Episode Summary:
What if creativity — not perfection — was your most powerful event strategy? In this episode of Beats Working, Libby Sundgren sits down with Michael Huynh, founder of Seattle-based bakery Macadons, to explore how risk-taking, community-first thinking, and a willingness to try (and sometimes fail) can transform a brand into an experience people feel deeply connected to. From leaving a stable career at Boeing to framing cease-and-desist letters as milestones of growth, Michael shares how creativity builds belonging — and why events should feel human, not polished.
Takeaways:
- Risk is a signal of growth. If no one’s pushing back, you’re probably playing it too safe.
- Community beats product. People remember how an experience made them feel — not just what they consumed.
- Creativity scales culture. Empowering your team unlocks unexpected leadership and loyalty.
- Failure isn’t fatal. It’s often the fastest feedback loop.
- Events are emotional ecosystems. Treat them like living, breathing experiences — not checklists.
Timestamps:
[01:03] — Meet Michael Huynh and the story behind Macadons
[03:24] — Leaving Boeing: choosing uncertainty over regret
[07:52] — Discovering purpose through hiring and mentorship
[11:40] — Creativity, risk, and the cease-and-desist mindset
[18:10] — Building community through food, culture, and events
Resources & Links:
-Michael Huynh: LinkedIn
-Macadons: Website, Facebook, Instagram
-Alysse & Libby: Bios & LinkedIn
Connect with Us:
-Website: www.beatsworkingpodcast.com
-LinkedIn: @Beats Working Podcast
-Instagram: @beatsworkingpodcast
-Facebook: @Beats Working
-YouTube: @beatsworkingpodcast
Follow & Subscribe:
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Send Feedback:
If you have a show idea, feedback, or just want to connect, email us at info@beatsworking.show.
Beats Working is a platform on a mission to redeem work—the word, the place, and the way. We believe that work is the most honorable act in the universe, and through inspiring stories and practical insights, we want to transform the way people think about work and help them discover greater fulfillment in their lives. We invite you to join us as we build community through sharing and actively demonstrating what we learn.
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Transcript
The following transcript is not certified. Although the transcription is largely accurate, in some cases it is incomplete or inaccurate due to inaudible passages or transcription errors. The information contained within this document is for general information purposes only.
[00:00:00] Michael made a joke with his team that they should just really go after these cease. You know, if they get cease and desist letters, that means people are seeing them and like, why not? We’re gonna post them. Let’s just put ’em on the wall. We’re gonna frame them and put cease and desist letters everywhere so you can see how much we’ve grown.
[00:00:18] Yeah, it’s gonna be a wallpaper and it means you’re trying new things and doing things that might be scary, but never infringing again after that season to sweater.
[00:00:29] Welcome to BEATS WORKING, winning the Game of Events where we share stories and strategies to turn any event or life moment into something Unforgettable. Events are wild and the people who work in them are some of the most resilient humans on earth, if you know, you know. So come with us behind the curtain for a look at their most memorable experiences, as they say, the show must go on.
[00:00:55] So let’s get on with the [00:01:00] show.
[00:01:03] Libby Sundgren: Welcome back to BEATS WORKING,
[00:01:04] winning The Game of Events.
[00:01:05] I am your solo host today,
[00:01:07] Libby Sunrun, because Elise is out
[00:01:09] of the office, which means I get
[00:01:11] to take you on a sweet detour, quite literally, into the world of macarons, creativity
[00:01:17] and community. Michael Quinn is the founder and CEO of Mac
[00:01:21] ADONs, a Seattle-based bakery, known for its inventive, Asian inspired
[00:01:25] desserts and its community first approach.
[00:01:28] After leaving Boeing in
[00:01:29] 2017 to chase his passion, he has grown Mac ADONs into a thriving business with two
[00:01:34] locations,
[00:01:35] 24 employees. One cease and desist letter and a
[00:01:39] reputation for
[00:01:40] turning macarons into moments that bring people together
[00:01:45] from custom
[00:01:45] printed pieces
[00:01:46] for weddings and events to collapse with local artists, and the launch of a new Bellevue
[00:01:51] location. This
[00:01:52] episode is all about how creativity can build community one sweet
[00:01:57] treat dessert at a time. Welcome Michael.
[00:01:59] Michael Huynh: [00:02:00] Hi, Libby. Thank you so much. For the wonderful introduction. I like how you threw in
[00:02:04] this letter. We won’t from who
[00:02:06] yet.
[00:02:06] Libby Sundgren: Well, we will work that into our, we kind of talked about that in our pre convo, but we’ll, we’ll make a
[00:02:14] reel or we’ll work it into this, , episode so that our listeners
[00:02:18] know what I’m talking about, because I mean, everybody needs to know about a cease and desist, you know.
[00:02:23] Okay, so I did, like I mentioned, you left a stable
[00:02:27] job at Boeing to start something much
[00:02:31] more unpredictable, a bakery. What called you
[00:02:35] to make the leap and how
[00:02:37] did your why evolve? From just delicious baked goods to building a community.
[00:02:45] Michael Huynh: Wow.
[00:02:46] I have to break that down into a few different pieces.
[00:02:48] Libby Sundgren: So many questions in one.
[00:02:50] Michael Huynh: you. I, a very
[00:02:52] Libby Sundgren: Mm-hmm.
[00:02:53] Michael Huynh: memory
[00:02:55] to to keep that in order.
[00:02:57] Libby Sundgren: Okay. Why’d you leave Boeing to [00:03:00] start? Mac ADONs. Let’s just start
[00:03:02] Michael Huynh: there.
