Tea, Made for You - Leland Tea Company
Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with William Otero, founder, and president of Leland Tea Company, located in San Francisco, CA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
The Leland Tea Company, family-owned and operated, built from the ground up, The Leland Tea Company has been servicing the bay area since 2005. Our customers range from all walks of life, as young as 4yrs old, being introduced to tea to 80+ enjoying an afternoon tea service. The reason people support Leland Tea is mainly because they want to be healthier. People generally want healthy alternatives to soda, sugary drinks, and coffee.
Tell us about yourself
I am known throughout the country for my inspired sense of flavor and balance, combining ingredients from around the globe to create unique and sublime experiences for the palate. I have always worked with food. I started when I was eight years old, helping my family of migrant farmworkers pick fruit up and down the East Coast, from Michigan to Florida. My mother, Carmen, with seven siblings, was—and remain my guiding light. When I was 12 years old, working in the middle of an orange grove, my mother impressed me that migrant farm work would be my life if I didn't finish school.
I took that advice by heart, and by the time I was 17, I had landed an apprentice position at Walt Disney World in Florida. There, I discovered my passion for food, beverage, and hospitality. Working long hours at Walt Disney World, unbeknown to me, set me up for success. I was no stranger to a 12-14-hour day on my feet cooking, blending, or preparing for an event at Disney.
After completing my studies, I moved to San Francisco in 1993 to pursue a career in hospitality. I spent the next twelve years working in a variety of jobs that, while they contributed many skills and experiences, did little to fulfill my passion for making a difference.
Again, my mother Carmen served as my inspiration to keep moving forwards, helping me to unleash my inner entrepreneur. In 2005, I started the Leland Tea Company. Before long, my teahouse became a destination tea spot, earning recognition from the Cities of San Francisco and Burlingame, Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, and many others. Wil earned a devoted following of serious tea drinkers and was invited to create custom tea blends for some of the best-known restaurants in the United States.
In 2016, with Carmen taking over the management of the teahouse, I turned his attention to my biggest challenge yet: creating a ready-to-drink bottled tea worthy of the demanding sensibilities of true tea lovers. But I wanted to do more: I struggled with my self-image for years as a child of poverty and obesity. But by the time I began to work on this new bottled tea, he had had a breakthrough: I realized I'm the only one in control of my temple—my body, and I will do my best to stay healthy. People love me for the way I treat them and make them feel in my presence, not for the way I look, and I'm ok with that.
With this new attitude, I took up the challenge with gusto. Two years later, the unique vitamin-enhanced Vitae Tea is making its entrance into the marketplace. By combining vitamins with full-flavored, complex tea blends, I have created a beverage that satisfies the tastes of the most demanding tea drinkers while also contributing directly to their well-being.
I want to enhance people's experiences by putting out positive energy. People have a natural sense of peace when experiencing tea, which is beautiful.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
As a business owner, I would have to say my biggest accomplishment was and still is helping my community when in need. During the pandemic, I delivered food to hospitals, seniors stuck at home, and shelters.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Perception is definitely one of the hardest things about owning your own business. People assume you are either independently wealthy, trying to take advantage of them, or simply struggling. You should be grateful they are patronizing your business. Dealing with those stereotypes was the hardest, especially during the pandemic.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- You will never be more broke financially (Everything you make will go back into building your business.
- Keep moving forward, especially when you think you're out of rope and feel like you're the only one in the sandbox.
- Don't ever stop creating or thinking of ways you can take your business to the next level. The second the thinking and creating stops, the dream (Business) becomes stale and begins to die.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
I've been working and blending tea for over 20+ years, and I've created what I think is a fairly loyal following, and still, it doesn't feel like I've worked a day.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://lelandtea.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leland.tea.co
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leland_tea/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lelandtea
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-otero-46276359/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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