A Lesson In Entrepreneurship With Lilian Umurungi-Jung
Photo Courtesy of MUMGRY
The past year has left many re-evaluating their passions and purpose while at a career crossroads. Vancouver’s own Lilian Umurungi-Jung, owner of nut butter brand MUMGRY, knows this career quandary well. After finding herself unexpectedly out-of-work in 2018, Lilian decided to pursue her entrepreneurial dreams after seeing a gap for nourishing and healthy snack options. We had the pleasure of chatting with Lilian all about the takeaways from her experience working in hotels, the power of community and how to balance it all as a working mom.
Being that we celebrated in style, International Women’s Day last month, what do you want the women of WORTH to know?
Thank you for celebrating women all year round! Not only on Wednesdays (#WCW) and for the month of March. You continue to demonstrate that standing next to one another is how we cover more ground and overcome more obstacles.
What skills do you find from your past life in the hotel world that have assisted in supporting your current journey?
All of my previous jobs shaped me and prepared me in becoming an entrepreneur. I treated my bosses like mentors and asked them more questions than they probably wanted to hear. Take moments from each experience and learn from them. Attention to detail in assisting with the guest experience helped me cultivate and foster that environment within my brand and when working with partners. That anticipatory customer service in always providing a solution instead of a no and the number of emails connecting with guests has built an incredible wealth of verbiage and form of communication I still utilize to this day!
What has been one thing that has surprised you most about being an entrepreneur?
The overwhelming support of the community. Sometimes it could feel like a risky time to be an entrepreneur so when I see people writing that they can’t live without MUMGRY it confirms that we should keep going and work harder than ever to bring MUMGRY to new spaces.
How do you suggest working mothers balance it ‘all’? Do you have any tips or tricks that give you superpower wings?
Find the work-life balance that suits YOU; and don’t be so hard on yourself. Schedule time for work, play and relaxation. Our calendars are intended for everything, not just meetings. Have a weekend! The trick to superpower wings is setting micro goals daily and achieving them.
Any final advice for someone looking to make the switch into a self-leadership role?
For anyone wanting to transition into more of a self-leadership role, do the research and be prepared for the surprises; it’ll be your greatest and most challenging adventure.
About Lilian Umurungi-Jung
Lilian Umurungi-Jung is the owner and founder of MUMGRY. MUMGRY connects with their community on several levels through their MUMGRY Podcast, MUMGRY Shop Tour in partnership with Visa, MUMGRY Happiness Series with Harvard lecturer Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar, and fun collaborations with brands and restaurants around the world. You can also find their delicious nut butter on Instagram.