[00:03:02] Libby Sundgren: We’ll Start
[00:03:03] Michael Huynh: We’ll see where it goes after. Uh, why did I leave? Well, we go back to the story. Uh, Macon actually started in 2014. yeah, I was, I was doing both Macans and Boeing at the same time for three years,
[00:03:22] a really long time.
[00:03:24] Um, but at the time, Macans was just a side hustle you something to make a little bit of extra money for vacation, so whatever. ,
[00:03:33] but the business kept organically growing. I don’t know if we ever had
[00:03:37] plans
[00:03:37] to have Macans grow to what it is today. Back in 2014 to 2017,
[00:03:46] yeah, it wasn’t one of those like, quit your job and pursue your passion type of things.
[00:03:51] It was kinda like, oh, cool,
[00:03:54] like these people like these cookies that we’re making and we’re making them one nights and weekends
[00:03:59] and, [00:04:00] uh, what.
[00:04:01] Continue to make ’em. and, I say we,
[00:04:03] because I had a co-founder at the time, her name is Donna, that’s like Method. Dawns uh, she still is around, but we have gone our separate ways.
[00:04:16] Um, back in 2017,
[00:04:19] at
[00:04:20] that point I was at Boeing for six years. So started Boeing in 2011, Boeing and Mecca on 2014. 2017 came, I was there for six years and I looked around and, uh, no offense
[00:04:37] to anybody that I worked with, but everybody seemed miserable, and I didn’t want to do that for another 35 years of my life.
[00:04:49] And
[00:04:50] so.
[00:04:51] just made the, made the decision to quit. And the reason why it was a little bit easier for me than some people is [00:05:00] because I don’t have anybody depending on me.
[00:05:02] I don’t wanna have a wife. I
[00:05:03] don’t have kids. I have four
[00:05:05] dogs. Third grade at the pound only had one dog. Um,
[00:05:08] Libby Sundgren: they depend on you. Oh.
[00:05:10] Michael Huynh: yeah, but it’s, um, I, I remember asking myself like, what’s the worst that can happen if I, if I do it? And if the worst thing was that I failed and I had to go back to getting a minimum wage job, which I didn’t think that I would have to get a minimum wage job, I probably get a better job than that. But, but if that was the worst case scenario, it really wasn’t that bad. And uh, yeah, it sucked giving up my salary at the time.
[00:05:42] ’cause I just maxed out at Boeing, like once you’re there for six years, you make like the max pay in your job. And I just got there and leaving all the benefits, which I didn’t really use anyway. ’cause, you know, you think you’re young and healthy and invincible. Um, but yeah, it, it, it, hurt [00:06:00] for a bit to leave all that. but I’m glad that. I did and I, I, there was never any point after I left Boeing that, from, from then till now, nine years, later, that I
[00:06:15] Regretted regretted my decision.
[00:06:17] Libby Sundgren: that’s
[00:06:17] refreshing and amazing.
[00:06:20] I mean, how many times there are probably so many people who look around and gnarly like.
[00:06:25] I feel the same thing that you saw like, oh my
[00:06:28] God, everyone here hates this. I mean, I had so many, I’ve had so many
[00:06:32] moments in my, you know, prior work life where I looked around and felt the same way.
[00:06:38] But,
[00:06:40] um, but then I just went to work the next day, so.
[00:06:43] Michael Huynh: And sometimes you have to, right? Like if I look back and like if I. did have. A family depending on me, I don’t know if I can say that I wouldn’t have left, but it would’ve made it so much harder because I have to like depend on [00:07:00] that income. And even if you’re, you don’t have anybody depending on you, like you’re not willing to give up a certain lifestyle that that job compensates you to live,
[00:07:10] then that’s also
[00:07:11] difficult.
[00:07:12] Right.
[00:07:12] Libby Sundgren: Yeah, and it’s scary taking a leap like that. But,
[00:07:16] you just did it. So now, okay.
[00:07:19] Tell me how,
[00:07:21] okay, so you
[00:07:22] took the
[00:07:23] leap, went full-time to Mac
[00:07:25] ADONs. Yes, it was about
[00:07:29] the delicious baked goods and how
[00:07:31] much people loved them. But you’ve really
[00:07:34] transformed Mac ADONs
[00:07:36] into a
[00:07:37] community.
[00:07:38] You know, the locations,
[00:07:40] the feeling, the way that
[00:07:41] you spread,
[00:07:42] you know. Community yourself, , is really
[00:07:46] something that I think a lot
[00:07:47] of
[00:07:48] people can learn from. did that feel organic?
[00:07:52] , or was
[00:07:52] that something that you had to work
[00:07:54] at?
[00:07:55] Michael Huynh: It definitely felt organic, but when did it happen? [00:08:00] It didn’t happen at that point. So up until 2017, even after. Quitting my job or at the point that I quit my job, it was just me and my co-founder doing the business. And it’s kind of sad to say, but I, I didn’t know what I was passionate about at the time.
[00:08:20] I didn’t, I didn’t quit Boeing to pursue my passion. Like Macans wasn’t a passion, it was just
[00:08:26] making a product and it was growing to the point where. It had its own legs and it was like, okay, cool. I I see a future in this and I think I can focus on this. but I actually didn’t find out what my passion was until a few months later.
[00:08:45] And what sparked that was hiring our first employee who is still with us today.
[00:08:52] He’s been with us since, uh, 2017.
[00:08:55] Yeah. She’s my, she’s my right hand
[00:08:58] Libby Sundgren: a good retention story. [00:09:00]
[00:09:00] Michael Huynh: Yeah. We have really good retention for a business that typically does not, but we can get into that later.
