How Chef Jon Kung Built a Social Media Career with Storytelling, Community, and a Little Recklessness

Jon Kung didn’t set out to have a career in social media—initially, they didn’t even plan to have a career in food. The chef and content creator studied theater and creative writing as an undergrad before going on to law school. 

“It ultimately came down to who I felt I truly was,” they say. “I was at a crossroads between a legal career and one in culinary, and while I had every instinct to take the ‘safe’ route, the pull of service in food and the joy I had when doing that work was too powerful to ignore.”

After pandemic restrictions forced them to take their culinary talents to social media, Jon won millions of followers with their educational cooking content and big personality. Read on to learn how Jon’s experiences and community shaped their career and how they’ve evolved as a creator since capturing an international following.

Taking the kitchen to a global stage

Before they became a social media creator, Jon was known in Detroit for hosting intimate, word-of-mouth dinner parties and brunches at their studio. “Squarespace was key to the survival of my small business before social media,” they say. “I booked events, cooking classes, sold goods, and even made the online shop into a pre-order menu for people on Saturday brunches.”

Today, their toolkit is growing with their business. “We are working on a complete retooling of the site now to adapt this presence to this next phase in my career,” Jon adds. “My Bio Site is my business card—the crossroads to all my content and social profiles—and is how my followers can see all the different facets of me.” 

Jon has used their educational background to build and grow their content career too. “Incredibly, my undergrad major was everything I needed for a life as a content creator before it was even considered a career,” they say. 

“The art of communication and storytelling IS the crux of content creation. Theatre taught me to communicate, to convey emotion in voice, to understand lighting, set, scene, and harnessing the energy of a moment and genuinely sharing it with the person watching,” Jon adds. “Creative writing taught me about my voice as a writer, to communicate honestly and in a way that doesn’t seem as artificial or canned. No other majors will teach you these things.”

As for law school, Jon says, “I sought help through attorneys as soon as I could afford to. Three years of legal education and all that did for me was get me lawyered up earlier much faster than I initially would have done.”

A career rooted in community care

Jon’s food and content careers are deeply tied to an appreciation for the communities they’re part of. Many of those community roots are in Detroit, where they’ve lived and worked for several years, and the third-culture community. 

“I’m so lucky to be a part of both of these communities,” Jon says. “Both have been such key elements to my own creative growth and development. Detroit has been my home longer than any other place I’ve lived and it’s been a very supportive place for me. I was stumbling through teaching myself how to cook for the neighborhoods I was in, and the city was forgiving enough and patient enough that I was able to find my footing as a cook where I’m not sure I could say I would have survived anywhere else.”

Third culture encompasses people who grew up in a different culture than their parents did. They make up a third culture that’s influenced by their parents’ culture and the culture of their upbringing, but distinct from both. It’s an inherent part of who Jon is and is apparent in the food they share online. 

“I didn’t really know to what extent or how common what I was doing with food was when I was telling my story though my dishes, but the feedback has been so powerful—I wouldn’t be receiving this kind of gratitude if it was,” they say. “When I was starting to do it on social media, very few people were encouraging that kind of application into home cooking. I wanted to share the pride I had as a third culture creative with more than just other cooks; I wanted everyone like me to feel this way.”

As for Detroit, “I will always sing praises of this city and the experience I shared here with people is so unique,” Jon says. “We struggled, we thrived, we made things together, we continue to make things together. The more I travel and the more places I get to see, the more special it becomes to me. It really does feel amazing to say you’re from Detroit.”

Choosing the right growth opportunities

Though Jon has been working in food for more than a decade, their social media career is newer, and it comes with the power to choose their next moves. “I pretty much just say yes to anything that I can see will fuel my own creative growth in some way,” they say. “Sometimes it’s a great collaboration that will get me experimenting with food or video production in artistic ways, sometimes it’s the brand deal that’s going to buy me a piece of equipment I’ve had my eye on. An idealist or a pragmatist, I like that I’ve become comfortable with myself enough to be one or the other whenever I need to be.”

When taking on brand partnerships, they’re able to choose partners that allow them to show up authentically. “The world has always politicized my existence, whether it be as a person of color or as a queer person. If all it takes to outrage some people is for me to be seen then I might as well be heard,” Jon says. “My generation (Millennials) and the ones coming after me realize that it’s not our job to make others feel comfortable at our own expense. Savvy brands realize that this shift is happening and will evolve accordingly as their target demographic shifts.”

Looking ahead, “This seems to be the year of tangibility for me,” Jon says. “Whereas before most of what I produced only existed online, this year I’m releasing a batch of spice blends as well as seeing the book I’ve been working on all last year published and released in the fall.”

This self-assuredness is still newer to Jon too. Though they’re known for their genuine, opinionated online persona, they’re humble about where that authenticity comes from. “Don’t mistake confidence for recklessness,” they say. “I’m only starting to find my confidence. I’ve always been reckless.”

Inspired by Jon’s story? Start building a brand on Squarespace.