23:5 Amy Poon, restaurant owner and food entrepreneur

How do you find the courage to keep changing the course of your career and try something new?

 

Viv speaks to Amy Poon, who grew up in her family's famous Poon's restaurant business, and pursued various careers including art dealing and PR, before settling on her current career as a food entrepreneur. Her Chinese food heritage brand, Poon's London, produces award-winning sauces, while her beautiful central London restaurant, Poon's at Somerset House, has won accolades for its elevated Chinese home cooking. Amy's father Bill Poon was the first Chinese chef to be awarded a Michelin star in 1980 and Amy's first job was as the coat check girl in her parents' restaurant whose customers were people like Mick Jagger and Barbra Streisand.

 

Amy tells Viv how growing up in the restaurant world gave her great communication skills; how she's never had a strategic career plan (and that's ok!); and why her 'magic soup' is always on the menu.

 

Poon's London

 

The new edition of How To Own the Room: Women and the Art of Brilliant Speaking is out now, featuring more in-depth analysis of everyone from Michelle Obama to Virginia Woolf — and extra-practical, actionable advice on honing your own speaker style 

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