Vintage Single-Origin

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Ashley Lim, founder, and CEO of Mansa Tea, located in Brooklyn, NY, USA.

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

Mansa Tea is a handcrafted aged tea company devoted to sourcing the finest single-origin teas and aging to the peak of its flavor. The majority of our eCommerce customers are tea connoisseurs and general tea lovers. But we also work with Michelin-starred restaurants and 5-star hotels on their tea programs and offer tea education workshops to Fortune 500 companies and high-growth startups.

Tell us about yourself

Since my youth, I have grown up around handcrafted aged tea, thanks to my aged tea-loving father. He used to bring a tea cake of Laobanzhang pu-erh (think, grand cru of the tea world) home and share it around the family table. He would enthusiastically describe how sweet the tea is and its incredible effect on his body and energy level. Unfortunately, my untrained palate could not discern its quality at the time.

It wasn't until I experienced the two crucial moments that I began to slowly develop my palate for aged tea: changing my brewing method to gongfu style using a Gaiwan and tasting my "gateway aged teas." As someone who went from "I don't get it" to "my favorite tea is aged tea," I want to help share this world of aged tea with other tea lovers step-by-step so that they can also immerse themselves in this eye-opening world of tea connoisseurship. Because life is too short to drink bad tea!

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Fortunately, a lot has happened since I started Mansa Tea. I always cherish achievements, big and small, as they positively impact who I am and where Mansa Tea is today.

If I had to pick one, I’d pick the opportunity to work with Per Se, a 3-Michelin star restaurant in NYC, on their tea program. Growing up, Per Se was the restaurant I always dreamed of dining at. So having our tea served there was a dream come true!

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

Running a business will make you go through many ups and downs. There’s no easy way. Being a business owner requires patience, dedication, and hard work.

But the hardest one is setting your own deadlines and having the discipline to meet them each time. If you are a solopreneur with a tendency to procrastinate, I recommend getting an accountability partner.

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

Test early, even pre-product.
Organize pre-launch events before finalizing your product. If and when people show interest in the product, then that’s the time to launch the product.
Learn about marketing or hire a good marketer.
Many people start their business because of their interest in the product. But to stay in business, you have to know how to market your product.
Be ready to commit for at least five years!
Success doesn’t happen overnight, and the first few years are especially rough. To get through the early years, prepare yourself mentally and financially to grind for five years. You will experience challenges along the way, but the 5-year commitment you have to your business will make you go through each of them. Always think of your goals and the reason why you started your business.

If you have any questions about tea or Mansa Tea, feel free to reach out! I'd be more than happy to help!

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://mansatea.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mansatea.official/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mansa_tea/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mansatea/

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.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.