Today we’d like to introduce you to Cheryl Chin.
Hi Cheryl, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I began as a 16 years old rebellious teenage factory worker adamant to pay off a $13K debt to my Stepfather. As soon as I paid that off, I left home at 17. I started my first business at 19 years old while working two full-time jobs and full-time college. It wasn’t until I took a theatre class in college that I was reminded of my childhood dream of becoming an actress. So at 21, I left my management job at HEB (grocery store) to pursue my very first dream. A year later, I won Star Search Singapore and went on to shoot 11 television series and four films. In 2003 and 2004, I was named FHM’s 100 Sexiest Woman in the World and thought this was probably a good time to exit. So I came back to US and began pursuing my next item on the bucket list: a restaurant. With $300 left in my pocket and an infant in my arms, I raised $28K from crowdfunding, bought a rusted food trailer and within three years, we had won 11 awards, had over 50,000 customers and large corporate accounts such as Visa, Charles Schwab, Retail Me Not, etc. When Covid hit, my business that was entirely dependent on corporate accounts had to shut down. It became clear that it was time to pursue my next item on the bucket list: to make a meaningful impact in the world, and this meaningful impact became Tàstès. I have two more on the list which I haven’t gotten to yet.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I had a very difficult childhood, teenagehood and early adulthood. It was these lessons that shaped me into who I am today. The most challenging business has been my food business. It is an industry that demands absolute perfection from humans who are far from perfect. Tàstès is a cakewalk compared to DFG Noodles. It is clear to me how much people want Tàstès and how timely it truly is. We have met with almost no obstacles except finding the right Investors. It takes the right kind, ones that are aligned with our mission and see the potential behind taking hyper local global.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Tastes Market, Inc.?
Tastes is a globally scalable, hyper local grocer where 100% of what a customer spends goes right back to the food vendor in order to financially empower them to reverse the damages we have inflicted on our food and soil. The increased margins also enable them to pass on savings in the form of source direct pricing to consumers who can then get high-quality, passionately produced products for less.
We have also taken the food revolution further by democratizing product selection. For the first time, consumers will be the ones to decide the products that go on the shelves instead of corporations with the bottom line in mind.
Check out this article that gives a great overview of our concept: https://austin.culturemap.com/news/restaurants-bars/10-22-21-tastes-grocery-store-south-congress-automated-democratized-model/#slide=0
We are most proud of figuring out how to impact our nutritional value in food and soil at ground level, taking a pro-active approach vs. a reactive approach. If we can successfully replicate this globally, the impact could be monumental.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I began as a sweatshop factory worker at the age of 16, started my own business at 19 while having two full-time jobs and full going to college full time, won Star Search at 21, named FHM 100 Sexiest Women in the World at 23 & 24 years old. Then retired from acting and continued to build several other businesses since as a single mom.
I have five things on my life’s bucket list:
1. Become an Actor (accomplished).
2. Open a restaurant (accomplished).
3. Have a meaningful impact on the world (current goal with Tastes).
4. Create a chain of boutique hotels (beginning to work on).
5. Finish writing a novel.
Contact Info:
- Email: cheryl@tastesmarket.com
- Website: www.tastesmarket.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tastesmarket/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tastesmarket
Image Credits
Renderings of store: Variant Cell phone pic: Wes Shephard Headshot: Tastes Market, Inc.
