The head of Noc Coffee on his live-slow philosophy for the weekends
The young CEO of Noc Coffee reflects on his career beginnings, his leap into the coffee business and his ‘live-slow’ weekend routine
Enzo Chang’s upbringing was the varied one of a Hong Kong kid who juggled different extracurricular activities. “My mother helped me find my passion, but we weren’t able to find one specific thing that I was really good at. That might be why I’m someone who has multiple interests today, which I try to connect together,” says Chang, the chief executive of Noc Coffee.
It was during his college years that he finally hit his stride at being a jack of all trades. “When I was 18 years old, I moved to the United States and studied business administration with a minor in design at the University of Michigan. My college experience was transformative,” he says. “While I studied finance, I also went to a different campus for art classes, which kept my brain from going too deep into one area.”
After graduating, Chang had to consider where he wanted to be in the future. It turned out, that was back in Hong Kong. “My first job was in finance before pivoting into start-ups and now, the coffee business. I worked at an investment bank as an analyst. Beyond technical and business analytic skills, the experience taught me the sheer grit of getting things done across the line and doing things no matter what,” he recalls.
Chang left after finding himself more drawn to the kind of stories that were being told in a casual setting. “So, I dived into venture business, where I learned to be flexible and nimble. I also gained the mental toughness to face rejection from customers and suppliers, and to accept the restrictions you have,” he says.
The career change prepared Chang well for his current role. “I’ve been a customer at Noc longer than I’ve been the leader. My first visit was in 2016, and I thought it was ahead of its time with its serenity, peace and sense of calm. A few years later, I was able to work closely with the board, and after a couple of chats, they invited me to help run the business,” he says.
Chang was determined to learn the coffee business from the ground up. “I still had some time to learn, so I worked as a barista for six months at various locations and then moved to the office before fully joining as the CEO,” he says. Chang is particularly proud of the fact that he has gone full circle with the company. “It’s heartwarming to say that I started as a customer and now, I’m leading and growing the brand.”