[00:09:07] Libby Sundgren: Okay, So, it started with her. She was your first employee, she’s still
[00:09:11] with you. And how did that kind of change, you know, or evolve your passion or kind of, you know, bring that to the forefront of Mac ADONs.
[00:09:20] Michael Huynh: Yeah, I love talking about this. So I, I believe, and this is just my own personal opinion, that the things that we feel passionate about are the things that cause this trauma in our past. and for me what it was, was that as I was growing up,
[00:09:43] I was so lost and confused. I hated school. I hated learning about things I didn’t care about.
[00:09:51] I didn’t know what I wanted to do
[00:09:54] In high school, everybody was like, I’m gonna go be a doctor, or a lawyer, or this or that, and [00:10:00] they just like, we’re so sure. About the thing that they wanted to do and that they were gonna go to college for. And I was so envious. I was like, how, how do you know?
[00:10:12] Like, we’re,
[00:10:13] we’re, so young and
[00:10:15] Libby Sundgren: Mm-hmm.
[00:10:16] Michael Huynh: I don’t know.
[00:10:17] I don’t know. I, I just, I’ve tried so many different things and I’ve never been passionate about anything. Like I’ve always done a good job working all the jobs that I have done. I hope. Hopefully none of my, like previous employers are watching this. They’re like, no, I, why, uh, but I always like, I, I just loved figuring things out and so I would just like go and do a job, learn how to do it, and then like optimize it because I’m lazy.
[00:10:42] Like I want just do it like easiest way, in the fastest way. But I, never, uh, like, cut corners or mess with quality or anything. it was like, how do I keep improving this and. What I realized was the moment that I couldn’t improve the job anymore, [00:11:00] I got bored with it because then it just became the same thing day in and day out. Anyway, going back to the story, um, I just never knew what I wanted to do, and I think that I, I wish I had somebody growing up that.
[00:11:15] Like a mentor or a coach or somebody just to guide me and like see what I was good at and then like, help me grow because they saw the potential in that. And the reason why I have so much passion in the job that I’m doing now, which is running this business, is that I’m able to be that person for other people, uh, because who, who applies to work at Macon’s?
[00:11:41] Like they’re, they’re not applying to. Work here so that they can learn how to make great macro runs. Like maybe some people are really interested in macro runs, but majority of people, have, are not. They’re just, they’re just like, oh, I heard this was a good place to work. I got referred here. I want to work here for a bit. And uh, [00:12:00] what usually happens is they have another job and they’re just doing this on the side. And then, and then this becomes their main thing, and then the other job becomes a side, and then it, this just becomes their, their only thing. , but it’s great because like I get to work with people and see what they’re good at, see what they enjoy doing, and as the business grows, give them opportunities to test those things out. Sometimes we get it right and it’s amazing. Sometimes we get it wrong, and that’s okay. At least we tried it And we figured out that that position wasn’t for
[00:12:34] them, and then we
[00:12:35] give them another opportunity to
[00:12:37] try something else. So, yeah, it’s, it’s really
[00:12:39] Libby Sundgren: I mean.
[00:12:39] Michael Huynh: in that way.
[00:12:40] Libby Sundgren: That’s really awesome
[00:12:41] too, that you provide that kind of an environment because those are
[00:12:46] very
[00:12:47] rare. you know, there are, there are not a
[00:12:49] lot
[00:12:50] of
[00:12:50] places where you can walk into work and You know, feel confident that you can try
[00:12:55] something and
[00:12:57] fail and [00:13:00] still have a job
[00:13:01] to come back to and have a place that’s,
[00:13:04] you
[00:13:04] know, not like you’re gonna go in And
[00:13:06] try to fail, but you can try new
[00:13:08] things.
[00:13:09] You can
[00:13:10] test things out.
[00:13:11] You can, you know, share your ideas and opinions
[00:13:14] and not, um, you know, worry about how it’s gonna look or. What’s gonna happen if I don’t make it You know, because there is such a
[00:13:23] pressure, I think, to perform perfectly, at least in my mind, there
[00:13:28] is
[00:13:29] Michael Huynh: The other part that I add to that. The jobs that I did. Now, I’m careful to say that I
[00:13:36] did a good job everywhere
[00:13:37] that I worked, but at This
[00:13:38] I did.
[00:13:41] Libby Sundgren: This is where the
[00:13:42] cease and desist letters come in people.
[00:13:46] Michael Huynh: I, I felt like because I did a good job at the jobs that I was doing, it prevented me from having opportunities to grow because why would they want to get rid of somebody that was doing a good job? And so. [00:14:00] It sucked because I was seeing that other people that weren’t doing a good job? had more opportunities to grow into other things because they were like, oh man, this person sucked at this.
[00:14:09] Let’s try to have them do this other thing. And I was like, what about me? Like I’ve been working hard, like I learned how to do this thing. Like I did it really well And now this other person who didn’t work hard or doesn’t know what he is doing. gets a promotion or gets to move on to like do something better.
[00:14:26] And so. that’s something that I also wanted to change in this business and I want to change everything that I hated about working for other
[00:14:32] people.
[00:14:33] And now I
[00:14:33] get the opportunity to do
[00:14:34] that.
[00:14:35] Libby Sundgren: Oh, I love it. I love it. It’s just, I mean, it’s the reason that you know, that we love events because it’s not just, you know, the logistical part, but the connection that you have with people And love it. Okay, but
[00:14:51] speaking of events, I do gotta ask you, you just had a grand
[00:14:55] opening in Bellevue, your second location, [00:15:00]
[00:15:00] please tell us about
[00:15:01] it and what was the first day like?
[00:15:04] I wanna
[00:15:04] know about the energy and the people.
