Welcome toSecond Life, a podcast spotlighting successful women who’ve made major career changes—and fearlessly mastered the pivot. Hosted by Hillary Kerr, co-founder and chief content officer at Who What Wear, each episode gives you a direct line to women who are game changers in their fields. Subscribe to Second Life on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anywhere you get your podcasts to stay tuned.
Jing Gao is the brilliant chef and entrepreneur behind Fly by Jing, the first premium Chinese food company that brings thoughtfully crafted pantry staples to the modern kitchen, inspired by Gao’s roots in Chengdu, China. In 2018, Gao launched the brand with one hero product, Sichuan Chili Crisp (now an Amazon best seller), which immediately took off, becoming the highest-funded food project on the Kickstarter platform. And while the Sichuan Chili Crisp is unbelievably flavorful, Gao sought to do more than create delicious products. The mission of Fly by Jing is to shift the cultural narrative around Chinese food in the West and shine a light on the 5000-year-old culinary heritage. Inspired by Chengdu’s “fly restaurants”—small eateries so good they attract people like flies—Fly by Jing has garnered millions of fans and can be found on the shelves of major food retailers such as Whole Foods and Target.
As an esteemed chef, Gao has used her experiences to create meaningful flavors that give people access to her traditions, ultimately leading to new ideas and conversations that dismantle preconceived notions about Chinese cuisine. Gao is also the founder of award-winning modern-Chinese fast-casual restaurant Baoism in Shanghai, and her work has been featured in notable publications such as The New York Times, BBC, CNN, The Wall Street Journal, and Fast Company.
And Gao is just getting started. In January, Fly by Jing will launch a new Hot Pot Starter Set as a part of her plan to expand retail. But before Gao began making a name for herself, she actually started her career working for major companies such as Procter & Gamble, specifically working on brand management with Gillette and Covergirl Cosmetics, and then moved into the tech industry at Blackberry. Gao also worked at the leading global design firm, Frog Design, where she was responsible for driving multi-million-dollar revenue growth for the company and its Fortune 500 clients through designing, engineering, and bringing to market new products and services for the connected world.
Listen to the latest episode of Second Life to hear how Gao’s past career experiences led her to carve her own culinary path with an impactful point of view. Keep scrolling to shop some of Fly by Jing’s best-selling products.
