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josh

@joshjkim

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sometimes “joshy”
@softiesburger

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@joshjkim is back on the pod! this time around we discuss growth in its less obvious forms. we talk about why the only things we can truly control are our actions and our reactions, and how there is a freedom to letting go of everything else. we unpack one of the harder lessons: that sometimes growth isn’t about pushing harder, but about recognizing when your drive starts to hurt yourself and those you love - and having the maturity and awareness to take a step back.

josh is one of the most wise, humble, emotionally intelligent people i know and leads live with so much thoughtfulness and integrity. he can’t take a compliment to save his life, but he is someone i have and always will admire and respect.

new episode out now on spotify/youtube!

#sonder #podcast #sisyphus by @joshjkim

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3 months ago

If you are too precious to clean the floors how will you ever reach your ceiling?

Ha ha dramatic !! by @joshjkim

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4 months ago

You know, if we’re honest, we weren’t supposed to have a restaurant, let alone be a week out from @coachella (we’re calling it Softchella from here on out…)

But here we are, still getting through service somehow everyday, making our lives harder than need be, taking the long route every damn time, trying to lift obstacles rather than maneuver around them. It’s probably not the right way, but it’s our way, and it has always been.

We’re struck by how similar Softchella prep feels to our first pop-up ever in 2022 - so much to organize and not enough memory in our brains. The scale is much larger, sure, but it’s the same grit and grind we had back then that is gonna get us through these next two weeks. There is some solace there in the midst of the stress; time and again we realize that being humble and hungry is all we know and need to grow.

This merch tee by @workive means a lot to us because it’s a bridge from where we started to where we’re headed… what we were, to what we are becoming. We’re so much better now, more refined… but still… just… softies taken in Los Angeles, California by @joshjkim

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6 months ago

Somewhere between grateful for and resentful of this life. It was my choice, of course, but rooted in much pain and confusion. I wonder if I’ve squeezed too much juice out of a bitter fruit. But hey, look at everything that’s come out of it. Bittersweet is still sweet in the end.

Leaning towards grateful by @joshjkim

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6 months ago

Happy birthday @gnoh_mas … I feel privileged that I know you in ways most people don’t so here’s my attempt at pulling the curtain back:

This life we live is as wonderful and fulfilling as it is thankless and lonely. I cannot imagine doing it alone, and now I can’t imagine having any other partner aside from Sam.

He is the one person in the world who understands exactly what I am feeling day to day, and he always approaches me and the team with quiet grace. We don’t talk much during service, but that’s because we don’t have to. He knows what I’m thinking, when to give me space, when to tell me I’m not pulling my weight (this is quite often). To the team, he is our anchor, the calm counterpart to my unhinged chaotic self. Maybe they see me as the fun uncle, but they don’t realize that our business only lives because of Sam’s presence behind it all. And then, after the tornado that every day in our restaurant is, he shows up for Joyce and Myles and Evan. I will never understand how he does it all but I will always use his example for the rest of my life.

You saved my life, Sam. Softies forever by @joshjkim

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8 months ago

Running a Restaurant. Episode 6.2, “Grow Wisely, Not Quickly” with @chefroychoi - produced by @goodobject.co

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Roy reminds Softies that growth does not always mean more restaurants, more money, more staff… that growth for us might mean to stay put, become excellent where we are, and make sure our team is built up before expanding.

@kogibbq *only* has four trucks… but their team is happy, they keep their prices down, and they serve their community fiercely. In a world where external success is king, can we be content internally, even if that doesn’t look like growth to others? taken in Los Angeles, California by @joshjkim

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8 months ago

Running a Restaurant. Episode 6.1, “People Over Profits” with @chefroychoi - produced by @goodobject.co

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A timely message from Roy about what a P&L (profit & loss statement) should include outside of money - culture, emotional / mental health, and of course your guests. What we’ve come to understand is that @kogibbq was countercultural in more ways than just changing the pop up game.

This is a clip we’ve listened back to far too much, yet not nearly enough. Hope you feel encouraged to do the same in any aspect of your life taken in Los Angeles, California by @joshjkim

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8 months ago

Running a Restaurant. Episode Five, “Family Matters” - produced by @goodobject.co

This holiday season we pay tribute to our team, new faces that are permanently imprinted in our hearts and this business. We see them more than we see our friends and family, and that’s okay; in fact, it’s necessary.

Our philosophy isn’t novel but it’s time tested - team first, guests second. This creates a community that can then genuinely serve its community.

Thank you to our Softies crew

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Song by The Carpenters, “Won’t Last a Day Without You” taken in Los Angeles, California by @joshjkim

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10 months ago

Running a Restaurant. Episode Four, “Dream On!” - produced by @goodobject.co

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Just some things we ask ourselves every now and then, when we’re on the line, in bed, at the dish pit.

What does it mean to live the dream?

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Song by Mac Demarco, “No Other Heart” taken in Los Angeles, California by @joshjkim

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10 months ago

Running a Restaurant. Episode Three, “Money Pt. 3” - produced by @goodobject.co

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We’re not shy to tell you everything. Our intent is not to boast or act like we know it all - it’s to be transparent about our experience so far as rookies in this industry.

Top-line revenue is important but is only a minuscule portion of the larger picture; we are learning to negotiate pricing on everything, trim the fat on unnecessary spending, and strategically invest in beer/wine or bottling sauces or whatever can generate more revenue with the same or less labor.

We aren’t ignorant of how lucky we’ve been, and we’re equally aware that our luck can easily run out. All our respect to every restaurant who has done this for years, in a city/industry that feels like a daily uphill battle.

We can’t control our sales numbers, but we can control our commitment and effort every single day. We’re not here to be good; we want to be great, so that’s what we’ll keep striving towards.

Special thanks to those who love raining on other peoples’ dreams online…… keep it coming

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Song by Bad Bunny, “NUEVAYoL” taken in Los Angeles, California by @joshjkim

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a year ago

Running a Restaurant. Episode Two, “Growing / Pains” - produced by @goodobject.co

Hard to answer truthfully when someone asks how we’re doing. You see the space and the sales, we see the faults and failures.

Are we doing well? Are we doing enough? Has passion turned into obligation?

Not sure… ask us next week

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Song by Loaded Honey, “Loaded Honey” taken in Los Angeles, California by @joshjkim

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a year ago

Daily decisions and daily discipline-

To lead from behind or in front or somewhere in the middle; to kill our own body just so the other can get some rest; to set a foundation so that the next up can build it better; to replace our initial motivations with the newfound joy of motivating a team bigger than ourselves; to dwell on mistakes just long enough to not make them again; to replace regret with redemption; to lose sleep because that will keep the dream alive; to find our voice so that we can amplify that of those who aren’t as stupid lucky as we have been; to be proud of our hard work but not be too prideful (there is a profound difference);

sometimes we’re great sometimes we’re horrible but we still show up the next day don’t we? @gnoh_mas by @joshjkim

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a year ago