[00:15:08] The lessons that you learned that you thought you were gonna learn or
[00:15:12] that you didn’t think you were gonna learn, like what, what was it like? And like, basically having a child,
[00:15:18] like you do have things that depend on you. Now you have two
[00:15:22] businesses plus the animal.
[00:15:24] So tell us about it.
[00:15:27] Michael Huynh: I, I love all your
[00:15:28] questions
[00:15:28] that have 17 questions in ’em.
[00:15:30] I’m gonna try to answer that the best I can,
[00:15:32] Libby Sundgren: I’m a complex and layered individual. Okay.
[00:15:36] Michael Huynh: and if I don’t get to one of those 17 questions, feel free to ask me again.
[00:15:40] Libby Sundgren: I’ll come back. I’ll come back to it. I’ll circle
[00:15:42] Michael Huynh: yeah, Bellevue.
[00:15:43] Macon’s number two, baby. Number two. Um, number three technically. ’cause we have a, a commercial kitchen
[00:15:50] and our Renton location and so
[00:15:53] Bellevue is actually our third
[00:15:55] baby, if you wanna think about it like that.
[00:15:58] Libby Sundgren: Oh, see, [00:16:00] your family’s growing.
[00:16:02] Michael Huynh: Yes. And all of the people that we
[00:16:04] employ are also feel like my kids, which is
[00:16:07] hard. So it’s not just me anymore. Um, yeah, Bellevue. That was exciting. we, when, when did it open? It opened November 8th, 2025, 11 years into the business.
[00:16:22] It was, it was good. It
[00:16:24] was fun. It was good energy. It, I have
[00:16:28] an amazing team now. Has been with me for a pretty long time and it,
[00:16:34] it really isn’t me anymore. Like, yeah, I can give myself a pat on the back for the things that I do, but like, it’s so much of them
[00:16:42] and their coordination and planning that made it really successful.
[00:16:48] We had a ton of people, we had different events going on.
[00:16:52] People were like assembling their own macarons and designing them and getting them printed. we had like probably
[00:16:59] [00:17:00] six or eight of our team members there helping out when I wasn’t really planning on anything. I was planning on
[00:17:06] maybe like
[00:17:07] three. Uh, but I’m glad everybody showed up because.
[00:17:11] Libby Sundgren: Ugh. That’s awesome.
[00:17:13] Michael Huynh: Because it was like way busier than we expected it to be.
[00:17:15] Like, I was just like, oh, hey, cool. It’s just gonna be like the small thing. And you know, whoever shows up, shows up, it’s gonna be
[00:17:21] like friends and family. But it was, it was nice to see the community show up. what else was there? Energy was good. Um, the, the rent and Chamber came out to support ’cause we were in, uh, our, our.
[00:17:34] Flagship cafe is in Renton and we have, uh, built a great relationship with our Renton chamber. And,
[00:17:44] um, they showed up
[00:17:45] with a ribbon so we can
[00:17:47] actually do a ribbon cutting and make it, uh, memorialized.
[00:17:50] Libby Sundgren: so
[00:17:51] Michael Huynh: It was great. Um, oh, so a little bit about the Bellevue location is a little bit different. [00:18:00] Um, our rent and location is like a standalone store.
[00:18:04] I, not standalone, it’s like in this
[00:18:05] like,
[00:18:05] uh, shopping district, but Bellevue,
[00:18:08] Libby Sundgren: not just a store, it’s a vibe.
[00:18:10] you
[00:18:10] know, there’s like, you can come in and hang out.
[00:18:14] There’s so much soft seating. There’s like tall tables if you wanna stand or, or sit and work at your laptop. I mean, it’s a
[00:18:22] great place. If you’re looking for just a place to stop in, highly
[00:18:26] recommend. But tell us about the Bellevue location. Just had to plug the
[00:18:29] Michael Huynh: Thank you. Thank you. Yeah, definitely come out, come check out. Rented. It’s great. We put a
[00:18:33] lot of love and effort into
[00:18:35] this place. Uh, Bellevue
[00:18:37] is a little bit
[00:18:38] different because it’s inside a dealership,
[00:18:42] specifically the Lexus
[00:18:44] of Bellevue dealership.
[00:18:46] And it’s an interesting business model that isn’t.
[00:18:51] isn’t.
[00:18:51] executed very often. , but a
[00:18:54] lot of these dealerships
[00:18:55] have like little cafe areas that
[00:18:59] [00:19:00] honestly aren’t executed very well at all. Um, it’s usually just like,
[00:19:05] you know,
[00:19:05] they, they put there and then sometimes they do like free coffee or
[00:19:09] put some fruits or something. , but
[00:19:11] I guess they did that.
[00:19:13] Or Alexis
[00:19:15] Bellevue did that many moons ago
[00:19:18] and they ran it, but it
[00:19:21] wasn’t particularly ran well. And so they decided to shut it down and then they went to like this grab and go honesty market type of
[00:19:31] situation. Um, they still have that. You can still get stuff from there. , but they wanted it.
[00:19:38] They reached out to us at ADONs to run their cafe program. ’cause they just wanted somebody to
[00:19:44] take care of it for them.
[00:19:46] And at first I was like, oh, you know, that’s kind of
[00:19:48] weird, but I’m interested
[00:19:51] in having a conversation. So we went out and talked to
[00:19:53] them and. Yeah, it’s a huge dealership. They have a huge service department, [00:20:00] so there’s, there’s a captive audience that is there for many hours because they were getting their cars worked on, and also they have, uh, a lot of employees that are there.
