Woman Turns Down Offers from Google and Apple to Open Dream Candy Store in NYC

Highlights

• Elly Ross turned down lucrative offers from Google and Apple.
• She instead opened a candy shop called “Lil Sweet Treat” in New York City.
• Despite her impressive tech background, she chose to follow her entrepreneurial dream, presenting a tale of motivation for everyone else.

Google and Apple are names big enough for millions to dream about working there one day. People wait for months and sometimes years to get even a call back from such tech giants.

But what if your dream was different?

Would you dare to say no to an opportunity that many are waiting for?

If you are not sure, here is the story of Elly Ross to give you some motivation to learn how to say no to temptations and yes to dreams.

In a surprising career move, tech professional Elly Ross who is currently working product manager has turned down lucrative offers from big tech companies including Google and Apple.

Ross instead has launched “Lil Sweet Treat,” a candy shop in New York City, marking a significant shift from her previous career trajectory.

The decision to reject such offers wasn’t easy for Ross, who once interned at top companies like Google, Apple, and Microsoft.

However, it was after an unexpected encounter that Ross took the call.

Speaking to Business Insider, Ross reveals that it was during a routine walk to lunch that she stumbled upon a vacant unit and immediately knew it was the perfect location for the candy shop she had always envisioned.

“It just felt right,” she told Business Insider.

Ross started her journey in the tech world with a freshman-year internship as a software engineer at Google.

She later took on different roles at the Blackstone Group, Apple, and Microsoft.

Despite her impressive experience and multiple job offers from these tech giants, Ross chose a different path.

The entrepreneur, an immigrant who valued financial security, joined an e-commerce startup as Head of Product instead of pursuing a stable career in Big Tech.

“My mother encouraged me to focus on saving for a house, but I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit,” she explained.

The idea of a candy shop had been on her mind for years.

Growing up in the United States after immigrating at a young age, she often shared Korean snacks with her classmates, who introduced her to treats from their cultures.

“I would always be in sweet shops and finding all different types of snacks and candy. I would try every single one,” Ross said.

“This exchange of snacks was a special way to learn about different cultures, and the joy it brought was something I cherished,” she said.

Together with her husband, she bootstrapped the venture, launching both a physical store and an e-commerce platform.

Despite the financial risks, she is confident in her decision.

“Yet because it’s something that I’m so passionate about, it’s also not as scary. I feel really confident in it,” she further said.

“As an immigrant, taking such a leap is daunting, but my passion for this project makes it worth the risk,” she shared.

FAQs

Q1. Why did Elly Ross turn down job offers from Google and Apple?

Answer. Elly Ross turned down lucrative job offers from big tech companies, including Google and Apple, to pursue her dream of opening a candy shop called “Lil Sweet Treat” in New York City.

She was inspired to follow her entrepreneurial spirit and create a business that brought her joy and allowed her to share cultural snacks with others.

Q2. Where did Elly Ross work before?

Answer. Ross started her journey in the tech world with a freshman-year internship as a software engineer at Google. She later took on different roles at the Blackstone Group, Apple, and Microsoft.

Q3. Who is Elly Ross?

Answer. Elly Ross is a current product manager who started a candy shop, “Lil Sweet Treat.”

She previously interned at Big Tech companies like Microsoft, Google, and Apple.

The candy store will open on September 7th in the West Village in NYC.

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