Vault Episode 4: Cameron & Ying Nance - Part 2

What happens when a Thai influencer and a suit entrepreneur fall in love across continents? Cam and Ying Nance's remarkable journey proves that sometimes life's sweetest opportunities arise from unexpected circumstances.

Their story begins in Thailand, where Cam was expanding his custom suit business and Ying was working as an influencer from a privileged background. Despite cultural differences and a 12-hour time difference, their connection grew through persistent FaceTime calls and visits. The relationship reached a crossroads when they had to decide who would relocate - a decision that would dramatically alter one of their lives forever.

When COVID-19 struck, Ying found herself stranded in Utah, unable to return to Thailand. During quarantine, a disappointing $4 donut delivery sparked an idea. "I think I could do better," she told Cam's mother, and Chubby Baker was born. Starting from a home kitchen with no baking experience, Ying created unique coconut-infused donuts that quickly gained a following through her savvy influencer marketing approach.

Meanwhile, Cam continued expanding his Bespoke suit business across multiple cities. Together, they navigated marriage, pregnancy, and building successful businesses while creating a life in Utah. Their parallel entrepreneurial journeys demonstrate how complementary skills and mutual support can lead to remarkable success, even when neither could have predicted their current path.

Now expecting their second child while opening their third donut shop, they reflect on finding balance between ambitious business goals and family priorities. Their story isn't just about donuts and suits - it's about taking risks, adapting to the unexpected, and building something meaningful together, no matter how improbable the beginning might seem.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
What is up everybody and welcome back to another
episode of the Small Lake CityPodcast.
I'm your host, eric Nielsen,and this is episode four of the
Vault series where we revisitsome of the early episodes.
So whether this is your firsttime listening or your second
time through, still greatstories to listen to.
So this is part two of thestory of Cameron and Ying Nance.
So if you haven't listened topart one, make sure to go back

(00:21):
and listen to that first.
But in case you're all caughtup and listen to part one, then
this is part two where thingsstart to get a lot more
interesting and pick up fromthere and how they end up and
live in Salt Lake.
So let's jump back into it andhope you enjoy part two and like
at this point in life you'relike, okay, like family's,
pretty successful, I can do allthese fun things without too

(00:43):
much work.
I'll probably marry someonefamous from Thailand and just
kind of continue.
This Is that kind of what youexpected at that point.

Speaker 2 (00:49):
Yeah, like I would probably marry someone from a
good family in Thailand and likethings would be okay, like you
don't have to worry about money,even though I know that my
dad's company is kind of likestruggling at that point.
But I always thought he willfigure it out.
He's smart, he'll figure it out.

Speaker 3 (01:07):
Yeah, no problem and he works up and he still works
like crazy yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:11):
He's 70 right now and he still, like, tries to find
things to do.
Yeah, so I started dating Cam.
What?

Speaker 1 (01:20):
year is this when you'd say that you guys are like
dating?

Speaker 2 (01:22):
Well 2018.

Speaker 1 (01:24):
So let's back up a little bit.
So Cam comes back from Thailandbecause the show isn't working
because of that, and then Camstarts to work on the business
itself, yeah, so the money I hadleft.

Speaker 3 (01:34):
I had that five grand right Right I had moved in with
I was.
I got home.
Huh.

Speaker 2 (01:40):
Where's the baby?

Speaker 3 (01:41):
With my mom.

Speaker 1 (01:42):
Okay, she's in the bath by herself, just fine,
they're up in the toy room Ithought he locked her up
somewhere.

Speaker 2 (01:47):
I was just like what?

Speaker 3 (01:51):
so, um, I had this 5 000 bucks.
Um, I got back like december oflike I can't remember what year
2016, 2017, something like thatand um, I was like, I don't
have anywhere to live becauseBrandon was at my mom's house.
So I talked to Helene.

(02:11):
She was dating a guy who's nowmy brother-in-law and he's like
and he lived downtown and he'slike, dude, come crash on my
couch for free.
So I was like, okay, you know,yes, yes, I will, you know.
And then so I just did that andI signed up for Lyft.
That's another thing I did,which you, what you were a big

(02:33):
part of.
You did Lyft first.
You know it's easy to you'remaking all this money and I'm
like, well, I'll do that.
So I had done Lyft, like on theside.
Now I was like I need torevitalize my business, which
has, in my absence, has startedto die a little bit, and in

(02:54):
order to revitalize a business,you've got to inject money into
it.
So I took all the money I hadand dropped it into Google
AdWords.
All of it 5,000 bucks.
Just this is what it's for.
I'm going all in.
If this doesn't work, I'll goback to school and in order to
keep the keep my life going andpart of that money was to keep,

(03:14):
uh, my employees, michael andColby at the time.
Colby still works for me, um,actually Michael does too.
He's our developer.
But, um, keep those guys paidand then my income will come
from Lyft driving.
And every morning, from like 5amto like nine, lyft drive, then

(03:36):
I go to the gym at city Creekshower, I get into the store
noon, noon, and then you had thefirst storefront.
At this point, well, sorry, letme back up.
I put it in and the highinjection of money, like we just
started like selling it up, andI'm like let's get a store
Right.
So then I got a store and thisis the one on like nine South,
yep, okay, yeah, that thatsecond floor place.

(03:57):
And I was like, oh, cool, likewow, we had a $25,000 a month.
That's insane.
Like we, we, this could do,this could be something right.
So, um, yeah, so I, I Lyftdrove until I moved to New York
to pay myself because I was tooafraid to take money out of the
car.

Speaker 1 (04:15):
And when was this?
When you went to New York 2018.
2018.
So you guys had just likestarted, I just started dating,
dating, yeah.

Speaker 2 (04:22):
Wait so-.

Speaker 1 (04:23):
No, no, no, no not yet he moved to New York in 2018
.
I haven't spoken, I'll send aSnapchat of me at the JCC
flexing or something so you guysare keeping in touch, but it's
nothing like texting all thetime, FaceTiming, that sort of
stuff.

Speaker 2 (04:35):
And so he was moving to New York.
He got into a car crash.

Speaker 1 (04:40):
Yes, I forgot about that, actually, yes, I forgot
about that.
So let me actually I want to goback on this from my
perspective.
So so Cam at this point is likeI'm moving to New York.
Our good friend Tanner isliving there already and he's
going to go move in with him.
And Cam comes to us and is likeyeah, so I'm going to drive my
car out there.
So I have a car out there, andI think every single person's
like Cam that's a bad idea,having a keep Lyft driving there

(05:03):
.

Speaker 3 (05:03):
Yeah, you know, because when I flew there to
check it out, I talked to theLyft driver and I was like yo,
I'm thinking about doing thishere, how much money do you make
?
He's like I make $120,000 ayear Lyft driving and I was like
that'll do.
Yeah, you know so.
But yeah, everyone's Scott, I'mnot trying to throw him under

(05:23):
the bus, but they had like no,like close to interventions with
me, like dude, go finish yourdegree, like this suit thing
might fail.
And I was like I don't know.
I gotta give it a shot, I gottalike keep trying.
So, um, yeah, when I was livingon my future brother-in-law's
couch, Tanner accepted the jobin New York, moved.
And then I moved back in withScott, yes.

(05:45):
And then, working there, I hitup Tanner like hey, this store
is running on its own.
I want to move back to New York.
Can I live with you?
And he's like this much money amonth you can come.
And I was like I'm going.
And then while I was drivingthere, I fell asleep at the

(06:10):
wheel and ran, hit a semi truckand I walked away from the car,
was completely thank god, you'reokay, but I should have been
dead.

Speaker 2 (06:13):
Yeah, and I posted it on facebook, facebook,
instagram, something like thatand I saw it and I was like, oh
my gosh.
So I like I, I texted you youlined me yeah yeah, I texted you
and I was like, are you okay?
And he's like, yeah,everything's good.
So we started talking and I toldhim so almost thank god he got
in the car crash because thatwas her thing like yeah so many
things happened like and like Iremember so for everybody out
there, if gym selfies onsnapchat don't work, just go get

(06:35):
in a car crash, and that's howyou get attention yeah, well, so
that happened and I told himthat I'm coming to America for
some things and I'll be in NewYork for a little bit, and so he
was like, okay, you need to hitme up when you're here.
And so I was like, okay, yeah.

Speaker 3 (06:53):
And then after the car crash I was like I had all
my stuff from my car, I was inLaramie, wyoming, and it was go
home or continue forward.
So I took a carload of stuffloaded onto a bus down to Denver
airport, went to USPS, shippedit all to Tanner, got on a plane
, flew to flew to New York.

Speaker 2 (07:15):
It was also that decision Cause I mean I don't
know where Utah is.
I mean, even though I go toAmerican school but like, and I
counted all the states but Utahwas never in my sign.
When he told me Utah, I had toGoogle and be like where the
hell is Utah?
Yeah, Fair.
And so if he didn't decide to goto New York, I would have never

(07:38):
seen him.
Mm-hmm, yeah, so he waspressing me, like once it's
closer to the date that I wasgoing to be there, he's like
when are you going to arrive?

