“We are what we eat, I’d like to start a movement around putting our bodies first” With Kenneth Wu of Milk and Eggs
More often than not, people don’t take their health seriously until it is too late. As a society we are so focused on being reactive to our health rather than proactive. We use medication and drugs to mask over our symptoms and do not put in the work it takes to get to the source. I am so passionate about our health. At the end of the day, without it, we have nothing. That is why I got into food and built Milk & Eggs. If I could start a movement, it would be around health and putting our bodies first. We are what we eat and it is ok to indulge every now and then, but balance it and be intentful about when and how often you indulge.
I had the pleasure to interview Kenneth Wu, the CEO of Milk and Eggs. Their goal is to connect customers to farmers. Customers can order milk, eggs, dairy, meats, vegetables, and fruits directly from local farmers on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. Delivery is FREE. All vegetables, fruits, dairy, eggs, and meats are the freshest available, be locally acquired, and delivered with an environmentally friendly aggregation and delivery system.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
My story is a familiar one and dates to the 2001 dot com bubble burst. I was a new grad and landed my first job with AOL at the time. I was part of the “you got pictures” division which was their play on what is now google photos. Well as we all know, most of AOL did not survive the burst and my new job didn’t last long. In the dismal reality of being unemployed with little chance of getting another tech job, I had to create an opportunity for myself. I saw the traction online retail was gaining and felt it was the new exciting space. I hate to be boring and redundant. So I launched my own online retail in Q4 of 2001. I was fortunate the timing synced with the public adoption of online shopping. I was a beta tester for Google Adwords and learned and grew with them as they developed this product. Fast forward 17 years and I have been living in this online retail space since then. My businesses focus on being manufacturer direct. Previously I focused on sporting goods selling both B2B and B2C. Currently, Milk and Eggs, is our farm direct coupling of food marketplace and logistics. I consider myself fortunate to have found my calling so early on and get to live each day passionate about what I do.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company?
We’ve gotten a fair amount of publicity, especially among individuals who really care about health and proper diet. Being in a city like LA, some of these individuals happened to be celebrities. And because of that we were invited to be one of the back stage vendors for the Oscars. It was quite an experience to be back stage of the Oscars while the stars and staff walked on and off stage. Some of our staff were quite star struck. It was quite a memorable experience.
What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
Every company claims to be customer centric or put the customer first. However many fall short in the execution or treatment of their customers. This is what truly sets us apart. We talk the talk and walk the walk. On the rare occasions that something goes wrong we’re proud and happy to not only issue a full refund, but then to redeliver the item or product that caused issue. So the customer received a refund and a free replacement, in essence we pay the customer to give us feedback. We’ve even had occasions where customer will email us stating, “I just want to let you know, but please don’t send a replacement…” This is important priority for us and everyone on the team knows this is the fundamental core value of our company.
Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?
There is a growing trend of food transparency, consumers wanting to know where your food comes from. We are developing ways with our farmers and food makers to achieve just that. Our hyper local business model means you will know exactly where your head of lettuce came from or where your strawberries grew. We have plans to develop urban farms where shipping containers are placed in urban cities and turned into centralized urban farms. Then you could be eating a cucumber that was farmed just two blocks away!
What advice would you give to other CEOs or founders to help their employees to thrive?
One simple thing, keep it fun! In my companies, I am amazed to watch the depth of friendships forged between coworkers, whom were once strangers. This builds an unspoken level of respect, comradery and collaboration that cannot be forced. Allow an environment that fosters opportunity for these relationships to thrive. We dedicate so much of ourselves to our work, sometimes more than we do to our families. We must love what we do and love to spend time with the people we do it with. When you keep things fun and light hearted, you will see productivity thrive and moral grow and the positivity is infectious.
What advice would you give to other CEOs about the best way to manage a large team?
Delegate clearly and trust. People come in with the desire to do well and achieve more. Allow them the space and respect to accomplish this. But the burden on the CEO is to make sure his delegation is clear!
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
We are all a sum of our friends, family, mentors, peers, etc and no single person could ever take credit for all of one’s success. I have received priceless advice, encouragement, and guidance from many in my life. But one particular instance and person that comes to mind is my step-father. There was a point in my business where I was bombarded with challenge after challenge and it made me question not only the business, but whether this was really what I should be doing. His response to me was both fact of matter and motivating and quite simple. “Of course it is hard. If it was easy, everyone would be self-employed and own their own business. Your model is good and of course it can succeed. You just have to do it and work through the problems” This was 15 years ago and I still use this in those times of self-doubt.
