Sarah Wilcox, founder of Genuine Tea shares her story of redefining success and navigating the entrepreneurial journey
Okay, let’s picture this: a British gentleman and a Canadian woman meet at a ski resort in British Columbia and bond over their love for tea. Sounds like a scene straight out of a rom-com, right?
For David O'Connor and Sarah Wilcox, it was the beginning of a beautiful journey filled with adventure and, of course, tea, Genuine Tea.
David and Sarah spent five years in Taiwan, immersing themselves in the local culture and discovering the wonders of hand-crafted artisan teas. With a wealth of tea knowledge under their belts, they returned to Canada with a simple and wise dream: to share their love of tea and adventure with others.
But, building an intimate community around their love for tea was not an easy feat. They started by hitting up farmers' markets, where they learned invaluable lessons and faced the challenges of a highly competitive market – and they didn't let that stop them.
They continued to learn and grow, perfecting their products, connecting with the consumer-packaged goods community becoming a part of Venturepark Labs, and pitched to Dragon’s Den. Their hard work and dedication paid off, and they even got to meet partners in retail.
For Sarah, a successful business is more than just making money. It's about creating a healthy relationship with her internal team members and having the freedom to focus on family and herself while working on the business at the same time. She believes that a successful business requires a balance between work and family life.
So, what's the secret to Genuine Tea's success?
According to Sarah, it's all about really understanding what customers want and need, so conducting solid market research, and building real connections within the community have been very crucial for her. That's been the key to their growth, as they keep coming up with new flavours and drinks to keep their loyal customers happy. They don't ONLY just provide a trend; they make their products a part of everyone's lifestyle, becoming a want and NEED.
But just like other businesses, as you grow, there are always new challenges facing you. So, right now, Genuine Tea is aiming for global expansion. Sarah knows it's crucial to learn from experienced entrepreneurs who've scaled up before. Finding good digital marketing partners will be key for reaching customers online and breaking into new markets. That's what they're currently focusing on, and they expect to go global within a specific timeline they've planned out.
Yet, Sarah and Dave from Genuine Tea remain true to their roots and keep things real. In the crazy world of entrepreneurship, they are proof that if you chase your dreams hard enough, amazing things can happen.
Follow Genuine Tea's journey on Instagram at @Genuinetea.