Speaker 3 (07:49):
Like, like we need to meet up and again instead of
Lyft driving to fund theexpansion of Bespoke into New
York.
I took a job at a hotel.
I didn't know about the hotelyeah, nomo Soho and actually

(08:12):
turned into really good becauseI met a lot of like really
wealthy people that turned intomy clients and still buy from me
to this day.
So I was doing that and then Iwould just like any day I wasn't
working at the hotel, which waslike three days a week, 12 hour
days I would go to New York.
I'd choose a building, I'd walkin, I'd lie to the doorman

(08:34):
saying I had a.
I'd look up a name of a lawyerin a law firm that has an
appointment with this guy andlook it up, and then he'd put me
in the elevator.
Put me in the elevator and I'dride the elevator all day
walking into offices telling himwhat I do.
I'm here to see this guy and Istarted getting clients the
hustle, the hustle and so a lotof these guys are clients of
mine to this day.

(08:55):
You know what I mean.
Like I've got an executive atWells Fargo that only buy shirts
from me, but it'll hit me upand be like I need 50 shirts.
I'm like okay, any colorsuggestions Nope, like okay,
dealer's choice, same card withthe same Amex.
Yep, all right, good talking toyou, like little things like
that.
So, anyway, that was my life.
And then she was coming intotown.

(09:16):
I'm like, okay, this is it, I'mgoing to make it happen with
this girl, finally.
So we planned to meet at GrandCentral Station.
Yeah, down in the basementwhere all the food is and stuff.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I get there.
She's with a friend.

Speaker 2 (09:34):
I mean, it's my friend that I always see when I
go to New York, which we stillsee, which we still see every
time we go, yeah.
And it was.
I was so tired because I justgot there that day from Vegas
from partying tonight, and Ijust started feeling a little
bit sick.
So I was like, okay, I justdon't want this to be too long,

(09:55):
I just want to go to bed.

Speaker 1 (09:56):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (09:57):
And I was having ice cream with my friend, and so he
got there late like an hour anda half.

Speaker 1 (10:06):
The audacity.

Speaker 2 (10:06):
I was waiting, anyway , so I lived in Harlem.
Yeah, but he got there.
And so my friend was leavingbecause she needs to go back to
New Jersey and I went to thehotel, went back to the hotel
with him, went up to Chelsea,the hotel, went back to the

(10:29):
hotel with him, went up herchair and my other friend who
was with me in vegas said shewas feeling sad and wanted to
come too.
And I was like how am I?

Speaker 3 (10:34):
gonna say no, yeah it wasn't like so I think, okay,
her friend's finally leaving.
I get one-on-one time with yingfor the first time ever and she
comes down from her hotel roomwith a different friend and this
time, dude, I was out.
I was like I'm done, yeah, I'mnever trying again.

Speaker 1 (10:52):
Like message received .

Speaker 3 (10:54):
Yeah, got it, but he was still pretty nice.
He took us out to like a Stillgonna be a good host.

Speaker 2 (11:01):
Pub like a bar.
Yeah, a restaurant bar stillgonna be a good host, like a
like a bar yeah, a restaurantbar, and you two just talked
about someone that you werecomplaining about.

Speaker 3 (11:10):
Yeah, I was upset with someone and so we were just
kind of like drinking andsomehow we went to another bar
that cam thinks well, the thingwas like hey, you know, and
she's like we'll go, like I wasready to go home and her friend
and her, well, we can go to onemore place.

Speaker 2 (11:25):
Yeah and Cam.

Speaker 3 (11:26):
And I'm like, okay, well, I'm gonna throw a Hail
Mary.
There's this speakeasy in in inManhattan called employees.
Only to this day I'm batting ahundred there.
I'd never gone there, it ain'tbroke.
Yeah, exactly, I'd never gonethere without clothes, like
going home with someone there.
So I'm like, all right, I'lltake her to this speakeasy and

(11:49):
then we're there and he wasn'tmaking a move or anything, and
like but you started dancingwith me yeah, and so I was like
I want to move, literally movewait so wait.

Speaker 2 (11:59):
So also, when you're with a friend you can't really
like, with this last friend thatI took out with me.
It wasn't my intention, so Iwasn't in the wrong right and so
I was like I told her before Imade a move.
I told her that I'm I'mplanning to go home with cam, so
I didn't know this, I was sojust like I want to go home,

(12:23):
yeah I was like, will you beokay, because she seems pretty
drunk.

Speaker 1 (12:27):
And this is your friend from Thailand, right?
No, she's from, she's Thai, butshe lives in.
Okay, so this is the one thatlives in New York.
No, lives in Denver.

Speaker 3 (12:35):
She partied with him in New York, vegas, and then
went to New York.

Speaker 1 (12:39):
So it's not like being in America, and trying to
navigate public transportationwould be terribly hard for her.

Speaker 2 (12:45):
No, and also she's like 10 years older than me, so
she's fucked.

Speaker 3 (12:48):
She's lived in the States for a long time.

Speaker 2 (12:50):
So I was like, well, you'll be okay.
And she's like, yeah, I'm fine.
So I was like, so I turn aroundto Cam.

Speaker 3 (12:57):
He kisses me.

Speaker 2 (12:58):
Yeah, I think I kissed him.

Speaker 3 (13:00):
And I was like, okay, whoa, okay, game on.
I misread this, I misread thesituation.

Speaker 2 (13:06):
And yeah, I was pretty drunk and I was like are
you taking me home or?

Speaker 3 (13:12):
if not, I'm going to go back to my hotel and I was
like cause the hotel.

Speaker 2 (13:16):
It's not just me, it's that friend.
It's like my manager's friend,like her brother was a lot of
like people there Golf wasfriend, like her brother.

Speaker 3 (13:30):
There's a lot of like people there.
Golf was there too.

Speaker 2 (13:32):
Right, it was not there, oh it wasn't, and so I
was like are you taking me homeor, if not, I'm just gonna go
home?
He's like check please.
Yeah, got in a cab and I waslike I'm not going um, what's
the train call subway?
I'm not going on a subway.
You didn't say that I'm not.

Speaker 1 (13:41):
I was so drunk I know , but you weren't, I wasn't
gonna take it.
You're like I'd rather throw upat the window of a cab than in
the middle of the subway.
Let's get out of here.

Speaker 2 (13:48):
Because I was like I can't walk anymore.

Speaker 3 (13:52):
Yeah, then we had to stop by a bodega, naturally,
naturally, grab some stuff.
And then, yeah, and then thenext morning I wake up and she
is gone.

Speaker 2 (14:07):
I'm like where did you go?
Let's take a quick break.

Speaker 1 (14:13):
Hope you're enjoying the episode so far.
One big announcement is thatMerchandise is live.
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So go check it out.

(14:34):
Go cop some gear and look greatthis season in your new small
lake city merch well.

Speaker 2 (14:44):
So in my defense, when you wake up somewhere in
the morning, your makeup is allmessed up.
You don't want to be seen, so Iescape and so I was like hey,
had fun.

Speaker 3 (15:01):
And then and it was back to being aloof, yeah, and I
was like what the heck?
Um?

Speaker 2 (15:09):
but then, okay, let's skip the rude part.
Okay, let's go to the nice partnow okay.

Speaker 1 (15:14):
So so you guys realize that there's more to
this than just this likeplatonic friendship of bringing
a, bringing a friend, not yet,not yet okay.
And then I went home and then,for some reason, so did you see
him again while you were in NewYork that time, or you were gone
by the time you could see eachother One time, but I was kind
of.

Speaker 3 (15:31):
I actually went to Thailand.
I had to go to Thailand to goto the factory, got it, and so
it was an excuse.

Speaker 2 (15:38):
It was an excuse.

Speaker 3 (15:40):
I do need to go, but you don't have to, I don't have
to.
I was like, hey, we need to,someone needs to go, I can go.
Yeah, you know, I have a placeto stay.
Yeah, it was with anothercelebrity I like Philip.
Yeah, another celebrity friendof mine, he let me stay at his
condo.

Speaker 2 (15:55):
Yeah, Anyway.
So I got home and then we kindof started like FaceTiming.

Speaker 3 (16:02):
This like FaceTiming.

Speaker 2 (16:03):
This is all her.
Yeah, this is all me.
I was bored and I was like,okay, I'm going to FaceTime
someone who's still awake, andit's Cameron in.
New York because it's daytimefor him.

Speaker 1 (16:12):
I was going to say because he's how many hours
behind me, 12 hours.

Speaker 3 (16:15):
Oh yeah.
So I would wake up in themorning, meditate, go to the gym
with Tanner and then I'd comeat tanner, go to work and I'd
answer emails for three hoursand while I was answering emails
she'd just be on facetime withme okay so she'd go to bed and
I'd hit the pavement and thenshe'd wake up and you'd facetime
at night while you're gonna,right before I go to bed,
because that's when.