[00:20:10] And so it’s not like a
[00:20:13] great area for foot traffic
[00:20:15] because who’s gonna
[00:20:17] randomly
[00:20:17] walk?
[00:20:21] Libby Sundgren: Well, if they’ve had Mac
[00:20:22] ADONs, then they will come to the dealership just for those treats. But yes, it’s not a natural, you’re not naturally gonna just see it and pop in because there might be a cafe inside a dealership that you could
[00:20:35] Michael Huynh: and there’s, uh, at the moment there’s no signage outside, so it’s hard to get people to like even know that we’re there. So we’re gonna have to do a lot of social media and advertising to, to let people know. Um, but it’s, it’s great because we can lean into the partnership between Macon and Lexus, which is, you know, a well known brand, pretty [00:21:00] high end. I think it’s aligned with where we feel like we are as a business.
[00:21:05] And what else there,
[00:21:08] what else are we gonna say? It’s different because the store in Renton that we have, were around so many coffee shops and so many restaurants, but people know it’s for macarons and ice cream. little plug for our ice cream. It’s called Pink Ice Cream. And we do Asian inspired ice cream flavors.
[00:21:26] You can buy ’em by the Pint or Scoop. Here at Brenton, we also have ice cream macaron.
[00:21:32] Libby Sundgren: of my language. Ah,
[00:21:34] Michael Huynh: And that’s why we got into the ice cream game. But anyway, uh, yeah, so people come here for macarons, primarily macarons and ice cream, but in Bellevue it’s different because we’re servicing the service department and also their employees. And so they’re not looking for sweetss every day. Um, they’re looking for coffee and food, which we don’t specialize in, [00:22:00] But We do from time to time in, in our rent and location, but there’s much more of a focus on that in Renton or in Bellevue. And so we, yeah, we created a pretty good size drink menu. And then we’re also offering, , different hot sandwiches like breakfast sandwiches and lunch sandwiches But yeah, very different.
[00:22:25] Libby Sundgren: Oh my gosh. Yum.
[00:22:29] I mean, that’s just so cool
[00:22:32] that they reached out to you, number one,
[00:22:35] and had you in
[00:22:35] mind. Um, because
[00:22:36] yes, it is a very
[00:22:37] well-known and well-respected brand. But
[00:22:41] it’s. You know, like what a
[00:22:44] cool opportunity that,
[00:22:47] you know, you give your
[00:22:49] employees to be able to try new things and stretch their legs and
[00:22:54] their limits. and
[00:22:55] now
[00:22:56] through this partnership,
[00:22:58] you also get to do the same thing. I mean, I know it’s [00:23:00] also a lot of your
[00:23:00] team doing, doing the leg stretching over there, but, but for you too, you get to try new things, expand
[00:23:07] into new menus And new offerings and things
[00:23:11] that. Might feel a little, I mean, they’re obviously in your wheelhouse, but out a little outside of your typical wheelhouse that you’ve been in, so,
[00:23:20] Michael Huynh: Yeah. , and I.
[00:23:21] do want to be careful of. That. Right. Because it’s like I wanna stick to the core of what makes us Mac ADONs and it’s macarons. Right? And I think
[00:23:29] Libby Sundgren: mm-hmm.
[00:23:31] Michael Huynh: too many businesses get distracted by trying to offer everything to everyone, and then they lose the essence of like, what makes them great, right? Let’s just say we do the, the drinks and the sandwiches and yeah, it’s fine. But then people that haven’t come to us, people or have, you know, like they come to us and they’re like, give us a three star
[00:23:56] rating, because they’re like, oh, the sandwiches all right. I don’t want you to rate me on the sandwiches.
[00:23:59] Libby Sundgren: [00:24:00] But have you tried the Macrons? That’s what I want you to review. That’s the most important
[00:24:04] Michael Huynh: Yeah. So I kind of just wanna like Keep those things separate. It’s like, yeah, we offer sandwiches and it’s kind of the, the thing that we do, but like our, our company is Maca Ons and we make macarons. It’s just like if, uh, if you go to a Vietnamese place and they have this, like, everybody’s been a Vietnamese place that has a menu with like 300 different things on there.
[00:24:24] Right? And like, they’re really good at the rice dish, but they’re like, oh, well people want the, the one’s gonna make all this other stuff. And then somebody eats the F and they’re like, oh yeah, it’s like a three.
[00:24:34] On the one thing.
[00:24:37] Libby Sundgren: Should have done the other
[00:24:38] stuff. Yeah. Okay. Well, you mentioned something speaking of Macrons that um,
[00:24:44] you did at the
[00:24:45] opening that I
[00:24:46] have
[00:24:48] done with you before. And these are amazing. They’re
[00:24:51] custom printed. macarons. they’re little tiny
[00:24:56] edible canvases that can really tell any [00:25:00] story that you want Um, would you please share one of your favorite
[00:25:05] event collabs
[00:25:07] with a custom printed macaron and what made
[00:25:10] it
[00:25:10] special? I’ll go first. My favorite custom printed one. We did a
[00:25:17] dinner. Um, one of our sidekick suppers a few years ago
[00:25:22] at Matt’s in the market or at the art space upstairs, and we took photos of everybody who was there. When they got there
[00:25:33] and with our photographer and then we, she texted the photos, we put them in this, I sent ’em to Michael.
[00:25:42] He put ’em in this little program, and then we printed special custom Macon for people at the event that they got to take home, and it had their own face on it from That night. It was really cute. People loved them. They lost their minds.
[00:25:59] Michael Huynh: [00:26:00] That was great.
