Jeanette Sun
Jeanette Sun is a first-generation Chinese-American chef, entrepreneur, and founder of Crazy Chinese Girl, an all-natural gourmet sauce brand. She grew up in her family's Chinese restaurant, an experience she initially resisted, and later built a 24-year career as a fine-dining restaurateur in Shelby and Charlotte, North Carolina. After years of 100-hour weeks and personal burnout, she walked away from the restaurant she had known her entire life.
Today, from outside Charlotte, Jeanette is pursuing her most personal venture yet: bottling the sauce that began as her mother's dumpling sauce and turning it into a clean, versatile pantry staple. She also teaches culinary classes at a local community college and is expanding into retail with a chili crisp. Her journey from burned-out restaurant owner to flavor visionary reflects resilience, vulnerability, and a commitment to helping everyday cooks make simple, delicious food.
IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:
- That growing up in a family restaurant taught Jeanette sacrifice, work ethic, and the drive to do things differently.
- How a psychology degree and fine-dining experience helped Jeanette create her own culinary voice and hospitality philosophy.
- That burnout after 24 years forced Jeanette to walk away from restaurants and rebuild her purpose through teaching.
- How Crazy Chinese Girl is bringing clean, all-natural sauce to everyday cooks across the country.
- Why resilience, vulnerability, and raw honesty matter more than a polished success story in entrepreneurship.
- That being a single mom and restaurateur required choosing between ten-minute moments with her son and the business.
- How Jeanette teaches home cooks to make simple, clean, and delicious food without elaborate production.
- Why the sauce that made her mother's inconsistent dumplings delicious became the foundation of a gourmet brand.
- Why starting over after two decades as an expert now means embracing unfamiliar digital and product worlds.
about the show
Women In Power is an entrepreneur TV series featuring female entrepreneurs, CEOs, founders, and industry leaders who are building companies, leading teams, and creating impact in their industries.
Each episode gives viewers a closer look at the real stories behind these women’s success, including the challenges they faced, the decisions that shaped them, and the leadership lessons they learned along the way. The series highlights women who have built businesses, broken barriers, grown brands, and created opportunities for others through their work.
Women In Power was created to spotlight female business leaders whose stories deserve to be seen and heard. From early setbacks to major breakthroughs, each episode shows the journey behind the title, the business, and the public success.
For viewers, the show offers inspiration, practical insight, and a deeper look at what it takes for women to lead, grow, and succeed in today’s business world. For featured guests, it provides a platform to share their story, build authority, and inspire the next generation of female entrepreneurs and leaders.
