

To follow Anh on social media: 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/phoonglaw

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/phoonglaw/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/phoong-law/about/?viewAsMember=true

X: https://x.com/phoonglawcorp

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GoAllIn-c1u

Go All In is recorded at Phoong Law Studio and produced by Hear Me Now Studio

Success rarely follows a straight line.

This episode, Anh talks with her friend and beauty entrepreneur Sidney Le, to discuss her remarkable journey from doing prom makeup at Valley High School to building one of Sacramento's most recognized beauty brands.

Sidney shares how her passion for beauty led her from MAC Cosmetics to bridal makeup, eyelash extensions, permanent cosmetics, and eventually multiple business locations throughout the Sacramento region. Along the way, she faced skepticism from friends, financial challenges, personal loss, the passing of her father, the pandemic's devastating impact on her business, and the challenges of raising a daughter with autism while running a company.

What makes Sidney's story so powerful is her willingness to discuss not only the victories but also the setbacks. From losing employees and clients to navigating anxiety attacks and difficult business decisions, she offers an honest look at what entrepreneurship really looks like behind the social media highlight reels.

This conversation is filled with lessons about resilience, authenticity, taking calculated risks, and finding the courage to keep moving forward when life doesn't go according to plan.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How Sidney turned a passion for beauty into a thriving business
• Why she ignored the doubters and trusted her instincts
• The impact her father's passing had on her entrepreneurial journey
• How word-of-mouth and social media fueled her growth
• The reality of managing multiple business locations
• Lessons learned from the pandemic and business setbacks
• The challenges of balancing motherhood, mental health, and entrepreneurship
• Why vulnerability can become a business owner's greatest strength
• The importance of staying authentic and ethical in business
• How to know when it's time to pivot and move forward

Whether you're building a business, overcoming personal challenges, or looking for inspiration to take your next big step, Sidney's story is a reminder that success isn't about avoiding obstacles—it's about continuing to move forward through them.

Find Sidney Le on line: https://sidneyle.com/

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction & Sidney's Entrepreneurial Journey
 01:12 Discovering a Passion for Beauty
 02:22 From MAC Cosmetics to Bridal Beauty
 03:02 Becoming an Eyelash Extension Pioneer
 04:12 Overcoming Doubters and Critics
 06:05 Losing Her Father and Going All In
 06:53 Opening the First Studio
 08:28 Building a Business and a Legacy
 09:42 Growing Through Word-of-Mouth Marketing
 11:45 Leveraging Social Media and Influencer Relationships
 13:30 The Reality of Entrepreneurship
 14:18 COVID-19 and Business Challenges
 15:11 Family Struggles and Finding Strength
 15:47 Buying a Commercial Building During Uncertainty
 17:42 Learning from Business Risks and Setbacks
 19:18 The Importance of Vulnerability
 21:18 Mentorship, Giving Back, and Community
 25:43 Balancing Business, Family, and Mental Health
 30:15 Sidney's Advice for Future Entrepreneurs
 32:45 Go All In or Fold? Beauty Trends Rapid Fire
 34:31 Final Thoughts

Thank you so much for listening. I hope you found this episode valuable. To learn more about Phoong Law, visit: https://phoonglaw.com

To follow Anh on social media: 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/phoonglaw

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/phoonglaw/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/phoong-law/about/?viewAsMember=true

X: https://x.com/phoonglawcorp

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GoAllIn-c1u

Go All In is recorded at Phoong Law Studio and produced by Hear Me Now Studio

What does it take to go from arriving in America with just $20 in your pocket to building one of the most respected McDonald’s ownership legacies in the country?

In this powerful episode Anh sits down with legendary entrepreneur and community leader C.C. Yin to hear the remarkable story behind his journey from war-torn China and Taiwan to owning and transforming some of the toughest McDonald’s locations in California.

C.C. opens up about surviving poverty, losing his engineering career, borrowing money from family and friends, and taking a chance on a McDonald’s nobody else wanted. Rejected at first by the corporation and told he was “totally disqualified,” he ultimately earned the trust of employees, communities, and eventually McDonald’s itself.

