Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Staci Brinkman, Founder and CEO of Sips by, located in Austin, TX, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Sips by is the best way to discover and shop for great tea online. We serve tea drinkers of all ages and experience levels who can create a free membership profile to have thousands of teas from 100 of the world's best brands personalized to their taste preferences.
Tell us about yourself
On my journey to discover great tea, I realized three things: there's always more to learn, exploring tea can be expensive, and finding great tea is hard. Despite these challenges, I knew that drinking tea made me feel good. In 2010, a trip to Japan and China turned my tea hobby into a full-blown passion. After spending hours searching through websites and grocery store shelves, I often wished she had a friend who could show her the way. I created Sips by to be that tea friend, helping Members explore great tea and brands around the world because I believe that drinking tea connects us and can make you feel good, too.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Having the opportunity to work in and share tea with so many people around the world and helping almost a million Members of our Tea Club grow in their relationship to and understanding of tea. From a business pov, moving operations out of our living room, hitting our millionth box shipped, and ranking #79 on the INC500.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
Reigning in your passion for what you do to maintain a healthy work-life balance.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
Trust your instincts, be prepared to work hard, and prepare to define strong boundaries to maintain a separation between yourself and your business.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.sipsby.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sipsby
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sipsby/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sipsby
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stacibrinkman/
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.
Turn your craft into recurring revenue with Subkit. Start your subscription offering in minutes and supercharge it with growth levers. Get early access here.