Speaker 1 (16:34):
So that's the first time I met ying is.
So I was in new york, it had tohave been 2018.
I think a job interview outthere in I think it was Sanford,
connecticut, and so, naturally,like I remember when you came
and stayed, yeah.
Yeah.
So I had a job interview thereand I like booked out my flight
a couple more days so I could go, I mean hang out with you two
there, because I always would.
Every time I came to New YorkI'd always stay with Tanner and

(16:55):
you were there at the time whereI was coming in.
And all of a sudden, like youwere FaceTiming Ying.
I'm like who the fuck is Ying?
Like I know you're FaceTimingsomeone so I meet her.
I didn't really think too muchof it at the time, but it was
like the first time.
I was like okay, like here is aperson like you told me about
it later of like, oh, like we'rekind of dating long distance,
kind of figuring out what it isbut also realizing kind of like

(17:17):
the difficulties of therelationship at that time.
So that's when I first remembermeeting Ying virtually so.

Speaker 3 (17:23):
I went to Thailand a couple times.

Speaker 2 (17:26):
Yeah, and then you, he was a big part of, like my
career.

Speaker 3 (17:32):
I would say Because we weren't like dating at this
point, but she was, so her dadhad cut her off.

Speaker 2 (17:37):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (17:40):
She and her mom were so mad at him for that and then
so she was telling me the storyof it and I'm like I'm actually
on your dad's side on this one.
She's like what.
I'm like I don't think yourdad's in the wrong here, like
you should probably love to hearthat from your dad Taking care
of yourself.
So, and then she did what shenever thought she'd do.

(18:00):
She started interviewing forjobs.

Speaker 2 (18:02):
Yeah, with him helping me with my resume and
everything, and I got a job atthis like PR company and started
working nine to five, whichI've never imagined myself doing
.

Speaker 3 (18:18):
Well, there was a part of you that didn't think
you could, because you alwaysthought you weren't smart enough
.

Speaker 2 (18:22):
It's not that it was.
Your parents has always tellyou that you're good, you're the
best You're, you can doanything, but you've never
really done anything.
So it's like once you're notworking and you always thought
that you would be working withyour family, and now that you're
not like, you have to go intothe real world where you

(18:44):
actually are not that good.

Speaker 3 (18:47):
There are other people that are way better, and
so it was kind of intimidatingand I was telling her like you'd
be surprised, like like I lovethe steve jobs quote where he
says like it's really powerfulwhen you realize that the people
that have had the mosteffective change like on the
world are no smarter than youare.

(19:08):
Completely agree, you know whatI mean.
So like there are talentedpeople I'm not like discrediting
anyone, but like the bell curveis very true.

Speaker 2 (19:17):
Yeah, you can, yeah, have a really strong effect if
you just like put a good gameplan together and consistently
work at it exactly so what I didwith my interview, because I
did go to like a few interviewsand they were like intimidating
I wanted to cry.
But with this one it was likethey know who I am.

(19:38):
And so they were kind of likeOK, tell me about yourself and
stuff like that.
So one thing I told them was Ihave no experience in working in
any field.
Like I don't know how to useExcel, but I'm willing to learn,
like, if you are willing toteach me, I am an empty glass of

(20:02):
water.
I will learn anything you teachme and I will do anything you
tell me to do.
That is all.
And so they were like okay,we'll give it a try.
And I was like, okay, yeah,sure, yeah, so I work with them
for a year, um, while doing myyoutube channel.

(20:22):
At that point I already startedmy youtube channel, which cam
also was the one who, um, kindof encouraged you to do it yeah.
Cause I was like, well, I don'tknow what to do and he's like
you could start a YouTubechannel, like you have so many
great ideas and people wouldlove to hear about that ideas

(20:49):
and people would love to hearabout that.
And yeah, I was like, really.
So that's when I started doingthat and it was great and part
of me still love doing that.
It's just right now I have notime how many subscribers do you
have now?

Speaker 3 (20:57):
I?

Speaker 2 (20:58):
have 364 000 subscribers.

Speaker 3 (21:03):
Yeah that's going pretty well and did it grow Like
?

Speaker 1 (21:05):
was it something that once you started it grew pretty
quick?
Or is this like just consistenteffort put in while you're
working at this PR firm andslowly grew?

Speaker 2 (21:12):
It grew pretty quick and it kind of it's kind of
still growing and we, like I,have like a fan base right now
that still is waiting for morevideos.

Speaker 3 (21:28):
Yeah, like we will get to it, but we are, like the
amount we're both working rightnow, like we have no social life
.
Oh yeah, we have no time foranything else right now.
So and so thank you for workingwith our schedule here.
Um, yeah, she's.
There's a huge area ofopportunity there, for sure.

Speaker 2 (21:49):
I just don't have the time right now, and so when the
relationship part comes in iswhen I came here for the first
time for Christmas to meet withhis family and it was like
either I move or he moved, andwe never really have this

(22:09):
conversation until like fivemonths later.

Speaker 3 (22:13):
Yeah, so we were.
I mean, you came to New Yorkand I said when you come here in
the next July?
No, in July you came rightbefore I moved home and I told
you I was going to introduce youas my girlfriend.
So that's when I was going tointroduce you as my girlfriend.
So that's when I was like, hey,I'm serious.

Speaker 1 (22:27):
Oh, is this the first time you came to Utah when I
met you in person?
No, this was in July in NewYork.

Speaker 3 (22:33):
Okay, okay, okay.

Speaker 2 (22:33):
And he said that he's going to introduce me to
everyone as his girlfriend.
So it was like.
I was like okay.

Speaker 1 (22:40):
And does your family know about Cam?
And like you talking so much,or is it still pretty hush h?

Speaker 3 (22:47):
No, you introduced me because I flew to Thailand.

Speaker 2 (22:50):
Well, my mom knows, my brother kind of know.
My dad didn't know until likeafter, because I kind of stopped
talking to him for a sec and sohe had no idea about Cam.
And I'm also not an open personabout relationship to my family

(23:11):
, unless I'm sure that like I'mthe only boyfriend relationship
person that San and Bank haveever met.
Yeah, like, unless I'm sure I'mgoing to marry this person,
like I'm not posting aboutanyone.

Speaker 3 (23:24):
Got it.

Speaker 2 (23:25):
Yeah so.

Speaker 3 (23:27):
And so I bought her ticket to come spend Chris and I
got an Airbnb because I wasliving at my sister's house when
I moved back from New York.
And yeah, just how long wereyou in town?

Speaker 1 (23:41):
A week, week and a half, like two weeks, and so
this is in July or this is overthe.
This is December.
So this is where I remembermeeting Ying in person, because
I remember at Scott's and wewalked to Cheesecake.
Yes, so just to paint thepicture, so I'm living in
Seattle at the time I come andvisit, and whenever I come and
visit, it's always hanging outat Scott's apartment, because
it's all in Wakanda, becauseit's always a nice central place

(24:03):
, and then we can go out, and sowe're sitting there hanging out
and we have this great idea togo to Cheesecake Factory for
dinner.
It is 10 degrees outside, it isfreezing, cold and me, coming
from Seattle, I'm like you know,I don't want to drive.
I love walking.
Let's do this.
So we start walking toCheesecake Factory in the middle
of December.
I'm on high heels.
Yeah, she's in high heels.
We're all like it's freezing.

Speaker 3 (24:33):
It was a terrible idea.

Speaker 1 (24:33):
Well, I mean were uh in, we were under the influences
of, of some substances, so ourdecision making by not at this
forest, and so we, so we getthere.
It's like a 25 minute walk.
Oh, it's just so terrible andlike, and I could tell ying was
a little, um, uh, shy, like Icould tell that's when she was
shy just like meeting all of herfriends, different country, in
a state that she couldn't put ona map, if you put a gun to her
head, for sure, and but I alwaysjust like just kind of being

(24:54):
intrigued about the situationbecause it's it's very unique,
right, it's not like any of myfriends are dating a girl from
another country.
The success rate of arelationship like ours long
distance is very low, totally so, like I almost didn't be like
okay, it's like, how much effortdo I put into meeting this
person?
Like do I just kind of take itat face value and say, oh good,
cam, to see you, ying, nice tomeet you, and kind of move on

(25:15):
because I'm just in town to seemy friends.
Last thing I want to do is putin a ton of effort for that, and
so I remember that trip beingreally fun, but, like ying from
that because, like that was yourfirst time in utah yeah I mean
flying home from there.
What were your thoughts about, Imean cam utah, the future of
that so at that point.

Speaker 2 (25:31):
So I love him, but at like.
But dating him was like, okay,we'll probably break up at some
point because, you know, I don'tthink I can move because I have
a job, I have my youtubechannel without being in
thailand.
It kind of just doesn't work.
Like being an influencer, youhave a base in thailand, moving

(25:54):
to america is just hard to getsponsorship.
It's just, it just doesn't work.
And so cam part of him alsothinks that it won't work as
well, because he would talk tome and be like will you be able
to, like, just sacrifice thislifestyle?