[00:26:01] Libby Sundgren: That was a really
[00:26:02] Michael Huynh: one didn’t even come to mind. Unfortunately,
[00:26:05] Libby Sundgren: how dare
[00:26:06] Michael Huynh: forever. Now. Anytime anybody asks me a question, that’s the one
[00:26:09] that I’m
[00:26:09] going to.
[00:26:10] Libby Sundgren: that is the
[00:26:11] one we’re
[00:26:11] Michael Huynh: Yeah. And, and
[00:26:12] Libby Sundgren: the other one?
[00:26:13] Michael Huynh: no, that one was probably the, like the most impactful one because nobody saw it coming. Right. And they were like, how did you just
[00:26:19] get this picture
[00:26:21] on this Macon
[00:26:21] that we just took today, like
[00:26:24] Libby Sundgren: It
[00:26:24] Michael Huynh: minutes, hours
[00:26:25] Libby Sundgren: a surprise and
[00:26:26] delight moment.
[00:26:27] Yes,
[00:26:29] Michael Huynh: So it’s, it’s, it was amazing. Yeah. That, that one’s gonna stick in my mind
[00:26:33] forever now. Thanks. And they were very high
[00:26:35] quality photos too, because we have a professional photographer there.
[00:26:38] Libby Sundgren: I know. They were there were just not pixelated. It was amazing. But tell me another one, like what other kind of cool stuff have people done with custom printed macarons at their events?
[00:26:50] Michael Huynh: Well, none of them really stand out because they are just all kind of like bulk order large, just like the same logo or the same image [00:27:00] or multiple of them. But one thing that we’ve been really focusing on for like about the past year is a, our onsite printing event, because maybe it was sparked from doing that with you, but, um, we figured out.
[00:27:17] Libby Sundgren: was pretty awesome.
[00:27:17] Michael Huynh: Figured out how to take the whole setup with us. You know, we bring the printer, we bring a laptop, we have this as an offering. It’s called our onsite printing program, and you can call us to come work your event and we’ll, we’ll bring. Bring everything in we need bring the macarons and then people can scan a QR code, upload any image, and then get it printed on the spot and it, the
[00:27:45] whole process takes maybe
[00:27:46] like
[00:27:47] two minutes for Macon.
[00:27:49] Libby Sundgren: So they can pick whatever photo they want. They can pick their own picture. They can
[00:27:52] do,
[00:27:53] Michael Huynh: of pets. We got a lot of kids.
[00:27:55] Libby Sundgren: oh yeah. Mm-hmm.
[00:27:56] Michael Huynh: We got some images that maybe I can’t talk [00:28:00] about on this podcast. It’s happened a few times. I’m like, yeah. Send me whatever you’re comfortable saying to me.
[00:28:06] Like, I don’t, I don’t care.
[00:28:06] Libby Sundgren: Sure, whatever. Yep. I’ll print it Daniel Steel style.
[00:28:12] Michael Huynh: um, I will print it, Usually that happens after a
[00:28:15] few
[00:28:15] drinks.
[00:28:16] Libby Sundgren: Oh yeah, I’m sure I’m sure they, the photos get better as the night goes on. One other cool thing that we’ve done, um. With you two doing these
[00:28:24] custom printing is that we’ve printed QR codes
[00:28:28] on two cookies, so, or onto the macaron
[00:28:33] so that people can, you
[00:28:36] know,
[00:28:36] you can, I mean, if they can scan it before they eat it, that’s the hard part.
[00:28:39] You gotta
[00:28:40] make sure that
[00:28:40] they know, they gotta scan the
[00:28:42] QR code for whatever message you’re trying to send them. but especially if you’re doing like little duos of stuff too, it’s. a really cool touch, a great way to send information home
[00:28:51] with people without giving them paper.
[00:28:54] Michael Huynh: Man,
[00:28:55] I, I need you to be
[00:28:55] my spokesperson
[00:28:56] for methadones because you remember all these things that I, I don’t even [00:29:00] remember
[00:29:00] anymore.
[00:29:00] Libby Sundgren: very passionate about snacks and desserts, so yes, I am your hype gal. You just send people to me and I’ll
[00:29:07] tell them
[00:29:08] about so many
[00:29:08] Michael Huynh: Sounds good. I’ll you a
[00:29:10] percentage of sales.
[00:29:14] Libby Sundgren: Okay. I want to, before we wrap, I need to ask
[00:29:18] you,
[00:29:20] A question from one of our signature segments. One of my
[00:29:23] favorite things is called
[00:29:26] What Went Wrong? It’s a
[00:29:28] hiccup story that turned into a lesson, or
[00:29:32] it’s a funny or chaotic behind the
[00:29:35] scenes story. Something that makes you laugh. An oops moment.
[00:29:41] you learn something.
[00:29:42] Maybe it.
[00:29:44] was just kind of
[00:29:44] insane, and you’re like, I hope I never have to live that moment ever again, but I wanna
[00:29:49] hear it. What went wrong?
[00:29:52] Michael Huynh: Everything goes
[00:29:52] wrong All the time. All the time. And you always,
[00:29:56] Libby Sundgren: every
[00:29:56] Michael Huynh: always just have to laugh about it because you just have to [00:30:00] accept that things are just not gonna be perfect ever. And um, everything is a learning opportunity. The only time it sucks is like when it happens
[00:30:11] again.
[00:30:12] Like why did it
[00:30:13] happen again?
[00:30:13] Didn’t you learn from.
[00:30:14] the first time? But it still happens, you know, like we sometimes we don’t learn, sometimes we just gotta go through it a few times. So like really drill it into our head that things go wrong
[00:30:23] and we need to figure
[00:30:24] out the process
[00:30:25] to improve it.
