Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food & beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Stephen Wesley, Founder of generosiTEA, located in Las Vegas, NV, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

At generosiTEA, we make a 20-ounce charity-based iced tea, and our customers have iced tea and water drinkers on the go or shopping at their preferred grocery store.

Tell us about yourself

I began in the beverage industry in 2004, working in a warehouse, and my first thought was how much I LOVED it. Working my way up in the business and the early days of brands like Vitamin Water and Rockstar Energy was a challenging and exciting experience that nothing else in my life gave me.

Years later and having my OWN beverage company has fulfilled me in more new ways that I never thought of. There's this feeling I get every morning when I wake up that I just can't wait to see what the day will bring. That and knowing that I'm doing my part to try and leave this world in better shape than I found it is what motivates me.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I'd have to say that my biggest accomplishment as a business owner so far is being able to launch generosiTEA and get it into stores with 150K. That was the starting capital, and we've really made it stretch and grow. Of course, there have been additional investments since then, but I think all we accomplished on that dime was nothing short of spectacular.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

Trust. I'm a guy that lays everything on the table and will go a very long way to show my worth and work ethic. I've found that it's just so hard to find folks that you can trust enough to handle things if you go down. I got COVID last year and went down hard. I spent close to a month in the hospital and another month on oxygen after that. I got NO help with generosiTEA at that time. It hurt, and I take that with me every day. Finding a person or people you can trust is the hardest part of being a business owner.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Research: Know everything you can about the business you'd like to start or take over. Every single detail. You can never know TOO MUCH about what you're going to be putting your life into.
  2. Hustle: You're going to have to work long hours (often) and take no pay (often) to keep your train moving. You're going to need to rely on relationships and friendships where they're applicable. Never slow down the hustle. As long as you keep planting seeds, eventually, they will grow. Results can't come from the work you DON'T do, so never stop planting those seeds.
  3. Don't be afraid to hear "no": "No" is just a word. So many of us let that be the end of something that could truly be special. That's our ego. Let your ego go and approach EVERY SINGLE OPPORTUNITY like it's going to work out! If they say no, move on to the next one and NEVER take it personally. It'd take just a word, and there are many reasons why folks will tell you "no." But you need to say "NO" (know) that it's not the end. Only the beginning of something else.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: http://www.drinkgenerositea.com/
Facebook: https://bit.ly/3ey7QRQ
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/generositeadrinks/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/_generositea
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-wesley-a4b959b9/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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