From Pharmacy to Coffee: Why Lan Ho Walked Away from a $120K Career

Lan Ho had it all on paper: a doctorate in pharmacy, a Harvard finance degree, and a $120,000-a-year job at Walgreens. But the daily grind left her feeling invisible and unfulfilled.

“I just couldn’t do pharmacy anymore,” Ho said. Raised by Vietnamese refugees in Missouri, Ho followed her parents’ dream of a stable career. But deep down, she was drawn to entrepreneurship and, especially, coffee.

After dabbling in other ventures, she launched Fat Miilk in 2019—a Vietnamese coffee brand that now brings in over $500,000 annually. The pandemic gave her the push to quit pharmacy for good and focus on her startup full-time.

A turning point came in 2022, when she appeared on Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars, making it to the finals. The exposure gave her confidence and credibility, helping her open her first Chicago café in 2024, with more locations on the way.

Her advice? Stop waiting for permission. “Taking up space,” she says, “is what changed my life.”