[00:30:27] Libby Sundgren: I mean, are you saying that we’re
[00:30:28] human?
[00:30:29] Michael Huynh: Most of are
[00:30:30] Libby Sundgren: it
[00:30:31] Michael Huynh: can’t speak for everybody. but a specific story. What went wrong? I don’t know. Nothing.
[00:30:38] Nothing so
[00:30:39] terrible that it was
[00:30:40] like traumatizing.
[00:30:42] Libby Sundgren: Nothing you couldn’t come back
[00:30:44] from.
[00:30:44] Michael Huynh: yeah.
[00:30:45] And if I, if there was and I couldn’t, then we probably wouldn’t be sitting here talking unless it was the story
[00:30:51] about
[00:30:54] entrepreneur people.
[00:30:56] Uh.
[00:30:57] Libby Sundgren: I’ll tell you one thing
[00:30:58] about what went wrong
[00:30:59] [00:31:00] because, and this was
[00:31:00] on, this
[00:31:01] was this is on me, so that’s why I’m gonna
[00:31:04] share it. When we had Michael bring
[00:31:08] the printer to do these custom printing, um, custom printed macrons
[00:31:14] at the dinner,
[00:31:16] um, I was not very
[00:31:18] clear with him about where an elevator was Um, And so
[00:31:23] he carried, did you didn’t you carry it up
[00:31:27] the stairs? Yeah, he carried this very heavy printer, like first it was in Pike Place
[00:31:34] Market. Very busy. You don’t, you can’t find
[00:31:37] close places to park. It’s not
[00:31:39] that kind of a area. So you do, you have to park far away and haul your
[00:31:44] stuff,
[00:31:44] or you have to park in a loading zone and hope you don’t get towed or ticketed.
[00:31:48] So he. I was not very good about explaining to him that there was an elevator, a slow elevator, but an elevator like down the hall. And so
[00:31:58] he [00:32:00] had to carry this very heavy printer. It’s like
[00:32:02] many body
[00:32:03] bags up
[00:32:04] two flights of stairs. It was hot. it was like, summertime, I think it was hot. He was like, oh my gosh, now I have to go park.
[00:32:13] I’m in a loading zone. I’m just gonna leave this. And I was like, oh man. I.
[00:32:18] Should have, I should have been better. I should have asked more
[00:32:21] questions about what this printer looked like. ’cause in my mind I was
[00:32:25] thinking little, um, but I should have, I should have been better also about
[00:32:30] communicating that yes, there was an elevator.
[00:32:32] ’cause then at the end of the
[00:32:32] night, I
[00:32:33] think they’re like, oh yeah, there’s an elevator right
[00:32:35] over here. Michael’s like, what? There’s
[00:32:38] Michael Huynh: No, it’s, it’s great. And that’s what I talk about, like these like little hiccups, right? Like, yeah, it wasn’t that bad. Yeah. Like carry a printer.
[00:32:47] but I can carry it, like I carry it to a lot of events. Not everywhere has
[00:32:50] a, a, Elevator, not everywhere has closed parking. I, there’s times where I have to carry the printer and then
[00:32:56] like I have to like stop and take a break and then carry it again, but it’s [00:33:00] not that bad.
[00:33:01] Um, but these are all learning lessons, right? Like what was the hardest part about me having to like, carry this elevator or printer up the stairs? Like, yeah, yes, there was an elevator, but like if there wasn’t, how could we make it easier? How can I make it so that somebody on my team can carry it that
[00:33:18] maybe isn’t as.
[00:33:21] Strong as I
[00:33:22] am. And so yeah, like,
[00:33:24] Libby Sundgren: that’s such a good lesson to pull from that. That’s really
[00:33:27] Michael Huynh: that’s great. You see the
[00:33:28] printer? I can just carry one right
[00:33:29] now.
[00:33:31] Libby Sundgren: Yeah. Show us the printer. A.
[00:33:48] Michael Huynh: I think it’s not that bad.
[00:33:55] Not many body
[00:33:56] bags. It’s like one, [00:34:00]
[00:34:00] Libby Sundgren: it is just like a big, bulky, but it
[00:34:02] is big.
[00:34:03] Michael Huynh: too. it’s always pain in shape.
[00:34:06] Libby Sundgren: Yes. Now it’s A workout tool.
[00:34:09] A lunger
[00:34:09] Michael Huynh: So now all my competitors can see the printer. Oops. Uh,
[00:34:15] they can get the same thing and start doing custom printed macarons too.
[00:34:20] Libby Sundgren: never,
[00:34:21] Michael Huynh: the first,
[00:34:21] Libby Sundgren: never be the
[00:34:22] Michael Huynh: We were the first, in Seattle, right? 2017 or 18 was when we first started printings. Yeah. Get
[00:34:30] Libby Sundgren: the OGs of the custom printed,
[00:34:32] Michael Huynh: this over here
[00:34:34] Libby Sundgren: ugh. Just leave this over here
[00:34:37] Well, at least you don’t have to carry it any up, any
[00:34:39] stairs today. But,
[00:34:40] Michael Huynh: Okay.
[00:34:41] Libby Sundgren: uh, I
[00:34:42] love it. That was the cherry on top of that story. And thank you for still working with me after I
[00:34:48] made you haul that up the
[00:34:50] Michael Huynh: Booking for more
[00:34:51] events. I love
[00:34:52] it.
