[2023 Women’s Forum] CEO Imiso: "Create Your Own Space Where Everyone Can Grow"

Asia Economy Hosted '2023 Women Leaders Forum' Special Lecture
"Limitations of Distribution Varieties Linked to Farmers' Income Issues"
"Major and Workplace Are Sunk Costs... A Process, Not Giving Up"

"We support everyone cultivating their own fields." On the 24th, at the '2023 Women Leaders Forum' held at Lotte Hotel in Sogong-dong, Seoul, Im Iso, CEO of Gamjabat, made this remark during a special lecture titled "Turning Weaknesses into Strengths: Growth Mindset."

On that day, CEO Im emphasized the sustainability of agriculture through diversity. He said, "I heard a farmer say, 'How come the price of potatoes is the same as 20 years ago?' Unlike the price of potatoes at large supermarkets, which includes all distribution costs, the amount farmers receive through direct transactions has not changed much. Just as in a clothing store, if the design and size are the same, customers decide based on price, when potatoes sold at large supermarkets are all 'white potatoes,' the principle is that bigger and cheaper ones sell better," he explained.

Imiso, CEO of Gamjabat, is giving a special lecture on the theme "Turning Weaknesses into Strengths - Growth Mindset" at the "2023 Asia Economy Women Leaders Forum" held on the 24th at Lotte Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

He continued, "In the U.S., potato associations plant hundreds of varieties of potatoes, harvest them over a week, cook various dishes, and conduct tastings. When invited there, we planted our farm’s potatoes and received the evaluation that 'Korea Potato is the best.' That’s when I understood why my father, who farmed for decades, emphasized 'species diversity,'" explaining the background of his efforts to promote diverse potatoes. Within this realization, CEO Im created the potato bread that became a specialty of Chuncheon, Gangwon Province in 2017, expanded related businesses, and has been breaking sales records every year. He achieved an annual sales record of 20 billion KRW within three years of founding the company.

The beginning was not easy. CEO Im graduated from university with a major in fashion design and worked at an IT company in Seoul but gave it up to start a business in Chuncheon, where his father’s farm is located. He said, "I boldly studied business administration without considering sunk costs (costs already incurred and unrecoverable). I thought of it not as quitting or dropping out but as part of the process. Now I am the CEO of an agricultural company, but at first, I was so ignorant about farming that I didn’t even know that drying radish greens makes siraegi (dried radish greens)," he confessed.

He explained, "At first, even though many potatoes were sold, there was no profit because I didn’t understand distribution at all and set the cost ratio incorrectly. I was overwhelmed doing the business alone due to a lack of manpower. I only thought about product development and didn’t consider sales methods, making it difficult to realize economies of scale," sharing his early business experiences.

CEO Im said, "Wanting to promote the importance of multiple varieties, I actively participated in communities of like-minded people and listened carefully. I also took free startup education programs run by the government and local governments, always maintaining a learning attitude as a 'basic'." He added, "Not missing golden opportunities and turning them into business is true skill. Whenever asked 'When was the hardest time?' I answer that it was when I was converting opportunities into sustainable businesses. Thanks to quickly challenging and trying what I could do, I was able to create the current potato bread item," he added.

Currently, CEO Im not only runs his business but also contemplates the sustainability of local farms. He said, "Whenever the number of employees increased, the most capable ones left first, and I couldn’t understand why. During that process, I read a book called 'Super Gap' and came across the phrase, 'A leader doesn’t teach how to row but makes people yearn for the sea.'" He added, "Since then, I hold workshops every year to share with employees 'why we started this work' and 'which direction we should go.' Ultimately, those who talk about others are novices, those who talk about themselves are intermediates, and those who talk about us are masters."

He said, "We want to support sustainable agriculture, so for three years, we have been sourcing potatoes through 100% contract farming, buying all potatoes from farms at the contracted price regardless of current market prices. This has created an environment where farms can cultivate crops stably." He explained, "This is because I realized it is important to bring people into rural areas." Recognizing these efforts, 'Chuncheon Potato Bread' won the grand prize, the Presidential Award, in the souvenir category at the 2021 Korea Tourism Contest.

CEO Im said, "Various adult diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and varicose veins can actually stem from one cause: obesity. Problems like low birthrate, employment rates, opportunity inequality, and regional extinction may also arise from a sense of insecurity. I thought that many problems occur because half the population lives concentrated in the metropolitan area." He added, "If even one person can move to Gangwon Province, these problems can be solved. With that in mind, I am working with the goal of making 'the most desirable company to work for in Gangwon Province.'"

He concluded his lecture by saying, "The company’s identity, 'field,' has three meanings: the field where farming is done, the individual’s heart, and finally, a place where everyone can grow." He added, "I hope everyone can create their own place where they can grow."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.