She's Empowered Spotlight: Grace Cheng, founder & CEO of Mylk Labs
"BE PASSIONATE ABOUT WHAT YOU DO! #1 thing I always tell people. What my dad taught me was: don't slave your life away working for a goal that you'll reach 10, 20, 40 years down the line. Enjoy the entire journey, day by day, so when you're old and look back, you'll be grateful you've lived a damn good life with no regrets."
Meet Grace Cheng, founder & CEO of Mylk Labs! We have always been a huge fan of Grace and her company, and we are so excited to be partnering with her on a current collaboration. From 10/25 to 10/26, you will receive 1 free Snickerdoodle nut butter pouch for every 2 oatmeal cups! Check it out here.
Tell us a little about you!
Hi! My name is Grace and I'm the founder & CEO of Mylk Labs. I'm a 26 year old Taiwanese-American foodie, entrepreneur, and fashion model. It's always been my dream to start my own company and I cannot be more grateful to have the opportunity to share my love for food with everyone.
Tell us (in brief) about your professional journey and how you came to found Mylk Labs.
The dream was always to start my own business-- something that I was passionate about and could be proud to share. Somehow, that was oatmeal, ha! From business school at USC to traveling the world for modeling, oatmeal has been go-to for breakfast over the past 7 years. In 2017, I left for a long and tiring fashion week from NY to London, then Milan to Paris. I came home and realized my homemade daily oatmeal was the one thing I missed/craved throughout the entire trip. Thus, I began planning and Mylk Labs was born!
Do you have any advice for someone who is interested in starting a business/blog?
BE PASSIONATE ABOUT WHAT YOU DO! #1 thing I always tell people. What my dad taught me was: don't slave your life away working for a goal that you'll reach 10, 20, 40 years down the line. Enjoy the entire journey, day by day, so when you're old and look back, you'll be grateful you've lived a damn good life with no regrets.
How do you stay motivated?
Lots of checklists and just taking it day by day! It's so easy to get overwhelmed with all the things I have to do. Trust me, I'm one to get overwhelmed easily. I take all my scratch paper and use them to make lists. These could be (bi)weekly lists or even daily lists. In a sense, it allows me to stay accountable but also get everything done that needs to be done.
What are your favorite ways to #spreadgood in your community?
Give back <3 I wouldn't be where I am today without the help/advice from others in the industry. The positions of these people vary from CEOs to founders to marketing directors-- you name it! I'm ever so grateful for all the connections and am always willing to do the same for the new generation of entrepreneurs. My mantra is... if I can help someone and it does me no harm, I'll absolutely do it.
Who is one person who inspires you and why?
My dad! He has been the #1 most supportive person throughout my journey. He started his wholesale clothing manufacturing business 33 years ago and often gives me business advice for Mylk Labs. I wouldn't be where I am today without him. My favorite way to spend quality time with him is to take a long walk together while sharing success/horror stories from our businesses.
How do you work to stay centered and practice self-care in your busy day-to-day reality?
I'll be honest, I had no balance when I first started Mylk Labs. I've always worked two jobs (modeling + Mylk Labs) so my schedule has been quite hectic. Staying active was always really important to me but I stopped working out the first year of launching my company. Work took over but now I realized how important it is to have a balance between personal and work life. While people often throw out the saying "work hard, play hard"... it's absolutely something people should live by!! Always work hard, but make sure to take time for yourself to relax, hang out with friends and stay active.
What do you like to do for fun, when you aren't working?
I love doing exhilarating adventurous things! Hiking, mini impromptu trips, jet skiing, etc. I'm making it my goal to do all the things I want to when I'm young.
