In the first episode of Miami Lead, Pastor Bill White sits down with Abe Ng, co-founder of Sushi Maki, for a powerful conversation on leadership, faith, and what it takes to build a business that lasts.
Abe shared his Miami-rooted story, shaped by immigrant parents, a strong church foundation, and the influence of his father, who still shows up and leads by example every day. As Sushi Maki has expanded across South Florida, Abe explained one of the biggest challenges leaders face today, how to grow without losing your culture.
One key lesson? You can’t copy values from other companies and expect them to work. Abe shared how Sushi Maki’s culture became real only when they defined values based on the people who represented the best of their team. Their company focuses on values like leading through service and committing to care, and Abe emphasized that culture spreads through storytelling, consistency, and genuine leadership, not slogans.
Abe also spoke honestly about failure, including the tough decision to close a newer location that didn’t perform as expected. His takeaway was simple, it’s only a mistake if you don’t learn from it. Great leaders reflect, adjust, and keep moving forward.
The conversation ended with a reminder of how faith fuels Abe’s leadership. When you truly believe everything belongs to God, it frees you to make better decisions without fear and lead with purpose.
Because at the end of the day, everybody wins when a leader gets better.
Key Takeaways from Abe Ng
- You can grow a business without losing your culture—but only if you protect it on purpose.
- Values can’t be copied from other companies—they have to be built from what’s authentic to your team.
- Culture spreads through consistency and storytelling, not slogans or posters.
- Failure isn’t final—it’s only a mistake if you don’t learn, adjust, and keep moving forward.
- Faith fuels fearless leadership—trusting God with everything helps you lead with purpose and peace.