Speaker 3 (26:11):
I tried to talk about it, bring it up, and Ying just
wasn't ready to cross thatbridge.

Speaker 2 (26:16):
It's a big deal, yeah .

Speaker 3 (26:18):
Or just like to even address, like eventually one of
us has to move.
Let's just like she's, like,let's just keep the status quo,
I'm happy.
I'm happy with you Totally.
It's not ideal, butFaceTiming's fine.
And then like we're both makingenough money where we can
travel across the world to seeeach other every couple months
Because at this point.

Speaker 1 (26:36):
Like you've spent a lot of time in Thailand, so you
can you have a pretty goodpicture of what life would be
like there for you, definitelyGranted.
Like you have this businessyou're starting in the US,
especially in Utah specificallyat this point.
Yeah, so you could do that, butit would take a lot of
sacrifices for that to make itwork.
Yeah, and Ying's experience.
I mean she's been to Vegas,she's been to New York, she's
been to kind of like thehotspots of the US and spent

(26:57):
like a week in Utah to see whatit's like, but not necessarily
be able to see what life wouldbe like for her.

Speaker 2 (27:03):
So when I went to so when I I love New York, it's
just the vibe for me, and I feellike when I went to California,
I was like, oh no, everything'sso far from each other, like I
have to drive and it's just so.
When I come to Utah, I was like, oh, it's like the west side of
America which I don't like.

(27:25):
There's only one Zara, there'stwo sephora.
And so my mind back then waslike, okay, I don't know how I'm
gonna like stay here.
Like taifut's not good here.
Like what am I gonna do?
so I just kind of like put thattopic off with cam, because at

(27:49):
point before I came here forChristmas, he sent me a long
text saying I let her know theplan.
Yeah, I was like I want to makethis work so he sent me a long
text and said hey, babe, here'swhat I think is going to happen.
If you come to America, to Utah, and we spend Christmas
together, if you like Utah, weshould get engaged.

Speaker 3 (28:13):
And then we should think about like moving here and
you know, plan all the pictures, which is a lot.
I'm a very analytical planner.

Speaker 1 (28:17):
Yeah, it'd be overwhelming I know, but that's
a lot of like big life steps, alot of big words and you're like
and my friends saw the text andthey were like holy crap, ying
red, red red.

Speaker 2 (28:32):
And so I was like, okay, never mind, I'm just going
to avoid this topic altogether.
And so it.
So just to get the timeline.

Speaker 1 (28:38):
So this is like 2019-ish, yeah, this is 29.
No, this is the end of 2018.

Speaker 2 (28:42):
Okay, and so 2019,.
We went to Coronado, so chiefof back.

Speaker 3 (28:47):
It was at.

Speaker 1 (28:47):
Coronado when it was with.
I mean, I was there.
A lot of our friends were there.
It was really like the firsttime I got to sit down with Ying
and be like, okay, now I knowthis is someone important to Cam
we have this time together.

Speaker 2 (28:58):
We have the different point of view.
At that time I was like don'tinvest too much time in these
people.
You'll never see them again.

Speaker 3 (29:06):
I have that impact on people, but she enjoyed that
time so much.

Speaker 2 (29:09):
Yeah, but with Cam it's like he wants to see if we
could go on a road trip together.
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (29:14):
Testing out with friends.
Yeah, so he won't let her gofrom Salt Lake to San Diego.
Yeah, because I was thinkinglike the four seasons and, you
know, the road trip.

Speaker 2 (29:22):
And then let's have the talk.

Speaker 3 (29:26):
And so when I left from that trip going and I tried
to have the talk in san diegoand in utah and she just was,
she just didn't want to talkabout it, she wasn't ready.
And then we're on facetime andI'm just like we have to talk
about this and so we set a timeto talk about it and so yeah,
and I said I am not moving tothailand, my business, like,
like I'm making, like I'm makingsix figures for the first time

(29:49):
and it's growing yeah, yeah andso I'm gonna provide for a
family.

Speaker 1 (29:53):
It has to be here yeah, and like you have a good
idea, like because you can seethe vision of like life would be
here, like, hey, like thingsare starting to come together.
Yeah, my, like my dream fromespecially thinking back when
you were in thailand, of likehey, I've done this growth, I
figured out who I am, I figuredwhat I want, and like this life
is starting to come together.
And like like Ying has I meanher life in Thailand as well.
She has her influencing, shehas her PR job, she has her

(30:13):
family, like everything is there.

Speaker 3 (30:15):
Yeah, and I was like, if I go back to Thailand, I'm
back to square one and I won'tbe able to, you know, provide
for the family that I like.
I'll just say I'm not doing it.
Yeah, so can you move here?

Speaker 2 (30:33):
for me it's not just the career, it's more like okay
family friends who you stilllike yes, yeah the biggest part
was friends.
Yeah, like, what am I gonna dohere?
I have no friends here, and soI said no to him as well, and
and so we broke up for like sixhours.

Speaker 3 (30:55):
I was expecting like months or weeks.
No, so she's like it's over.
And then it was on a Sunday.

Speaker 2 (31:00):
No, it was on a day.
It was on a weekday because Igo to work the next day.

Speaker 3 (31:06):
No, because I went to family dinner.
Oh okay, yeah, sorry, maybe itwas a weekday for you and it was
a Sunday for you?

Speaker 1 (31:09):
No it, I went to family dinner.
Oh okay, yeah, sorry, maybe itwas a weekday for you and Sunday
for you.
No, it was your Monday.
Both can be true in thissituation, yeah.

Speaker 2 (31:14):
And so I started crying until like 3 am my mom
came over and she was like whydon't you just go and try it out
?

Speaker 3 (31:25):
Like, try living with them for a few months you don't
have to commit to anything yet.

Speaker 2 (31:29):
Just go and try it out for like three months.
Yeah, just go, and if you likeit, or if you think you could
stay there, then stay.
If you can't, then come home,that's it.

Speaker 1 (31:43):
Which is a pretty endearing moment for you and
your mom, I imagine, because,like thinking back to when you
guys first met, it's like here'sthis little monk boy.

Speaker 3 (31:49):
Yeah, nothing there he's notone ideal person, but
what she thinks is she can'tstay there well, she'll go and
her mom has a really closefriend who's like her fortune
teller, and the fortune tellertold her that it won't work out.

Speaker 1 (32:02):
Between us there's nothing to worry about see if
the monk saying you guys aregonna get married, you have this
fortune teller saying no.

Speaker 2 (32:08):
Yeah, and so my friends were thinking we lost
her.
Like she goes, like it's done,she's not coming back, and so I
moved here.
I quit my job, I moved here.

Speaker 1 (32:23):
And what month and year was this?

Speaker 2 (32:25):
It was 2018, in August.

Speaker 1 (32:27):
Okay, so that's right .
So there's the first time 2019in August.

Speaker 2 (32:30):
Yes, oh yeah.
2019 in august.
Yes, oh yeah.
2019, yeah, yeah, sorry.
2019 in august.
Uh, I quit my job, I moved hereand the plan was to stay here
for three months and then gohome for a bit, because I have,
like some trips that I need togo with my mom and so, after
living here for a bit, cameronkinda tried to like impress me

(32:53):
with everything that he can allthe malls, all the parks, all
the you know, whatever he canhiking, which he doesn't like
hiking, which I hate, and for me, I started to think that it
looks like a good place to raisea family.

(33:17):
There's not a lot of things todo back then, but it's a good
place for the kids.

Speaker 3 (33:24):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (33:25):
Yeah, and I thought to myself friends, they're still
going to be my friends.
Thought to myself friends,they're still going to be my
friends, and once they start afamily, everyone will be busy.
I won't see them as much anyway.
So I made the decision.
So I told him I'll move, Ithink I can do it, but not yet.

Speaker 3 (33:50):
Got it.
So our plan was to kind of goback and forth.
For another year I was openingup Boise, so I moved to Boise in
October to open up the storethere, and so the plan was okay,
I'm going to open up Boise andthen I'm going to come see you
in like February.

Speaker 2 (34:00):
Yeah, and then our plan was to get married at the
end of 2020 in Thailand, andthen I will get a marriage visa
from Thailand and wait anotheryear to like move Got it.
But you know COVID andeverything.

Speaker 3 (34:20):
Yeah, so everything went according to plan.
As far as like opening up Boise, we got that open.
I went and saw her for a littlebit in Bangkok and then she
came back with me to the us andwe thought that I was gonna be
here for like two months,because I haven't and and what
month and year is this this?
Is 2020.

Speaker 2 (34:40):
Yeah yeah, and so, um , it's, either I go home and I
won't be able to come back again, because during the so yeah, so
COVID hit.

Speaker 3 (34:54):
Everything got locked down, no travel back to
Thailand, and then it was longenough that she overstayed her
visa.
We were living, colin Tuttlewas my roommate and his
girlfriend had moved in with him, and now Ying was there with me
.
It got really crammed, fullhouse, full house.
So we moved in with my mom, whoshe wasn't even close with yet
that summer.

