Business of Tease Part One

Hello my dear friends,

Image credit www.russianfoods.com

Today is the second day of the March and I am starting a feature “Current Inspiration” in honor of International Women's Day on March 8th. This feature will introduce you to a few fascinating women that despite life diversities came out on top! They are a true inspiration and most certainly fit the mold of a Current Woman!

I am especially excited about this post and not just because this is the first one but also due to my love of tea. Yes, as some of you know my day will not go right if there is no tea in it!  So, it is my pleasure to introduce you to a wonderful young entrepreneur from Ottawa, Sheena Brady, the owner and founder of TeaseTea.

This talented young lady caught my attention during one of the episodes of Daytime on Rogers TV and it immediately teased my interest.  Our first encounter however did not take place until December of 2015, during a final episode of Daytime with Derick

Image credit Olga Dewar

Fage as a host. I was once again teased by the idea of getting better acquainted with this young lady and her business. And considering my tea passion this had to happen NOW! So we exchanged contact info and agreed to talk.

A few months went by, our busy schedules settled and we had a chance to chat. It was a very exciting experience and I discovered that we actually have quite a few things in common. So, without any further delay, here is the interview with Sheena Brady.

OD: Sheena, it is such a pleasure to finally connect with you! I hope to learn more about you and your wonderful business and share it with my readers and everyone I know. To set the tone of our conversation I would like you to tell me a little about yourself, something that has not been written already. Tell me a little about your family background and upbringing.

Image credit
www.algonquincollege.com

SB: Olga, thank you for arranging this interview. I am very excited to talk about my passion, TeaseTea and how it all came together. But as per your request, let’s start from the beginning!

I was born in Ottawa, Ontario and raised in a single parent household. Due to the family dynamic, I have lived all over Ontario and by the time I was eighteen I had attended three different High Schools. Some might think that this type of environment would guarantee a troubled youth, but I will let people decide on this one… I think I turned out just fine!

OD: That’s very interesting Sheena. I see your upbringing as a character builder and now it explains a few things about you. I recently read an article in The Ottawa Citizen about the success stories of the graduates of Hospitality Management Hotel and Restaurant program at Algonquin College.  What brought you to this particular program?

Image credit
www.algonquincollege.com

SB: Funny you ask. This was not the original plan. Graduating from high school at an early age of 17, I already knew that I had an entrepreneurial spirit. The only reasonable next step was to learn about running a business and head off to College. I decided to join the ranks of students at Algonquin College and Major in Business Administration. Unfortunately, after one year I felt out of place and somewhat lost; I decided to leave the program in search of what I felt was missing.

I wasn’t sure what to do next other than get a job while I was figuring things out. Restaurant work was something I’ve been exposed to since I was 15 and was the most logical choice. I did not regret it as I really enjoyed working with people and the industry itself. It paid off! After few months, seeing my passionate approach to the work, one very influential figure in my life offered a lifetime opportunity for a 19 year old. It was a six-month position as a bartender at a brand new resort in Turks and Caicos to teach locals the ways of North American

Image credit
www.ottawacitizen.com

hospitality. However, after just two months, the General Manager had left and I was offered that position! A little fearful as I lacked experience I did not lack enthusiasm and the best way to learn is by going in headfirst. So, I decided take on the challenge. This is when it was suggested to me that I should look into the Hospitality program at Algonquin College. I did just that and the program opened many doors for me and my future.

OD: Very interesting since I am a graduate of Algonquin College Business Administration program with major in Marketing. So I understand the impact college programs make on your future development.  Now, I believe we had enough teasers for the readers, let’s talk about the birth of your passion for tea.

Image credit
www.shangri-la.com

SB: With pleasure! After graduating, I was very fortunate to end up in New York City. What started as a graduation trip turned into a longer stay including a job offer in the industry that had been so good to me in the past. It was an incredible time in my life with exposure to BIG NYC culture of high-end dining and hospitality. That experience took me to the West coast of the USA to the sunny state of California in beautiful San Francisco. During this time, my love for wine helped me obtain the prestigious status of wine sommelier.  In turn, this accolade brought me back to Canada to join a very exciting and prestigious program at the Shangri-La hotel in Toronto. Although I would not be joining their team as a wine sommelier, I was offered an opportunity to explore the world of tea and introduce tea, its ceremonies and its service to staff and guests.

Image credit
www.coffeeandteaindustry.blogspot.com

My first reaction was a bit fearful, as I knew nothing about tea or how to gain a better understanding. However, after further investigation I discovered how much there is to learn about tea and how much similarity there is between the world of wine and the world of tea. Did you know that no matter what type of tea it is, black, green or white, it all comes from the same leaf and the difference is climate, soil and harvesting method? And so I discovered my new passion! Next came my 8-month journey with the Tea Association of Canada to become a certified Tea Sommelier. This is when I also discovered how underrated this beverage is in the North American hospitality industry since tea is considered to be a respected gesture of hospitality around the world.

OD: Amazing how one passion can lead to understanding another! So what about the birth of your business? How did you come up with idea of your own teas?

SB: While at Shangri-La I developed a real love for tea and as a creative person started experimenting with my own tea blends. This helped me gain a better understanding of tea culture and offer more education to staff and guests. It was a huge success experimenting on my family and friends in late 2013. Having this passion become so overwhelming affirmed my belief that I needed to part ways with the Shangri-La hotel and begin a new journey starting my own tea boutique appreciating everything the hotel had done for me.

Image credit www.queensu.ca

In early 2014 my tea business was growing so I decided to come back to my hometown of Ottawa and give this company very serious consideration as a full time business. It was not a small endeavor and some people were questioning my decision. But when you are so passionate about something and believe in the idea very strongly, it would be a shame not to give it all you have.....

To be continued.....

So? What do you think? Has this part got you even more curious? I hope so, since there is more to Sheena and TeaseTea and you can come back tomorrow to continue learning.

In the meantime, keep up the great job of being you and staying healthy and happy! And...

Be Active! Be Involved! Be a Current Woman!