In our season finale, Shulin Lee speaks with Nan, on her unexpected journey from lawyer to restaurateur. We hear of many professionals who venture into the world of F&B. This isn’t exactly a new storyline. Except that this time, we get to hear the rawness of challenging situations and the reality of what goes through the mind of a restaurant owner, in the midst of crisis management. Propelled by her passion for lifelong learning, she empowers her team to contribute ideas. Honouring craftmanship in F&B, and making luxury affordable to the masses, Nan has made and continues to make a significant impact in the restaurant industry. Nan is the co-owner of Empire Eats, a restaurant group with 9 stand-alone restaurants and bars, and Liberty Spirits Asia, an alcohol distribution company. Their companies employ over a hundred full-time staff. Standing Sushi Bar, Tanuki Raw, Salmon Samurai, The Secret Mermaid, just to name a few of their brands. Nan was an IP lawyer for 7 years, before being lured into the glamorous world of food and beverages by her husband, Howard Lo, who started the company in 2009. She joined Empire Eats in 2014. Since then, she has helped to expand the empire from 4 restaurants to 12 at one-point pre-Covid! == Hui Nan Lim - https://www.linkedin.com/in/huinan Connect with me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/shulinlee/ More on the podcast - https://www.AfterTheBar.com.sg What to listen for: 0:00        Intro 3:00        Leaving practice to F&B 4:00        How she expanded Empire Eats 6:20        Exciting start of her journey as a restaurateur  9:30        Honoring craftsmanship in F&B 11:10     Empowering her team to come up with ideas  12:00     “Dragon lady” with a soft heart  14:40     Mindful allocation of energy  15:20     Why she’s energized by active learning  17:20     The only relevant skill in this world - How to Learn  19:00     Service recovery, when things don’t go their way,  19:53     “Mother’s Day massacre” in 2020  23:55     Retaining their staff, in the midst of the pandemic  25:20     Communities of practices, during adversity  30:50     Advice to people who wish to open a restaurant?  33:18     What does success look like for Nan? 36:50     Being hospitality-centric to meet customers’ needs  38:40     Advice to her younger self? 40:00     Predictions for restaurant industry  43:35     Rapid fire round