Helen Yung of Scottsdale, Phoenix and Tempe on Life, Lessons & Legacy

We recently had the chance to connect with Helen Yung and have shared our conversation below.

Helen, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
Walk my dog to the dog park while catching on any urgent messages from my kitchen that starts at 6am. Walk home and make breakfast for my 2 boys, get them ready and drive them to school.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Helen Yung and co-owner of Sweet Republic, an artisan ice cream shop with four stores in the Phoenix metropolitan area. I opened the first Sweet Republic in 2008 with my business partner Jan. We have since been awarded “Top 10 Ice Cream” in America by Bon Appetit and featured in Time Magazine for our unique flavors like Sweet Corn. We are always working on new and exciting flavors with a rotation of five new flavors every month.

Okay, so here’s a deep one: What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
9/11 in New York City. Seeing the events of that day up close in person changed my perspective and made me realize life was too short not to pursue what truly made me happy.

What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
When I was a teenager, I didn’t understand why I had such strong feelings towards certain girls. I had a traumatizing experience the first time I expressed it so held it all back ever since. Internalizing those feelings was difficult and I had no one to talk to about them. I eventually met partners with whom I was able to be myself with. But those memories are like scars that I’ll always remember.

Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
My family comes first. My two sons mean the world to me. I had no idea how it would feel to have children before I had them. I went to boarding school half way across the world when I was 15 so I’ve always been very independent so this is a big shift for me. I want to do everything I can to give them the confidence to pursue what makes them truly happy.

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What will you regret not doing? 
I regret not spending more time with my parents and sister. I went away for school at a young age and have never really been back home with them. I wish our relationship was stronger and we were closer both physically and emotionally. Of course I want the business to be successful but family comes first.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sweetrepublic.com
• Instagram: sweetrepublic