How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?
I am often asked why I continue to be an entrepreneur and the answer is very simple. I believe we as humans have a responsibility to live our life to the fullest with the most net positive impact to our society. Everyone has different strengths and abilities. Mine happens to be in running a business and I am pretty good at it. The jobs I am able to create and the work environment I foster allow members of my community to thrive, learn, grow, reach their potential all the while earning an income. This is one way I contribute back to both personnel and my community. One of our core values as a company is personal growth, so we invest and spend a fair amount on developing the individuals of our team. On the personal side, my wife and I donate to many schools and other organizations in the education space. We’ve helped endowments for libraries and science centers. I am on the board of a few non-profit organizations focused on education, early development, and community improvement.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Became CEO” and why. (Please share a story or example for each.)
1. Be ready for the toughest thing you’re going to do in your life. With every business I’ve had, there always comes a point where I question what I got myself into. Be ready for many of these self-doubt moments and have the fortitude to push through them.
2. Don’t confuse motion with progress. We all can be busy and have our days packed full, but do we fill it with actions that move us forward or just move us in place. Be able to tell the difference.
3. Focus — stay on target and know what direction to move in. Knowing when to say no is just as important as knowing when to say yes.
4. Have people in your life to give perspective and keep you grounded — It is easy to lose sight of the bigger picture when you are in your own world and only seeing what you choose to see. It’s good to come out for air and gain perspective on what else is happening around the world.
5. Slow & Steady — incrementalism — power of the turtle. Rome wasn’t built in a day. But you do need to build everyday if you plan on building Rome.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
More often than not, people don’t take their health seriously until it is too late. As a society we are so focused on being reactive to our health rather than proactive. We use medication and drugs to mask over our symptoms and do not put in the work it takes to get to the source. I am so passionate about our health. At the end of the day, without it, we have nothing. That is why I got into food and built Milk & Eggs. If I could start a movement, it would be around health and putting our bodies first. We are what we eat and it is ok to indulge every now and then, but balance it and be intentful about when and how often you indulge.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Our natural tendency is to always blame the road” when things in life get bumpy or when we’re off course. Another way to put it, “The moment you accept responsibility for everything in your life, is the moment you gain the power to change anything in your life.”
Some of the biggest names in Business and VC funding read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them 🙂
For the majority of my adult life, I have idolized and admired Bill Gates. For me, he is the epitome of an inspirational figure. I am in awe at the level of positive impact he has made in this one lifetime. Building out the entire PC / OS industry, the focus and determination he has demonstrated through that process has been unmatched by anyone. Moreover, after he felt he did enough in his professional career, he then turned to 100% philanthropy. The Bill and Melinda Gates foundation contributes to efforts in education, public health, and helping those less fortunate. If I can contribute even 1/100th of what he has done, I would consider myself accomplished. If ever I had an opportunity to have lunch with him, it may be very quiet as I would be so star struck and speechless.
My grandfather is another idol and a man whom I have great respect. In fact I attribute my drive and business acumen to him. He grew up during a war torn era, having lived through both World Wars and regional wars. Despite that, he and his brother built an empire in Asia that included 2 dozen companies that, in total, was considered the top 10 conglomerates in Asia. He has 3 fundamental precepts in life: morals, family, and health. I try to live by those and like him try to focus my efforts on areas where one or more of these precepts are addressed simultaneously. He unfortunately passed away 20 years ago. As improbable as it is, I truly would relish the opportunity, now as an adult, to share a meal with him and chat. He has a wisdom about him that is ageless.
There are many role models in life, but the goal is always to just improve our circumstances for us as humans on this earth.
How can our readers follow you on social media?
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kentwu/
https://www.facebook.com/milkandeggscom
https://twitter.com/milkandeggscom
https://www.instagram.com/milkandeggscom/
https://www.youtube.com/c/milkandeggscom
Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational.
Kenneth is an expert entrepreneur with a demonstrated history of excelling in e-commerce & logistics. Featured in Internet Retailers Top 500 Largest E-commerces, Inc 500 for 7 years, Hot 500, and Entrepreneur’s 30 Under 30.
Please provide a three-sentence bio, written in third person.
Kenneth is an experienced Entrepreneur with a demonstrated history of excelling in e-commerce & logistics. He is continually at the forefront of online retail and commerce, commonly an early adopter of leading edge technologies and systems. Featured in Internet Retailers Top 500 Largest E-commerces, Inc 500 for 7 years, Hot 500, and Entrepreneur’s 30 Under 30.