Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Cindy Li, founder of Uproot Teas, located in Boulder, CO, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Uproot Teas partners directly with sustainable family farms to handcraft artisan loose leaf teas & botanicals. We're on a mission to decolonize the tea trade with our real leaves and transparent values. Proudly a 100% zero waste & Asian American woman-owned company.
Our customers are conscientious consumers who care about people, the impact of their money, and the quality of products they use.
Tell us about yourself
As a child of first-gen Chinese immigrants, I inherited my ancestors' love of tea and a reverence for the farming communities my family came from. While researching the commodity tea industry at university, I learned about the colonial tea trade, a history steeped in abusing farmers and profiting off of the commoditization of their crops. Even today, modern businesses are built on industrial structures from the ages of colonialism and imperialism. As a result, the tea itself suffered: hurried, mass production strips the tea of high-quality, premium whole leaves—the kind I grew up drinking gallons of with my family. We're uprooting the antiquated tea trade by bringing transparency to our sourcing, pay, and sustainability with our whole leaves.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Building a supportive online community of caring individuals who are banding together to support small, independent farmers! My favorite part has been turning Uproot's online community members into real-life friends.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
As a solo woman-of-color entrepreneur, it can be a lonely and daunting journey. I've been able to lean heavily on other amazing women founders, people of color, and mentors of all stages to make the journey easier and more fun.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Do it because you care, not because it will make money (because most businesses fail, and if you're motivated solely by $$, you will most likely burn out first).
- Find your community of people who can relate.
- Have fun and take breaks!
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://uprootteas.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uproot.teas/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uproot.teas/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/uprootteas/
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.