MEET
Lindsay Jang
Co-Owner of @yardbirdhk, @shopmissbish,
How do you find balance between being a mother of two, entrepreneur, restaurateur & a yoga instructor?
I’m lucky that I love what I do. My work is my passion and I wake up every day excited to build, create and grow with my teams. I have an amazing support system and I always make time to exercise, it’s the one thing that has never failed to make me feel better.
You moved to Hong Kong from NY, and you’re originally from Canada. Tell us about each place and your path; how do these different living/cultural experiences balance you out and contribute to the person you are today?
I was born in Canada and moved to NY when I was 19 to chase the dream of the bright lights and big city. I literally dropped out of university (sorry Dad), sold all of my belongings and got a student visa via theater school. New York, like it does for so many, changed my entire life. It was the hardest place I’ve ever lived, it taught me so many lessons and it spit me out 71/2 years later a stronger, wiser, harder-working individual. My devotion to my yoga practice flourished during those years as well as my realization that hospitality is my true calling.
You’re a yoga enthusiast, tell us how you use yoga to find your balance?
It’s the solitude, silence and stillness that I find when I give myself an hour on a mat to detach from everything (mostly my phone).
In addition to yoga, tell us about unorthodox ways you find calm and balance in a hectic day.
I always have music on. I am fortunate to be woken up by hugs and kisses from my kids in the morning and have plenty of moments where a tickle fight will spontaneously break out wherever we are. I surround myself with good, positive people in life, in work, in everything.
What’s your day-to-day like?
Generally, I wake up around 6:30 or 7AM and get my kids ready for school. Then I do a quick scan of my inbox and reply to anything urgent and /or easy. A sweat session usually follows and then I spend the rest of my day working from home, meeting with my staff at the restaurants, running errands, checking in on new projects, etc. Most days are hectic with random things but I make it home by 6PM so I can feed my brats dinner and put them to bed. That’s a very important part of my day. Once they’re settled, I’ll get ready and head out to one of the restaurants to host friends, eat with out-of-town guests, make sure my awesome staff are happy and keeping the good energy up! I try to go to sleep before midnight and without a hangover, but it rarely happens.
What does balance mean to you? How else does balance manifest itself in your everyday life?
Balance is an internal feeling of connection between your mind and your heart. Balance shows itself to me all the time in the smallest ways, like when I see something come together effortlessly because all of the prep work we’ve done to make it seamless. My kids laughing, smiling and succeeding in their lives shows me I have brought balance to our family life. It’s a full time job to be balanced and I am fully aware of the effort required to maintain it.
What's next for Lindsay Jang? We hear you’re opening up a fitness center.
I’m working on a small, boutique fitness concept and continuing to nurture and grow my other businesses.