Speaker 2 (35:15):
Yeah, so I was.
Basically I had a chance to gohome.
I could have gone home.
It would be a hard process, butI could have gone home.

Speaker 3 (35:24):
But we didn't know how long it would be for us to
see each other again.

Speaker 2 (35:28):
And my parents wouldn't want me to travel back
here again if I want to come, soI thought I'm just going to
overstay and force this man tomarry me.

Speaker 1 (35:41):
What a power move yeah.

Speaker 2 (35:43):
So I stayed, even though I came up with all this
thing that I would tell Cam thatI can't go home.
Yeah, I could.
I didn't know that, cam, that Ican't go home, yeah, I could.

Speaker 1 (35:53):
I didn't know that, but.

Speaker 2 (35:53):
I don't want to, so I stayed, even though I know that
I don't have a job, that hewill have to support me on many
things.
Yeah, pay him for everything,yeah.

Speaker 3 (36:04):
Totally.
It's fine we were selling facemasks at that point.
I remember that.

Speaker 2 (36:09):
So we went to live with his mom in her basement.
Most days I would just be inthe basement.

Speaker 1 (36:17):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (36:18):
I can't drive.
I don't have a driver's licenseor anything.
I can't go anywhere, so I wouldjust stay there waiting for him
to come back from work.

Speaker 1 (36:27):
I'm sure it was fine for a little bit, but then you
got bored and felt like youneeded to do something.

Speaker 2 (36:31):
Yeah, I was doing a YouTube channel, but it wasn't.
Like I said, once you're out ofBangkok, it's hard to get
sponsorship or anything, so Iwas still trying to do that To
make money in YouTube Thailand.

Speaker 3 (36:41):
it's not like ad revenue from views.
It's way less payout inThailand for views and like that
, the YouTube ad revenue.
You get your money fromsponsorship deals from other
businesses.

Speaker 2 (36:53):
Yeah.
So at that time I tried to likestart like a shirt company
because I love like embroideredshirts and cute sayings and
stuff like that, becauseCameron's mom has like a sewing
room and she has all the tools.
So I started that for a littlebit and then kind of didn't work
out, just because I'm kind oflike a perfectionist, trying to

(37:17):
find the softest shirt and likejust going into details, we
still have so many t-shirtswe're gonna donate that.
Yeah, um, anyway.
So I was craving donuts and Iwas like I'm gonna order
DoorDash because I can't drive.

Speaker 3 (37:33):
And we were in quarantine.

Speaker 2 (37:35):
Yeah, we were in quarantine.

Speaker 3 (37:37):
Yeah, because Colby got COVID and we had spent the
entire day with him.

Speaker 2 (37:40):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (37:40):
And this is like early COVID, where it was like
exposure, two weeks quarantine.
Yeah, you know so.

Speaker 2 (37:46):
So I was.
I got this donut delivery and Iwas so excited because it was
$4.
It must be so good and it justlooks so good, anyways.
So I had a bite and I was likethis is not $4.

(38:08):
So I had Karen Mom taste it andshe's like this is not $4.
So I had Karen Mom taste it andshe's like this is not $4.

Speaker 1 (38:15):
Yeah, it's like fine, but not worth that much for
sure.

Speaker 2 (38:17):
So I told her I think I could do better, I think I
can just make something out ofthis.
So I started grabbing somestuff from the stores flour,
whatever searching recipes, andthen just started baking out of
her kitchen and until it waslike a good dough.

(38:42):
And then, after I feel like,okay, the dough is great.
Then I started thinking whatflavors should I do that would
stand me out from other donutplaces and I was like maybe I
should do coconut, because it'swhere I'm from.
Like coconut is a big thing.
And at that point I've neverchopped coconut before.

(39:04):
Like I've always had someonechop it up for me, and every
time I shop it I was like am Igonna like cut my fingers or
something?
But turns out great, it wasreally good.
And I started giving out topeople like his colleagues and
they were like whoa, this isgood.

(39:26):
And so that's when I brought itover when we were hanging out
and then I knew that we got itfrom Chinatown and I will never
forget that moment.

Speaker 1 (39:35):
So we met for dinner at Hall Pass and Gateway and you
have this box in tote and Ididn't know what it was anything
much of.
And you're like, hey, I justpicked up these donuts from the
Chinese market, thought you guyswould enjoy them, and so I eat
one.
I'm like, because I'm a hugecoconut fan, Like if you take me
to any sort of I mean smoothieplace, boba place, I mean

(39:56):
anything I'm always gravitatingtowards, I mean coconut, mango,
pineapple, et cetera.
And so all of a sudden I'm likedowning these donuts, thinking
it's just from this Chinatownstore which I'm like where is
this?

Speaker 2 (40:12):
from Give me the address I need, need more, and
you're like actually, I madethese, I made these, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 (40:16):
so after you guys approve that.
I had a big stamp of approvalby because I love the way she
did it, because if you were tosay, hey, I made these, try
these, there would be some bias.
I tried to give like feedbackwhen people ask for it, but the
raw, unadulterated, like yeah Iwant more please we got these
from chinatown, yeah we gotthese from Chinatown.

Speaker 2 (40:31):
Yeah, we got these from Chinatown.
And so after I got the approvalfrom a few people, I got more
confident and thought, okay, I'mjust going to start Instagram,
just like how I did with GarrettPopcorn.
So I started Instagram like myInstagram.
Chubby Baker created like asimple logo and started reaching

(40:52):
out to food influencers.
I made a list of foodinfluencers that ended.

Speaker 1 (40:58):
So just to kind of like think of getting your head
of this process in, in your ideaof reaching out to influencers,
did this come through yourexperience of the YouTube
channel, through experience ofthe PR agency, or just your own
doing?

Speaker 2 (41:09):
Yeah, it was like it comes through from the PR
company, for sure.

Speaker 3 (41:14):
That's what you did.

Speaker 2 (41:15):
You reached out to influencers and because I'm also
an influencer, so it's like youknow how influential it is to
have them promote your stuff.

Speaker 1 (41:24):
It's not just a catchy name.

Speaker 2 (41:25):
Yeah.
So I made a list, startreaching out to them.
If they say no, it's no, it'sfine, whatever.
And a bunch of them were reallygenerous to say yes and I just
drop it off to them, explain tothem what it is and why like,
why it's coconut and not just,like you know, a Boston cream

(41:46):
donut.
Yeah, and I don't know how,maybe it's luck, it just got
crazy.
People were like reaching outand I have like a set system
Okay, I'm going to sell it onMonday, wednesday, friday only,
so that way I have Taking orderson Instagram.
Taking orders on Instagram,frying them in a pan at my mom's

(42:10):
, frying in a pan at his mom'shouse, and just started creating
more flavors Back then.
I have no baking skills,everything was from Google and
testing it out and seeing ifit's good.
I have no idea how to use likean oven or anything at all.

(42:32):
Yeah, so it just started thatway and then it like there's a
lot of learning curve totally um, meeting other people in the
industry, them kind of helpingout with, like maybe you should
get a different fryer the onethat's more for frying fries or

(42:54):
donuts, and it has like athermometer and it's just like a
lot of things and I neverthought that I would be opening
like an actual store until itstarted to make money.
It started to make money and Italked to my dad and he was like
well, he could invest in this,but at that point I'm in a limbo

(43:25):
because Cameron has no sign ofproposing at all and I in my
defense she had not expressedany of these feelings to me.

Speaker 3 (43:33):
That she wanted to get married like right away in
my head is I had to somehow makethis elaborate, expensive
wedding in Thailand happen.
And it's COVID.
So I've got my head down.
I'm opening up Miami.
I'm like I need to be able toget out of my mom's and provide
and give her a ring in a weddingthat she wants so I did express

(43:56):
, said I don't need a wedding,let's just go to the courthouse.

Speaker 2 (44:00):
But in his head was whatever.
Even until these days, whateverI asked of him, he wants to
make it happen.
He wants to make me happy inthe way that I wanted it to
happen.

Speaker 3 (44:14):
So even though she said, we can just do this in my
head.

Speaker 2 (44:17):
It was like no, I don't need a ring, I'm going to
do it, let's just get married.
But he wants to provide, and sohe was trying to put it off.
But the way he put it off waslike let's not talk about this.

Speaker 1 (44:29):
Like how the roles have reversed.

Speaker 2 (44:31):
I was just focused right yeah, and so I was at the
point where I was like I it'scoming to the end of that visa
extension and so it's either Igo home or I don't know.
I don't know what to do next.

Speaker 3 (44:47):
So she said if you don't love me, just let me me go
.

Speaker 2 (44:50):
And I was like oof, because I was talking to my dad
and he was like it's, either weare moving forward with this
business or you come home andstart something, because there's
a lot of things waiting for youin Thailand if you come home.

