"You left private equity... to build a yogurt company?!"

@couchwoman

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Selling · Other Product

Sourmilkseen in 4 videos →

Why it worked

The creator uses a relatable narrative of career transition and personal fulfillment, framing a potentially unconventional business choice (yogurt company) as a purposeful pivot. The "before and after" structure, highlighting a shift from corporate finance to a passion-driven venture, resonates with audiences seeking meaning in their work.

Summary

The creator shares her journey from private equity to founding a yogurt company called Sourmilk. She explains her motivations for leaving her corporate job and how she found purpose in building a business focused on gut health.

Structure

1Questioning leaving private equity for a yogurt company
2Stanford background and co-founder meeting
3Disillusionment with startup culture, seeking purpose
4Reason for choosing private equity and subsequent re-evaluation
5Defining non-negotiables for a career pivot
6The 'perfect alignment' of building a yogurt company

Original caption

Social media makes it feel like everyone is quitting their corporate jobs in instantaneously. The process for me required deeper inquiry and reflection on the experiences I wanted to gain & the impact I wanted to make. I encourage you to do the same :) this is how @sourmilk was born! #cpg #founder

More from @couchwoman

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7

Current pre-launch phase and dedication

8Key to career pivots: clarity on why, gains, and learning

Product placement

Sourmilk: ACTS - it is the yogurt company the creator is building and selling. Removing it would change the entire narrative of the video. Kiki: APPEARS - it is a brand name on a shirt, not related to the main narrative. Removing it would not change what happens in the video.

On-screen text

"You left private equity... to build a yogurt company?!" my gut said yes (lol) & here's why Stanford ’20 with a degree in Human Biology cultivated a love for human health & met my bff, Elan (my future cofounder) Startups were everywhere at Stanford, but “founder culture” felt loud & very not me. Founder for the sake of founder iykyk. I wanted purpose > title. I chose to work in private equity for one major reason: an A+ manager/mentor. Optimized for learning from exceptional people, especially early in my career. After four years, I’d gained and given a lot, but I paused to ask: Is this the direction I want to keep growing? Are these the people I want to become? Is this how I want to apply what I’ve learned? The answer was no. I didn’t know what my next step was. But I did have two non-negotiables to frame my decision: • Immersive ‘firing on all cylinders feeling’ with a steep learning curve • Create impact in a space I deeply care about When Elan proposed building a yogurt company to heal America’s gut, my first reaction was “you’re crazy.” My second was “this is perfect alignment.” 6 months since we started, we are still pre-launch, making no $, selling yogurts by hand, clocking 15 hr days at the factory & these are my best days yet :) The key to making this career pivot? Clarity on your why, what you want to gain & who you want to learn from in each chapter.