She Started a Side Hustle That Earned More Than $1 Million in Year 1: 'Manifest Your Best Life' Nadia Liu Spellman, founder and CEO of Dumpling Daughter, wanted to honor her parents' success.
By Amanda Breen Edited by Jessica Thomas
Key Takeaways
- Dumpling Daughter achieved consistent growth through diversification, including Amazon and direct-to-consumer channels.
- Spellman credits her success to goal-setting, attention to customer service, team-building, and balancing personal and professional life.
This Side Hustle Spotlight Q&A features Nadia Liu Spellman, 42, founder and CEO of Dumpling Daughter. Responses have been edited for length and clarity.
What was your day job or primary occupation when you started your side hustle?
I was an investment banker working as an analyst at Duff & Phelps in New York City.
When did you start your side hustle, and where did you find the inspiration for it?
My parents inspired me to follow my passion. They taught me that if I follow my passion, it will come naturally, and I'll be good at it. My parents followed their passion and owned the most high-end Chinese restaurant in the country when I was little. I was spoiled by the best Chinese food and my mom's home cooking; the love for food was in my DNA. I was proud to be my parent's daughter and wanted to carry on the legacy that they had built. It's very culturally Chinese to pay respect to your elders, and I wanted to do something that celebrated their accomplishments. As I got older, I realized I wanted to carry on the tradition, celebrate them and pay my respects to their success. I started writing the business plan for Dumpling Daughter because I wanted to express my passion in a more modern way: a quick service restaurant instead of a fine dining, white tablecloth restaurant.
What were some of the first steps you took to get your side hustle off the ground?
I created a logo, name and branding guidelines for the concept. I wrote a business plan around the feel of the brand and the vision for the idea, refining it over time. The business plan went from a 35-page document to an eight-page document, communicating a very clear concept and vision for Dumpling Daughter. I started looking for locations for the concept, finding a designer and kitchen equipment company to bring all the pieces together. Depending on the location, I would have to raise money through loans to build out the restaurant.
What were some of the biggest challenges you faced while building your side hustle, and how did you navigate them?
Finding the right first location was very difficult. It took three years of intense looking and negotiating. The lease was the biggest risk in the beginning, and I wanted to work with a landlord I knew would care about my business and our partnership. Not only was I looking for a great first location, but also a nice landlord to work with. I asked successful business people in my life for advice. I asked for advice left and right from the people I admired. When it came time to decide, I would make my own decisions based on my intuition and what I learned from my advisors.
How long did it take you to see consistent monthly revenue? How much did the side hustle earn?
We were busy out of the gate because we were the first restaurant in a small suburban town with a lot of young families. People were excited and waiting for us to open. Sales were consistently increasing monthly, which was stressful because we never knew how much we needed to prepare. In hindsight, I guess that kind of stress is better than the stress of no business. My goal was to do sales over $1 million in the first year, and we achieved it!
What does growth and revenue look like now?
We now have an Amazon business, a direct-to-consumer frozen shipping business, retail and wholesale for our dumplings and sauces, and restaurants. Our goal is to share as many dumplings as possible, as every kid deserves to have dumplings as their comfort food, just like I did. We are trying our best to double our revenue every year over year.
Related: In Her Late 30s, She Pursued Another Creative Side Hustle — Then Turned It Into a Multimillion-Dollar Business
What do you enjoy most about running this business?
Nothing makes me happier than seeing people enjoy the flavors from my family's recipes, whether in restaurants or the comfort of their own homes.
What's your advice for others hoping to start successful side hustles or full-time businesses of their own?
Set goals, make lists, cross off your tasks and manifest your best life. Once the business is up and running, focus on the customer first and over-serve them when you can. Be self-aware and know your strengths and weaknesses so that you know what key people you need to hire to help you. At the end of the day, it's all about teamwork because success does not come when you're working alone. Find the right people for the team and enjoy the journey. I have gratitude every day, and I know how to balance time for myself and prioritize the most important things first, personal and work! An entrepreneur is never a failure because trying is the bravest thing you can do.
