A career path in the seafood industry is often circuitous. In the newest episode of the Conch Podcast, we learn how one woman's passion and appreciation for oysters led her to an enduring career with a fish farm, where her lack of experience in the seafood industry has been one of her biggest strengths.
Julie is joined by Julie Qiu, an international oyster expert, educator, and founder of In a Half Shell, an oyster appreciation website. She is also the Marketing Director of Australis Aquaculture, a leading producer of ocean farmed barramundi that is marketed as The Better Fish brand.
Episode Transcript
Episode Guide
- :00 Intro
- 01:36 The glamorous life of an international oyster sommelier
- 4:00 Shanghai → Indiana → NYC: Julie's circuitous route to oyster stardom
- 10:13 A hurdle Julie encountered on her journey to document oyster culture
- 14:57 Ready to get bivalve curious? Three key things we should know when ordering oysters
- 20:14 Julie's side hustle as an oyster sommelier leads to an exciting career as the Marketing Director of a fish farm (ocean raised barramundi - a delicious white fish!)
- 28:16 Career challenge: How do you stand out as a white fish where the entire white fish category is seen as a commodity?
- 35:07 Marketing advice for the aquaculture industry (current messaging isn't cutting it)
- 41:37 Keeping us in the dark: Are seafood companies actually doing anything to increase diversity and inclusion?
- 43:37 Memo to the seafood industry: Prioritizing the sustainability of the workforce and diversifying leadership correlates to better financial outperformance
- 47:40 Why you might want to listen to your mother
- 49:53 Who inspires Julie Qiu?
Resources:
- Learn more about Julie and global oyster culture on Instagram @inahalfshellblog and on her website In a Half Shell.
- Make sure to recommend this episode to anyone you know who loves oysters and cares about the future of our oceans.
The Conch Podcast series is a program of Seafood and Gender Equality (SAGE) and made possible by generous funding from The David and Lucile Packard Foundation. Audio production, engineering, editing, mixing, and sound design by Crystal Sanders-Alvarado for Seaworthy. Original music provided by Satan's Pilgrims.