But this episode goes far beyond hamburgers and business success. It’s a conversation about resilience, leadership, service, community trust, immigrant ambition, and the belief that helping others is the real key to long-term success.

You’ll also hear how C.C. helped build stronger relationships between McDonald’s and underserved communities, launched APAPA to empower Asian American civic leadership, and created the Yin Ranch and California State Asian Heritage Center as a lasting gift to future generations.

This is an unforgettable story about beating the odds, leading with humility, and building something bigger than yourself.

You can learn more about APAPA by visiting https://www.apapa.org/

00:00 – Surviving Against the Odds
01:00 – Arriving in America With $20
04:20 – Losing His Engineering Career
06:45 – Discovering McDonald’s Ownership
11:00 – Rejected by McDonald’s
14:00 – Earning Trust Through Training
21:00 – Building Success in East Oakland
32:00 – Turning Around Tough Stores
39:00 – Founding APAPA
47:00 – Building the Yin Ranch Legacy
53:00 – Go All In or Fold

Thank you so much for listening. I hope you found this episode valuable. To learn more about Phoong Law, visit: https://phoonglaw.com

To follow Anh on social media: 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/phoonglaw

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/phoonglaw/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/phoong-law/about/?viewAsMember=true

X: https://x.com/phoonglawcorp

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GoAllIn-c1u

Go All In is recorded at Phoong Law Studio and produced by Hear Me Now Studio

In this episode, I sit down with Ruthie Bolton—WNBA All-Star, two-time Olympic gold medalist, author, and one of the most powerful voices on resilience you’ll ever hear.

But this conversation isn’t about basketball.

It’s about what happens when doors close… and you decide to find a window anyway.

Ruthie shares the mindset that carried her from rejection to the Olympic stage—and how that same mindset applies to business, leadership, and life. From paying her own way to tryouts to redefining failure, her story is a masterclass in grit, faith, and going all in.

This is a conversation for anyone who’s ever questioned themselves, faced rejection, or wondered if they’re really built for what they’re chasing.

Because as Ruthie says:
 “When you know your why, you know your way. When you lose your why, you lose your way.”

Most people don’t fail because they aren’t capable.
 They fail because they hesitate.

This episode reframes:

•  Fear as fuel 
•  Rejection as redirection 
•  And adversity as preparation 

Whether you’re building a business, chasing a dream, or navigating a tough season—this is the mindset shift that changes everything.

00:00 – “When You Know Your Why…”
Ruthie opens with the philosophy that defines her life and success.

02:00 – The Power of “Game Time” Energy
Why urgency, intention, and mindset are everything in business and life.

05:00 – The Fence Story (Mental Barriers Explained)
A childhood moment that becomes a lifelong lesson in overcoming fear.

09:00 – Good vs. Elite: What Separates the Best
Why talent isn’t enough—and what it really takes to level up.

12:30 – Rejection, Doubt, and Paying Her Own Way
The defining moment: no invitation, no support… and still showing up.

15:00 – Making the Team Against All Odds
How grit and preparation beat expectations—and changed her trajectory.

18:30 – Turning Pain Into Power
From adversity and personal struggle to purpose and impact.

22:00 – Facing Your Weaknesses Head-On
Why growth only happens when you stop avoiding what you’re bad at.

26:00 – From Athlete to Author & Speaker
How Ruthie discovered her voice and began impacting others.

31:00 – Defining Success (It’s Not What You Think)
Why true success is about impact, not accolades.

34:00 – Advice for Entrepreneurs: Go All In
Practical mindset shifts for anyone building something of their own.

41:00 – Final Message: You Are Built for This
A powerful closing reminder to stop waiting—and start moving.

Thank you so much for listening. I hope you found this episode valuable. To learn more about Phoong Law, visit: https://phoonglaw.com

To follow Anh on social media: 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/phoonglaw

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/phoonglaw/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/phoong-law/about/?viewAsMember=true

X: https://x.com/phoonglawcorp

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GoAllIn-c1u

Go All In is recorded at Phoong Law Studio and produced by Hear Me Now Studio

Before she became one of the most recognizable attorneys in California, Anh Phoong was a 21-year-old sitting in jail wondering how her life had spiraled so far off course.

