Paul Shin’s Lucky Day Means Tacos for Everyone | My Member Story

You never know when one interaction is going to make a difference in your life. For Paul Shin, it was a social media post he made when he had decided the challenges of life had gotten too heavy to carry.

Luckily for Paul, and for all those whose paths have crossed with his, the internet did what it does best. It connected people together.

Hundreds of people—friends, family, acquaintances and even strangers—commented on the post with words of kindness and support. As a result, not only did Paul find renewed hope again, he also realized that this kind of authentic communication and support is what we are looking for and he needed to figure out a way to create more of it.

Discovering a new way through

Sometime later, Paul had an idea. He made another post asking if anyone wanted to get tacos together. That’s it—no networking, no business, no agenda. Just a place and time. He thought maybe five people would join him, but instead, more than 150 showed up!

From that moment on, Paul knew this was what he was put on this earth to do. Tacos Together is Paul’s passion project that allows him to reach out to all kinds of people for all kinds of reasons. At the core of his mission is, of course, to help people wherever and whenever he can. But the organization’s specific purpose is to make human connections simple and fun!

The aha moment on a playground

Paul tells a story about how Tacos Together grew from just an idea to what it is today. He was at a playground with his children, having promised his wife that he would be present while there and not be on his phone.

Watching his kids, Paul saw how they made friends within minutes. “They were off building stores, going into space and going on these adventures,” he says. “We all want to be connected with somebody, and somewhere along the way we’ve made it more complicated than it needs to be.”

The idea for Tacos Together manifested itself on the playground that day.

Why tacos?

Paul is not a taco connoisseur. Truth be told, he doesn’t even know what makes a good taco. All he knows is he likes to eat them!

“There’s just something magical about sharing a meal with someone,” he muses.

Paul says the rise of Tacos Together has less to do with him and more to do with the people. The organization’s brightly colored brand draws people in. As this community took photos and posted them on their social media feeds, the interest in the group grew—and keeps growing!

“Honestly, nobody looks important eating a street taco, right? It’s messy, and you eat with your hands,” explains Paul. “You kind of strip away all the pretentiousness and say, ‘Hey, let’s just come and have fun.’”

Finding community

A friend and business colleague once told Paul, “Community isn’t competition.” This statement stuck with him and made sense in respect to what he was trying to accomplish.

It was important to Paul to take this idea to his team and figure out ways to ensure they were intentional as their organization grew. He wanted to support other communities, sharing his resources to help them grow along the way. Being a part of the Tacos Together community doesn’t mean you can’t be part of another community, like Silicon Slopes or Mountain America Credit Union or anywhere else. It’s about finding a home for everyone.

From tacos to world records

Attending a Tacos Together event is like spending time with a whole bunch of your best friends. There’s usually food, music, a lot of laughing and picture-taking—Paul loves a good photo op!

Some of the group’s unique get-togethers include water gun fights, river floats and participating in Make-a-Wish reveals. When it comes to fun, Paul is actually a two-time world record holder! His first record was for building the largest blanket fort (so cool!). The second involved bringing almost 3,000 people onto America First Field in Sandy, Utah, to form the largest rugby scrum.

Qualities of a friend

In his darkest times, Paul says he was not a very good husband, father or friend. Now that he’s on the bright side and has accomplished so much, it’s easy to see how he is the BEST best friend anyone could ask for! He is humble, kind, loyal, funny and a joy to be around. He is a visionary, a student of life and a true adventurer.

We're so happy Paul is here to share his gifts. If you ever get the chance, attend one of his events. You’re sure to have a great time, gain a new outlook and find a new community!