Speaker 1 (45:06):
Yeah, I mean, there's so many things Like you have
your channel that you could justgo plug back into.
You could check your job.
Yeah exactly Like there's somany options, yeah.

Speaker 2 (45:14):
And so.

Speaker 3 (45:15):
I didn't know these conversations were happening.
I was just like I need $40,000.
I can see you with that yeah.

Speaker 2 (45:22):
And so I went into the bedroom and my eyes were red
after talking to my dad and soI was like we need to talk, like
I understand if you don't wantto marry me, but if you don't
love me anymore, you just needto let me go.
I'm, I'm gonna get a ticket,like my plan was.

(45:46):
If.
If it's still, if the answer isstill no, I'm buying the ticket
tomorrow.
I'm selling everything forChubby Baker, or I would just
give it to his mom and I wouldjust leave and yeah.

Speaker 3 (46:03):
And what was your response, cam?
I was like, well, you're notgoing anywhere.
What are you talking about?
She's like, like, do you stilllove me?
Like, yes, do you want to marryme?
Yes, then she's like okay, weneed to do this now.
And I was like what?
Like what about the plan?
She's like stop, just getmarried in a courthouse.

Speaker 2 (46:25):
And I was like just get married in a courthouse?
Let's find a place that we like, it's in our range and let's
just not worry about the ringand let's just put the money.

Speaker 3 (46:34):
And I still didn't like fully accept that.
Yeah, you know, I was just likeno, I've got to make it happen.

Speaker 1 (46:39):
Because you have this view in your head of this great
Thailand wedding.

Speaker 3 (46:50):
All of this great thailand wedding, all of your
friends from utah fly out, likethe monk is there and I know I'm
asking a lot of her and likejust marrying in a courthouse
sounded so sad.
Yeah, if you move to americaand for this guy and all he can
give you is it like I was likeno, that's not me, so she, uh,
the next day she's like what areyou doing de 20th?
And I was like no, he had COVID.

Speaker 2 (47:06):
Oh yeah, that's right .
So he got COVID and he was outof COVID like November, like
20th, yeah, and so I was likeyou do anything December 10?
That's it.
Yeah, and he's like no, why.
And at this point I alreadyasked, asked everyone else, like

(47:27):
his mom and his brother, to bethe witness, and he was like no,
why.
I was like okay, we're gettingmarried that day which and I was
like what?

Speaker 3 (47:36):
like yeah, we're gonna get married already.

Speaker 1 (47:37):
Like research it's all scheduled your mom's gonna
be there, yeah, and I also lovethat because, like, going back
to when you first met him, asyou're like, hey, I'm gonna'm
going to be the one to makemoves, I'm going to be the one
to do this.
So I love that she pulled thispower move of like hey, are you
busy this day?
Because I kind of have someplans.

Speaker 3 (47:52):
So it kind of involve you, which you know, personal
issues aside and it's like, okay, it's going to be small, we're
just going to have a cup like myparents.
That's it.
Just sign the papers, get itdone so she can stay.

(48:12):
Yes, and we'll celebrate whenthis whole covid thing's behind
us and the suit business hascome back, when people start
going back to work.

Speaker 2 (48:20):
Right, yeah, um but then I told his sister who lives
in florida back then and she'slike we're coming, and so it
turned into like an action andwe're gonna make it special and
cute and do this thing and itactually it was really.

Speaker 1 (48:33):
It was a really great day that's so special, helene,
to make it, yeah do her part anddo that.

Speaker 3 (48:38):
So everyone was there .
And then I didn't invite any ofmy friends because no one from
her side was going to be there.
And if I started inviting myfriends it started turning into
this big thing where it's justmy side and I was like, okay, my
family can be there, we'll makeit cute, we'll make it special,
and then we'll go do somethingin Thailand later, totally Um.
So we got married.

Speaker 1 (48:59):
And so and so.
Now you see, the first storehadn't been set up yet.
You're still selling onInstagram.

Speaker 2 (49:05):
So what we did was we got married.
After I got married, I was like, okay, I'm secured, visa check,
husband, check, I'm secured.
Now we applied for a visa forthe green card and then, right
after we got married, we got ourhouse and then I, you got that
condo 10 days after.
And then register for thecompany right away, because back

(49:29):
then Chubby Baker was notregistered yet, it was just out
of the house.
Once I got married, companyregistered right away and then I
was still doing it out of hismom's house and then I found a
spot in.
January.

Speaker 3 (49:45):
Which, ironically, is funny because it's like right
by where your first store was,yeah, same street, yeah, the
street, and what happened wasthat she was driving dropping up
like she was doing drop-offdonuts and there was this joey
baker space.
Now it's a cute little houseand it had a for rent sign in
the front.
She takes a picture and sendsit to me.
It's like is this a goodlocation?
I was like, where is it?
Like nine south, just above 30east.

(50:07):
I'm like, yes, that's a goodlocation, yeah.
And so she looks for it onlineand it's nowhere.
It's not on, it's not on loopnet, it's on anything.

Speaker 2 (50:16):
But back then.
We already have a realtor like,so I sent it to her and be like
, can you reach out to thelandlord?
And so we went to see it rightthe next day.

Speaker 3 (50:25):
And so it had just that sign had been put up that
day.
Yeah, and she saw it, contactedhim and closed on it before it
ever hit the internet.
Love that it never hit themarket.

Speaker 2 (50:35):
Yeah, and so that's when how Chubby Baker all
started.

Speaker 1 (50:39):
And so, by this point , like, how many followers does
Chubby Baker have on Instagram?
I?

Speaker 2 (50:43):
think it was like 15K .

Speaker 1 (50:45):
Yeah, so like ruse and like so.

Speaker 2 (50:51):
between that date and the date you started, how many
months had gone by?
We started in like September,august, september, so like six
months.
I would say yeah.

Speaker 1 (51:03):
Before we started, before we got our space.
So it goes from this idea ofyou knowing nothing about how to
make donuts, frying any of this, to going through creating your
perfect product, validate withfriends and then, all of a
sudden, you have this massivesocial media following, have
this store being developed.

Speaker 2 (51:17):
Construction and contractors and city and
everything like machines, fryerhood, electrical stuff, plumbing
, health department, crazy, likefrom zero.

Speaker 1 (51:32):
Well then, I love like one of, I think and you can
correct me if I'm wrong, butlike almost a crowning moment of
like the validation of that wasthat first I think it was the
Donut Critic competition, whereit was just, I mean head-to-head
tournament on social mediavoting for the best donut in
Utah.
And I mean, if you knew fromUtah, the sugar addiction
capital of the world, like youknow Banbury Cross, you know

(51:54):
Dunford Donuts, you know allthese big players that have
pretty strong opinions, and thenall of a sudden, ying's the one
hoisting the trophy at the end.

Speaker 2 (52:01):
so to speak, and she'd entered another
competition, won that one tooyeah, we went to uh the dough
show and we won that one andyeah, it was it was.

Speaker 3 (52:11):
It was a crazy year to like kind of start this thing
yeah, yeah, it's like since wegot married, life has been
insane because, like then, yougot pregnant yeah, and like
before we got, like the grandopening which we opened on the
1st of October of 2021.

Speaker 2 (52:28):
Yep, I remember that, yeah.

Speaker 3 (52:29):
And I was already.
It took 10 months to get thisplace going.

Speaker 1 (52:32):
Yeah, so fast forward .
So it's so funny to like thinkof the timeline, because so you
move to Utah again to try it out, you get stuck here, you figure
out how to make these donuts,you secure a canon marriage, you
buy a house, you get married,you create your first store, you
get pregnant Like that's a lotof change, so quick, yep.

Speaker 2 (52:52):
It was a lot of change, like I left Thailand
single, went back home and I wasmarried with a kid.

Speaker 1 (52:59):
And how long had it been from when you left Thailand
to come try this out to goingback and visiting, or going back
to see?

Speaker 2 (53:06):
him again Two and a half years.
Yeah, almost three years.

Speaker 1 (53:09):
And a completely different person.

Speaker 3 (53:10):
Yeah, she left to go see her boyfriend to spend a
couple months with him.
Came back two and a half yearslater, married with a kid and a
business.

Speaker 1 (53:18):
Yeah, and so and like , obviously I don't want to
diminish well, not diminishprobably the wrong word but like
in cam is also building hissuit empire, and so at this
point you have new york startingto do stuff because you set up
out there.
You have the utah store, youhave the boise store, you have
the miami store and so likethings are going really well
there.
Um, and just kind of seeingthis almost power couple put

(53:39):
together these, these differentthings that they, I mean, had
ground through and really builtbrick by brick up until they are
today, and I mean it's nothingstopped, nothing slowed down, I
mean just to kind of catch up towhere we are today.

Speaker 2 (53:52):
I mean, ying, you're working on store three and four,
one in Sandy, two and three,two and three sorry, yeah,
there's Sandy, which is going tobe our main like location,
where we are going to move allour production there, and then
there's oram, which is a smallerlocation with a drive-through,
uh, which was not in the plan atall, because we thought I

(54:15):
thought that, okay, I'm justgonna do sandy, let's get a stun
, and then, you know, kind ofslowly grow.
But then when we came back fromthailand last like this year,
beginning of this year, yeah uh,michelle, my realtor, she sent
me this location and I was like,michelle, I'm not ready to like
open the third store.