In this deeply personal first episode of Go All In, Anh shares the story behind the billboards — a journey that begins with her parents fleeing Vietnam to build a new life in America, continues through a period of reckless decisions that landed her behind bars, and ultimately leads to redemption, entrepreneurship, and the creation of Phoong Law.

Anh opens up about the moment that changed everything: a public defender who looked her in the eye and told her she was throwing her life away. That encounter planted the seed that would eventually lead her to law school, a difficult path through the California Bar’s moral character process, and a bold decision to start her own law firm with no clients and no safety net.

What followed was a series of risks — including investing everything she had into a marketing idea that would eventually become the now-famous “Something Wrong? Call Anh Phoong.”

But this story isn’t just about business success. It’s about resilience, accountability, and the belief that rock bottom does not define the rest of your life.

Today, Phoong Law operates across multiple states, and Anh uses her platform not only to advocate for her clients, but to inspire entrepreneurs and underdogs who are still fighting their way forward.

This episode sets the tone for the Go All In podcast — a show dedicated to the real stories behind success, the setbacks no one talks about, and the courage it takes to bet on yourself.

Chapter Highlights

00:00 — Rock Bottom
Anh reflects on spending her 21st birthday in jail and realizing she had taken her life down the wrong path.

02:00 — Immigrant Roots
Growing up in a Vietnamese immigrant family and watching her parents work tirelessly to build a life in America.

05:00 — The Downward Spiral
Poor choices, arrests, and the consequences that forced her to confront her future.

09:00 — A Life-Changing Conversation
A public defender’s tough words spark the idea that Anh could pursue law herself.

12:00 — Fighting for Law School
Failing the LSAT, refusing to give up, and eventually becoming valedictorian at Lincoln Law School.

16:00 — Proving Her Character
Facing the California State Bar’s moral character review and the possibility of being denied.

19:30 — Lawyer… Without a Job
After passing the bar, Anh struggles to find work and begins considering starting her own firm.

21:00 — Betting on Herself
Launching Phoong Law from a spare bedroom with no clients and no roadmap.

24:00 — The Billboard Gamble
Investing everything into the now-famous “Something Wrong? Call Anh Phoong” campaign.

26:00 — Purpose Beyond Success
Why Anh now focuses on giving back and sharing stories that inspire others to go all in.

Thank you so much for listening. I hope you found this episode valuable. To learn more about Phoong Law, visit: https://phoonglaw.com

To follow Anh on social media: 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/phoonglaw

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/phoonglaw/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/phoong-law/about/?viewAsMember=true

X: https://x.com/phoonglawcorp

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GoAllIn-c1u

Go All In is recorded at Phoong Law Studio and produced by Hear Me Now Studio

Go All In: Beating the Odds in Business

In this trailer, I share the story behind Go All In: Beating the Odds in Business and why this podcast matters.

Born in San Jose and growing up in Northern California, building my career from community college to running a successful law firm, I’ve faced the same doubts, obstacles, and moments of being underestimated that many entrepreneurs experience.

This podcast is about the people who choose courage anyway.

Each episode will feature honest conversations with entrepreneurs, women-owned businesses, diverse founders, and underdogs who turned rejection into resilience and risk into opportunity.

If you’ve ever been told your idea won’t work, if you’ve ever felt overlooked, or if you’re ready to bet on yourself — this podcast is for you.

Follow the show and join us each month for stories about grit, courage, and what happens when you decide to go all in.

Thank you so much for listening. I hope you found this episode valuable. To learn more about Phoong Law, visit: https://phoonglaw.com

To follow Anh on social media: 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/phoonglaw

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/phoonglaw/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/phoong-law/about/?viewAsMember=true

X: https://x.com/phoonglawcorp

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GoAllIn-c1u

Go All In is recorded at Phoong Law Studio and produced by Hear Me Now Studio