Introducing Sarai Koo, PhD., author, consultant, public speaker, business coach, community leader and social media personality. Dr. Koo is perhaps best known for her popular book, Seoul Food about second-generation Korean-American life in Los Angeles, but she is also the Chief Visionary of a successful consultancy called Project SPICES. We are very happy to have her share her experience building her own business and her brand.

In a few sentences, this is what my business does

Project SPICES is a values-based coaching, consultancy, and speaking business. Project SPICES cultivate partnerships and develop innovative strategies, initiatives, programs, and services for cities, Workforce Investment Boards, IT companies, businesses and their leaders.

Project SPICES focuses on human capital, leadership development, employee engagement, business development, organizational behavior/development, strategic planning, organizational change, team building, conflict management, and workforce transformation to advance innovation

My typical work environment

My typical work environment is atypical. However, due to COVID-19, I am mostly working virtually.

The training or education that is required for my type of business

I have a combination of education and experience working with diverse people and companies. My life and professional experiences working for and with different industries, people, environments, and locations have given me valuable insight into helping people and their companies.

I am an avid learner. I have a Ph.D. in Education with specializations in leadership, human development, culture, executive coaching, and human services. I also have numerous certificates and certifications.

Besides my educational experience, my expertise derives from my vast hands-on experience being able to identify and solve deep-seated human and company problems.

Combining my education and real-life experiences, I discovered SPICES Transformative Model™, a unifying framework and model that would help individuals became whole and balanced in 2006. Ever since then, I have been presenting my model and framework in organizations, agencies, schools, cities, and businesses.

SPICES is an acronym that stands for:

Self-Realization + Self-Awareness Surrounding (“spiritual”)

Physical + Physiological Poise (“physical”)

Intrapersonal + Interpersonal Integration (“interpersonal”)

Cognitive + Creative Consciousness (“cognitive”)

Economical + Emotional Equilibrium (“emotional”)

Social + Service Society (“social”)

Being part of the gig economy

Being part of the gig economy means joining a group of entrepreneurs who seek to provide programs and services to unique populations.

The benefits of my type of work

The benefits of my type of work have been to help people transform their mindsets. Since creating the SPICES Transformational Model™, I have been privileged to share my paradigm, methodology, and conceptual framework to transform people’s mindsets about culture, diversity, leadership, and life.

I enjoy presenting tailored presentations, training, and programs that are provocative and help people redefine their preconceived notions about themselves and others. I enjoy watching their transformation and helping them along the way.

The difficulties I encountered starting a business were

Although I am blessed with developing new transformative methods, models, and frameworks, I have often found it difficult for companies and people to believe that I have, in fact, a transformative model that can change people’s mindsets. I have built long-term relationships with leaders so when the time comes and when they need help, my models can be of support to them.

For example, as the lead organizational change expert, I had the honor of presenting the SPICES Transformational model™ to more than 40 Federal Executive Agencies at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) to provide tangible vertical and horizontal strategies to transform organizational culture. This took many years of establishing credibility and rapport.

My approach, methodology, and frameworks are different from others. I use the SPICES approach in all aspects of my business. I have been showing proof of concept since 2006. Now, my results show for themselves.

The way I use/leverage social media

Minimal. I should leverage social media platforms more, especially with LinkedIn.

Integrating technology into my business

I do this mainly with multimedia platforms. If I need to provide online training, I use platforms such as Zoom. I believe in efficiency, and so if technology can reduce redundancy and save time, I’m always open to finding the best technology to help me.

"Making it" and success in the gig economy to me means

At Project SPICES, I hope to secure more significant partnerships to impact more people, companies, and cities. If companies and cities, including the Federal Government, really apply SPICES principles, we can transform our culture from negative to positive.

The way I balance work and personal time

I create a “to do” list and a realistic time frame to complete my tasks. In addition, I meditate and follow my intuition. Even though there is a to-do list, there are times when I have to take a step back and wait until I am ready to proceed.

How the pandemic impacted my business

During the pandemic, I took a step back and thought about what I really wanted to do in life. I decided to diversify my interests. Besides coaching, providing consulting services, and speaking on stage, I have written books and articles, partnered with other organizations to deliver facilitation services, created new online businesses, and pursued acting.

My first book Seoul Food was the first creative non-fiction book about second-generation Korean Americans growing up in Los Angeles County. The second book I published was Tom Patty’s Marketing Without Money Workbook. The workbook consists of questions of each book chapter to help business executives learn how to grow their businesses. Currently, I am completing another book entitled Creating Ineffective Agencies: 120 Ways Your Supervisor is Toxic.

Regarding diversifying my interests, I am very grateful that the leaders I developed more than a decade ago have decided to take the initiative to further MAPS 4 College, a 501c3 nonprofit organization launched many years ago. I look forward to supporting their leadership acumen to further MAPS 4 College.

Most recently, I launched a K-Beauty Makeup online store. I love Korean makeup and beauty products. I decided to share my love with people who live in the USA. My hope is for people to love K-Beauty as much as they love Korean music (e.g., BlackPink and BTS) and K-dramas (e.g., Squid Game).

Another interest I have pursued is acting and writing screenplays. I wrote, starred, and directed my first short film called Jeon. In 2021, I received a small speaking role in a new film by director Steven Soderbergh. I look forward to landing more roles and selling my screenplays.

The way that diversity impacts my business

Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are the foundation that allows me to work with unique individuals and create tailored solutions for clients. I naturally like working with diverse people and projects. The work I do mainly focuses on diversity, equity, and inclusion issues.

On the future of my business and the gig economy

The future of my business is unknown. I’m constantly thinking of ways to share my work – SPICES – when it is the right time. Because of this unique model, I am constantly thinking of ways to partner with other agencies and people to spread this information.

One piece of useful advice I would give to others

One helpful piece of advice I would give to others is to seek many mentors of diverse backgrounds who can help you along the way. Other leaders have personal and professional experiences. You can learn from their successes and obstacles.

Remember, we cannot succeed alone, and we cannot claim glory for ourselves. Give thanks to people whose shoulders we stand on and others who helped us succeed.

Learn more about Dr. Sarai Koo and Project Spices

Project SPICES
Transforming people and companies
www.projectspices.com

You can also read more about Seoul Food at www.seoulfood.us