(54:36):
And she's like just take a lookat it and call me.
I took a look at it, I see thelocation and and I was like I
want this.
I called cam first.
I was like do you think I'mcrazy If I say I want to do this
?
If you say no, if you thinkthat I am crazy, I won't do it

(54:59):
Cause it's going to be a lot on,like both of us.
And he's like I think we shoulddo it.
And I was like okay, and thenit was just too perfect yeah
very little.

Speaker 1 (55:12):
Build out back paint job, some tile, new signs
especially like new market oram,where sugar is the drawed up
choice already looking atsomething in oram and so well,
you were looking to have adistributor in.

Speaker 2 (55:27):
Orem yeah.

Speaker 3 (55:28):
Like something super cheap, just a place to pick up
in Orem and then and then thisthing came up.
That just kept turning into theperson she was going to do it
with, looking at bigger andbigger and more expensive spaces
.
And we were in Thailand talkingabout this and you're like, and
we're just like, if, look, ifyou're, you're gonna spend that
much money.

Speaker 2 (55:45):
Like, don't partner with anyone, just do it, chubby
baker yeah, like I've been likebefore starting chubby baker,
I've been at the point where Istarted like partner up with
people so many times, but at theend I just thought like I can't
do it, like I have too muchopinion and I want to be the one
who makes decisions.
Yeah, so I can.

(56:06):
I can't work with other people.

Speaker 1 (56:08):
Which is a good realization to have, instead of
getting to the end of being likeoh no, I'm too bossy, I can't
do this.

Speaker 2 (56:14):
Anyways, um, I called the realtor and I was like okay
, michelle, let's do this, let'sput in an LOI, and she's like I
knew it, let's put in an LOI,and she's like I knew it.
And it was pretty tough becauseit was a really good spot that
everyone wants it.

Speaker 3 (56:32):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (56:32):
So I was really lucky to.

Speaker 3 (56:35):
Yeah, the landlord came up, tried all the product
Like he knew, he knows he has areally good spot, totally and
very picky.

Speaker 1 (56:47):
So we had to like multiple meetings to sell Chubby
Baker to him.
Him, so ying walks in.
Hey, here's these donuts.
I got them from the chinamarket, do you like?

Speaker 3 (56:51):
he's like an old, older dude in oram, right.
So it's like he high flavorsaren't his.

Speaker 2 (56:56):
So it's like here's the chocolate, here's the oreo,
here's the other really basics,you know but he has, he's really
kind and he, but he just hashis own way of doing things and
he just wants things to be acertain way.
So you just have to understandwhere he's coming from and why

(57:16):
he wants things this way.
And yeah, I kind of I'm prettygood with older people, so I
kind of persuade him that, hey,older people, so I kind of
persuade him yeah.
That, hey, you know what thisis great.

Speaker 1 (57:30):
Yeah, yeah.
And when are those newlocations hopefully opening up?

Speaker 2 (57:35):
I am hoping that Orem will be open in a few weeks
from now, which would be likemid-August.
Okay, we're just getting, we'rejust wrapping up a few things
and then we just have to getinspections and approval from
the health department.
Sick, but Sandy will be anotherlike three months from now,

(57:57):
just because it's a newconstruction and we have to
build everything.

Speaker 1 (58:01):
Because that's going to be the main like hub of it
actually.

Speaker 2 (58:04):
Yeah, the hub and big kitchen big kitchen, all these
little new stuff.
The main people will be workingthere and, yeah, I'm really
excited for both of them.
But also very stressful andwith being pregnant right now.
I usually deal with stresspretty good, but with pregnancy
it's like anxiety just thosehormones just creep in and makes

(58:27):
everything more difficult yeah,the decision to have another
kid was kind of interestingbecause we felt like we wanted
to have another kid and we hadso much going on and the plan
was to try in december thisdecember, yeah, but then it was
like his sis, like LJ, ispregnant and I keep seeing lots

(58:49):
of people being pregnant, yeah.

Speaker 3 (58:51):
And so you started saying like I want to be
pregnant right now, so bad, butwe're too busy and I was like.
So my input on it was so mywhole stance on whether when
she's pregnant is when you'reready.
I'll get you pregnant because Ilove kids and I want I'll.
I'll take as many as you canpush out, like you.

Speaker 2 (59:10):
Tell me when to stop, right, so and it was also his
sister was planning to getpregnant in june.
So I was like, okay, let's,let's do this together.
That way we can go through thistogether.
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (59:25):
Because they both had pretty rough first pregnancies.
So and my thing was I was like,look, if you didn't have the
stores and you didn't have allthis work, would you want to get
pregnant right now?
And she's like, yes, I'm like,in my opinion, we'll never be
ready.

Speaker 1 (59:41):
Right, there's never a perfect moment.

Speaker 3 (59:42):
So if you want to get pregnant now, like we're not
going to be less busy in sixmonths, yeah, so if you want to
get pregnant now, then let's atleast like, try now, totally.
And because we didn't know ifit's going to take us like a few
months because the second one'ssupposed to take longer or
something, but not for us, itwas right away so, hey, so we
have two stores being built.

Speaker 1 (01:00:02):
We have a child being built.
Cam just finished the Nebraskastore pretty recently.

Speaker 3 (01:00:08):
Omaha and Des Moines I opened.
So I opened up Omaha inFebruary and Des Moines in March
, so two this year.
All steam ahead all cylinders,I had to completely rebuild
Miami.
I let my team go there andimplemented a new one, so that's
effectively opening a new store.

Speaker 1 (01:00:25):
So no one's has extra time to do whatever they want
to, but but still just all steamahead.
Everything's working, that's.
I mean, it's such an amazingstory, but it's also a story
that isn't even done yet.

Speaker 3 (01:00:38):
Right.

Speaker 1 (01:00:38):
And so, yeah, I mean I love everything that comes
together.
I'm so glad that we could sitdown.
But I guess, kind of pivotingthe conversation, I mean, Ying,
when you first visited Utah andkind of scoped it out, you're
like this is a good place Iwould sort of raise a family, a
lot of opportunity, I mean, isthat kind of what keeps you here
?
And you still feel those sameexcitement of seeing that?

Speaker 2 (01:00:57):
Yeah, I mean, especially with having Elizabeth
right now, my baby, I feel likethis is a great spot for
raising kids.
It will be a safe place for mykid right now.
Like, compared to being inbangkok, it's like you're living
in new york, yeah, so it's likethere's no, literally no park

(01:01:18):
and it's just not an environmentfor a kid.
So, even though I miss thailanda lot, but even when we went
there for like a trip, it waslike this is just not it was
really hard with a kid totallyit's not the place for us to be
here right now like that was ahuge part of why we moved.

Speaker 3 (01:01:39):
We wanted a home with a yard, because what's great
about that?
You just put the, put the babyin the backyard and she just
runs around and we've gone toparks and stuff.
It's just a really.
And I love Utah.
I grew up here, similar to you,so I'm on Team Utah.

(01:02:00):
I love it here.
This is home, so I think it'sbeautiful.
It's quaint, it's goteverything you need.
The airport's great.

Speaker 2 (01:02:10):
Soon you'll have direct flights to korea from
south like it's just a andwithout like restriction of
traveling anymore.
Like with covid, you can goanywhere on a trip.
So we're just like this isgreat for being our home and we
can always visit thailand, japan, anywhere we want to go.
And like for sure, in thefuture, we're like we could

(01:02:33):
retire in thailand yeah and likebe here during like good
weather time yeah, the book isnot closed.

Speaker 3 (01:02:41):
on thailand yeah, like it's when our kids are
older and in school and stufflike we've talked about.
Like every summer we just go toThailand, like you're we're
going to go live with yourfamily.
Yeah, like you're going to likeand give them that cultural
experience yeah, like Thailandmeans a lot to us and we really
want it to mean a lot to ourkids too.

Speaker 1 (01:02:59):
Yeah, I think that's a good way to go about it and I
know that you, like a lot ofyour family, has come and
visited since you set up shophere.

Speaker 2 (01:03:05):
My dad came here for a couple months.
My brother was here for a bit.
They love it here.
It's just so cold.

Speaker 3 (01:03:14):
Yeah, they both came in the winter.

Speaker 2 (01:03:15):
Yeah, yeah, a little different.
My dad was like it's so cold.

Speaker 3 (01:03:20):
Like this is snow.
It is cold, yeah, but he'dnever seen snow like that before
, like driving out to Park City.
He's just like what?
This is amazing.

Speaker 1 (01:03:31):
Yeah, it's cool.
So what else does the futurelook like for Bespoke, for
Chubby Baker?
What excites you guys aboutwhat's to come and being here in
Salt Lake doing it?