[00:34:53] Libby Sundgren: Yeah. We’ll do it. all right. This was
[00:34:56] awesome. Thank you so much for joining me. [00:35:00] And I love these reminders that community doesn’t just happen. It’s really the choices that
[00:35:08] we make, the things we
[00:35:09] do that we’re maybe
[00:35:11] scared to do or not scared to
[00:35:13] do, that we just take a leap at. And,
[00:35:16] um, you know, the people that we collaborate with and the joy
[00:35:20] that we share, and
[00:35:21] I. Just love
[00:35:23] that
[00:35:24] you know, you are taking, you know, what
[00:35:27] you felt you were missing from, uh, certain parts of your life and really trying to bring that alive for other people. And, um, it shows. So
[00:35:37] Michael Huynh: love that you, uh, I love that you, I wanna say one more thing because you, you brought it up. I love that you said, doing the things that we’re scared about. cause that’s what life is all about, is like putting yourself in those uncon uncomfortable situations. ’cause that’s where all the growth happens.
[00:35:53] And like if you were to talk to me 10 years ago, I would’ve been a completely different [00:36:00] person. And I would’ve been so scared to be on this
[00:36:03] podcast with you and talk to you.
[00:36:06] And part of me still is, and like, who’s gonna see this? And did I stutter or do I sound okay? But it’s this putting in those reps of like doing the uncomfortable things.
[00:36:16] ’cause you eventually get
[00:36:17] comfortable with it, but you
[00:36:18] just have to do it
[00:36:20] if you want to grow. and I think we
[00:36:22] Libby Sundgren: I know
[00:36:24] Michael Huynh: and there’s still tons of things that I am scared about all the time still today,
[00:36:31] um, that I don’t want to
[00:36:32] talk about right now. But yeah, you guys are not alone.
[00:36:35] Libby Sundgren: we will not reveal. We will not
[00:36:37] Michael Huynh: It’ll get revealed later, like maybe after.
[00:36:40] I am not scared of it anymore and then I can talk about it. But I think it would be good to like talk about the things that I am still very scared about so that people can relate. I’ll
[00:36:51] let you guess what those
[00:36:52] Libby Sundgren: It’s true.
[00:36:53] Michael Huynh: for now.
[00:36:55] Libby Sundgren: Okay, well now we do have to do just one really quick, more
[00:36:59] quick thing. [00:37:00] I need you to give us a little very TLDR version
[00:37:05] of the cease and desist letter because I did mention
[00:37:09] it and just in case it doesn’t make it.
[00:37:12] into the episode from our pre convo, I need you to tell people what
[00:37:16] that’s about
[00:37:16] Michael Huynh: Okay. Yeah, so back during the pandemic
[00:37:23] in
[00:37:23] 2020,
[00:37:24] Libby Sundgren: Dark times. Mm-hmm.
[00:37:26] Michael Huynh: for those of you who remember, um, we, we wanted to still support, , first responders and, you know, we do custom printed Macon, so we thought it would be cute to print these like. Hello Kitty images of like.
[00:37:44] little hello kitty nurses and give them to nurses and little hello kitty firefighters and give those to the firefighters. And we did that. And then we got a letter from a lawyer from Sanrio [00:38:00] of a cease and desist. And so that was our one free hall pass with them. And now we, now we,
[00:38:08] never
[00:38:08] print anything San Rio ever again, ever.
[00:38:13] Libby Sundgren: never will do it because we don’t want another one. And you know, Michael made a joke with his team that they should just really go after
[00:38:20] these cease, you know, if they get cease, and,
[00:38:23] desist letters, that means people are seeing them And like. Why
[00:38:27] Michael Huynh: gonna put them, put ’em on the wall, we’re gonna frame them
[00:38:30] and put cease and dis sweaters everywhere
[00:38:32] so you can see how much we’ve grown.
[00:38:34] Libby Sundgren: it’s gonna be a wallpaper and it means you’re trying new things and doing things that might
[00:38:40] be scary, but
[00:38:41] never
[00:38:42] infringing again, after that
[00:38:43] Michael Huynh: Never again.
[00:38:45] Libby Sundgren: is a very, very
[00:38:48] rule following person. He will not do it
[00:38:50] Michael Huynh: If you guys reach out for custom printed macarons of anything San Rio, we unfortunately have to tell you no.
[00:38:58] Libby Sundgren: Because of the official
[00:38:59] letter. [00:39:00] So maybe we don’t want you to get more letters, but we do want people to
[00:39:03] see it. So, you know, it’s a it’s a hard one
[00:39:07] You know, what are we gonna do?
[00:39:08] Michael Huynh: We’ll figure it out. though.
[00:39:10] Libby Sundgren: We’ll figure it out
[00:39:11] We’ll make a wallpaper. , okay. So
[00:39:14] speaking of cease and desist, I need to cease and desist myself from continuing to speak right now ’cause I
[00:39:20] will
[00:39:21] run this for
[00:39:22] Michael Huynh: Me too. I got time.
[00:39:24] Libby Sundgren: give me the
[00:39:24] Michael Huynh: I.
[00:39:28] Libby Sundgren: Okay, that is a wrap.
[00:39:31] Nothing. Cancel my meetings.
[00:39:33] You hear that? Yeah. There’s nobody in here. It’s just me. Okay. That is a wrap for this episode of BEATS WORKING. If
[00:39:40] you’ve got an idea or you wanna reach out,
[00:39:42] email us at info at BEATS WORKING show. Remember that every detail matters, every moment counts. And no matter what the show
[00:39:50] and the macarons must go on.
[00:39:53] Thanks for listening to BEATS WORKING, winning the Game of Events where we explore what it takes to make [00:40:00] moments unforgettable. If you’re leaving with a little more inspiration, a little more perspective, and a big side ache from all of the laughing at our funny jokes, then we’ve done Our Job BEATS WORKING is a work P two P production.
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