FROM DOUBT TO DRIVE - Entrepreneurs Only

"You won’t die quickly" - Andreas J. Young & Sebastian Sung Chu Lechle, Mmaah Korean BBQ

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Episode notes

From Doubt to Drive - Entrepreneurs Only. This week with Andreas J. Young and Sebastian Sung Chu Lechle from Mmaah, Korean BBQ. For the first time, we have two guests—and they’re brothers!

Having grown up between Germany and Korea, they opened their first restaurant in 2013, combining fast food with a healthy twist inspired by Korean street food. Mmaah now operates 10 locations: 8 in Berlin and 2 in Munich. With over 120 employees, they’ve reached €9 million in total sales, with 50% of sales coming from delivery.

We discuss decision-making as brothers and the importance of mutual respect and a clear process for resolving differences. They share how they balance family life with business, realizing their dream together, and reconnecting at night after their kids are asleep. They also talk about breaking free from their parents' expectations of a traditional career—so much so that their mother initially stopped speaking to them. We learn how they simplified their Korean menu to reduce complexity while preserving authentic flavors, adapting it to a European fast-food style.

They also reveal their biggest challenges, how they reignite their drive, and how they started with only €10,000 and no industry knowledge. We learn more about the "Zombie Invasion" and the harsh realities they faced while needing to be profitable from day one.

Our main learnings from this conversation are:

Invest time in building systems and structures right from the beginning.
Target the mass market and reduce complexity.
Don’t try to educate your clients; offer approachable, friendly food.
If you love it, others likely will too.
fight your impatience.
You won’t die easily—push your boundaries
Define what you would never sacrifice for the business.
Establish a family-style culture.
Don’t make empty promises.
Think big, but take action to make it happen.
Be prepared for when messy reality hits.
Giving up is not an option.
Focus on cash flow if you want to stay independent.
Don’t give up too quickly.

In the podcast we talk about the 40% rule: When your mind is telling you that you’re done, that you’re exhausted, that you cannot possibly go any further, you’re only actually 40% done.

The human mind is an amazing thing. It both propels us forward and holds us back. The 40% rule reminds us that no matter how exhausted we might feel, it is always possible to draw on an untapped reserve of energy, motivation, and drive that we all possess. Learn more: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1455534684/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_ep_dp_UIR1zb2ZTCFHG

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Recorded on 24th September 2024 via Zoom in Berlin, (Mmaah) – Kandy, Sri Lanka (Mario C. Bauer) – Hamburg, Deutschland (Florian Schneider).