Speaker 2 (01:03:42):
I mean there were many plans or pictures that I
thought for chubby baker it was.
At first it was like, okay,maybe we should, after three
stores, get everythingsystematic and then like, maybe
franchise.
But there's also part of methat's like I'm not like a

(01:04:05):
business person, like I hate thedifficult stuff, the financial
stuff, dealing with contractors,all the numbers.
You aren't enjoying being abusiness owner.
I'm not enjoying being abusiness owner.
I enjoyed creating new recipesand like the art of it, like
making it look cute, making likeboxes and just like just the

(01:04:29):
creative part.
So if Cameron cannot step in, Ithink that we are going to stop
at three stores for now, justbecause I also want to just be a
mom.

Speaker 3 (01:04:45):
Yeah, Like I want to.
Once Elizabeth was born, shecame to me and she's just like
will you think less of me if Iwant to focus on being a mom?
I was like, absolutely not.
So like, if that's what youwant to do, then that's what we
do.
So the plan on the Chubby Bakerside is, once the other two
stores are open, it's just likewe're going to get it sustained.

(01:05:08):
We're going to give themanagers really good salaries to
keep them yeah, to keep themthere, work on, getting them
benefits and get thatsystematized or systemized and
like pause.
And on the bespoke end, um, weare wrapping up a build out of
our new salt lake store.
It's gonna be on regent street,cool.

(01:05:29):
Um, my business partners,daniel and hayden they own hm
coal.
Hm coal and bespoke are kind ofjust the same thing we operate.
So right now we're choosingwhich name to go under so it.
It might just be hm coal andsalt lake, it might be just
bespoke, we don't know yet.
But a huge part of our businessis we manufacture for over 400

(01:05:50):
companies that do what we doaround the world.

Speaker 1 (01:05:51):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:05:52):
So the focus there is , like we I don't know if
there's a potential that there'sgoing to be an exit

(01:06:24):
no-transcript bespoke storesopen and just keep progressing
in that and then see where we'reat and then and then, like our
long-term plan has, it's likecoming up to the end of this
year.
Yeah, so we'll see, see whereit takes us which has got to be.

Speaker 1 (01:06:44):
I mean kudos to you guys, for I mean it's so fun to
hear both of your stories, tosee where you're at now and see
these long-term goals andvisions and how much it's
changed and all the wrenchesthat have thrown into it, to see
where the success is now.
And I mean obviously life haschanged once you have a kid and
the second kid's on its way.
I mean priorities shift and youwant to be so much more

(01:07:07):
involved with that.
But at the same time, thisfoundation you've built along
the way only helps you investyour time and energy into that
even more.
So want to wrap, I meananything else you guys want to
talk through about theexperience or anything before I
wrap up with two questions, no.
So first question for both ofyou if you could have anybody be
interviewed for Small Lake CityPodcast and you'd want to hear
their story or what they'reworking on, who would you

(01:07:28):
recommend?

Speaker 2 (01:07:32):
It's tough for me because I don't know a lot of
people.

Speaker 1 (01:07:35):
But you know donut people and fun stuff.
You've got to have met somecool people along the way.

Speaker 2 (01:07:42):
I would say Mile High Food Fairy.
Her name is Amber, but that'sher instagram name.
She is a pediatrician dentistyeah, she's a child, children's
children's dentist, but she isher side hustle.
Is the um the food influencer?

(01:08:05):
Okay, yeah, and she's reallygood at doing that and she's
just.
She was one of the main personthat helped out chubby baker a
lot, yeah, as well as donutcritic.
Yeah, got it what about you?

Speaker 1 (01:08:18):
donut critic would be a good one, yeah because I
think I met him at your grandopen act he's a bundle of energy
dude.

Speaker 3 (01:08:26):
He just he networks, he introduces people.

Speaker 2 (01:08:28):
He'd be a really cool he works for that cool building
in Alpine Graphic design.

Speaker 3 (01:08:37):
Adobe, adobe, he works for Adobe.

Speaker 2 (01:08:39):
Yeah and yeah, it's just really cool.
And he's so passionate aboutdonuts, just so passionate.

Speaker 3 (01:08:46):
Or just sweets in general and Salt Lake City.

Speaker 2 (01:08:50):
No, like he's so passionate about donuts.

Speaker 3 (01:08:52):
He took the comment from Shaq personally.

Speaker 1 (01:08:55):
You know he's like listen, shaq, we'll get you
donuts.
This place is not boring.
This is not someone I met, Ithink a lot of food influencers
took that personally.

Speaker 2 (01:09:05):
Where it's like you don't think that Salt Lake has
good stuff, here you go.
Yeah, you know.

Speaker 1 (01:09:11):
Especially when you see how much growth there's been
.
Because, like I mean, I thinkif you were to pull people and
be like what's Salt Lake foodknown for, it's like, oh, a
bunch of like chainy restaurantsand like family, exactly.
And so now you have thesepeople who have put in the
groundwork of getting actuallygood food here and just have
someone come in and make such ablanket, like ignorant comment.

Speaker 2 (01:09:28):
Yeah, it's hurtful.
Also have to admit that, likethe past three years, like in
like before three years ago,salt Lake wasn't like this.
No, like the food scene hasgrown so much in the past three
years that I've been here, yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:09:44):
I think it's because a lot of people have moved here
and kind of brought that withthem.
You know, like one of myclients actually he opened up
that new Mexican spot inRiverton.
It's like ah what's it called.
But like he's from California,he just came here to get away
from some of the more strictrestrictions in California,

(01:10:04):
partnered up with someone, getaway from some of the more
strict restrictions incalifornia, partnered up with
someone, opened a restaurant andthen moved to france, but he
just owns this cool restauranthere.
So, yeah, I think a lot of thathappened.
Um, who owns the jazz now?
Ryan smith?
Yeah, if you could interviewthat dude, I want to know his
plans I have this golden list ofpeople I want to interview and
he's because he built Qualtrics,took it to a multi-billion

(01:10:27):
dollar exit and he's got plansand he's not telling anyone what
they are Totally.

Speaker 1 (01:10:32):
I mean he cause obviously bought the jazz.
Yeah, obviously is veryinvested in bringing an MLB or
NHL team here, but there's somuch yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:10:40):
Like he's and like he's working on like, like the
homeless problem has been a bigvocal priority of his.
I just wonder what his plan is.
Does he have politicalaspirations, like, what?
So, like, if you get it, yeah,he's someone that I want to know
because I think he's going tobe a big influence here for the
long term.

Speaker 1 (01:10:57):
I mean I think he's going to go down in history as I
mean a Larry H Miller.
I mean that caliber of personand the impact they make on the
Valley.

Speaker 3 (01:11:05):
Yeah, I mean Miller had a huge impact with the jazz
getting here, and then theOlympics, all that stuff.
Those might come back.
Yeah, sounds like so.
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:11:15):
So we'll wrap it up with one last question.
If people want to find eitheryou guys personally, or Chubby
Baker and Bespoke, where do theyfind them?

Speaker 2 (01:11:24):
on social media, the stores themselves um, so chubby
baker right now our instagramhandle is chubby baker, usa,
just because at first we werelike, okay, we should change
from slc to usa.
Um, and we have a storedowntown.
It's's on 3rd East and 9thSouth, really close to Liberty

(01:11:46):
Park.
Sandy is going to be 9470 SouthHighland Drive 94 South
Highland Drive, next to the HomeDepot.
And we share a building withSwig and Orem.
It's going to be right in frontof Trader Joe's.

Speaker 3 (01:12:05):
On State Street, on the corner of University Parkway
.
Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:12:09):
Super easy to find.

Speaker 3 (01:12:10):
What's your Instagram ?

Speaker 2 (01:12:12):
Oh, my personal Instagram is Ying Y-I-N-G-P-C-P.

Speaker 3 (01:12:20):
Yeah, okay.
And then I'm Cameron withBespoke, and the company is
Bespoke CC in Salt Lake City.
Our new store, which will beopening in a few weeks, will be
on 135 Regent Street.

Speaker 1 (01:12:34):
Yeah, well, thank you both so much.
I'm so excited to everybodyhear your story and inspire them
to do the things that are hard.

Speaker 3 (01:12:42):
You got a lot of content to cut it down.
I think we're going to havehours here.

Speaker 1 (01:12:45):
We might have to do a part one and part two, but Good
idea.
We're going to.
I don't want to take anythingaway from this.

Speaker 3 (01:12:50):
Yeah, I think this is a cool thing that you're doing,
getting into the nitty grittyof what people are doing here,
because I think everyone cantell something's happening here,
but I can't really put yourfinger on what like who's, who's
behind this exactly right, sothat it that is exactly it.

Speaker 1 (01:13:05):
There's a new guard in salt lake that's changing
into what we want it to be,compared to what it was, and for
sure got another faces behindit yep yep okay, it's a wrap,
that is a wrap thank you so muchfor listening to this week's

(01:13:29):
episode of small lake citypodcast.
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