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We are delight to introduce you to one of our Women’s Business School graduates Lisa Westcott founder of  Tea at Henry’s

 

 

Please tell us about yourself and your business?

I am a Mumma to the gorgeous Henry who turned 3 in February this year. To date, he has been my greatest teacher. I learn something new from him every single day. Tea at Henry’s is my second baby. It is an online tea boutique. I specialise in delicious pure leaf teas, creative tea blends and a small but stunning range of tea wares. I also offer a range of services including tea menu creation for cafes and restaurants, bespoke tea blending, workshops and tea education. The underpinning message for Tea at Henry’s is all about creating moments of beauty, serenity, calmness, tranquility, ritual and connection through tea, both in its preparation and also in its service.

 

When did you start your business? &  What was the inspiration behind starting this business?

Tea at Henry’s was officially launched on the 20th of November, 2017. My business preparation, research and planning stage took up a good part of the year prior to that. The inspiration for the creation of Tea at Henry’s was the birth of my gorgeous baby boy, Henry in February, 2015. It wasn’t long after I had Henry that I had a yearning to work on a project that was meaningful to me, and to be doing something that would breathe life into my creative side and to give life to my passion.

 

What are you most excited about in your business?

I love hearing the stories and seeing the photographs from my gorgeous customers about their wonderful tea experiences with tea that I have lovingly created and/or packaged and sent out to them. It makes my heart sing to know that I have, and can be, a part of someone’s tea moments and memories.

 

What has been the most challenging thing about starting your business?

The thing that I have found most confronting is the isolating and lonely nature of running a home-based online business. I didn’t realise, until I no longer had it, just how much I enjoyed the social interaction that can be found in work places. The other thing that has been challenging for me is finding the internal courage, strength and resilience to put myself out there. It is so, so, confronting to feel that vulnerable.

 

 

What advice would you give to other women thinking about starting a business?

To celebrate the magical moments along the way. I have been so caught up in worrying about making everything perfect that I don’t even really properly process all the wonderful feedback that I get about my business and the difference that it makes to people’s lives. Celebrate the wins!

 

Why did you choose to do the Women’s Business School Ignite Program?

I enrolled in the Women’s Business School program because I was searching for my tribe. I was searching for a group of like-minded women who had already been through, or were going through, similar issues to me in setting up my business.

 

What did you enjoy the most about being part of the program?

I really enjoyed the master class session in Sydney and being able to interact face to face with other participants and with Peace and Katy.

 

 

What surprised you most about the program?

It is probably not so much as the program itself but just the similarity of issues confronting all mother’s who embark on the process of starting their own business. It was affirming to know that my issues were not unique and that there are ups and downs to setting up your own business that everyone experiences.

 

Which module was the most helpful and why? & How did the program help you in your business?

I really enjoyed the work and activities that focussed on developing our ‘why’. This helped me enormously in setting up the narrative behind my brand, understanding what I wanted in terms of my logo and branding materials, honing down my choices for packaging and presentation and clarifying the way in which I presented myself and my business on social media.

 

What has been the best thing about starting your own business?

This is an interesting question because I think what can be the best thing can also be the worst thing. For me the best thing is the freedom and flexibility that comes with having your own business. The flip side of this is that you need to be much more focussed and dedicated to the time you devote to ‘work’. This can be difficult and I find that I procrastinate and overthink everything… A LOT!

 

 

Would you recommend the Women’s Business School to other women starting a business? Why?

I think the Women’s Business School program lays the foundations and starting points for research for the base pillars of a good business model. It also provides students with a tribe of like-minded women who are all facing similar achievements and hurdles at the various stages of their business journey.

 

What’s happening next in your business?

For now I am yearning for the patience and resilience to see through what I have started. I need to implement systems and processes that make me more comfortable with the day-to-day operations of my business and to bed those down so that my operations are more streamlined and less laborious.

 

What are your big plans for the future?

My ultimate goal is to have a physical location for my tea boutique. I have already visualised what it will look like and how it will feel being there. I have even chosen the most stunning wallpaper.

 

Visit Lisa’s gorgeous site at

W: www.teaathenrys.com

FB: www.facebook.com/teaathenrys

Insta: www.instagram.com/teaathenrys

E: info@teaathenrys.com

 

 

If you are looking for support to get your business of the ground  2018 Women’s Business School Program is open now www.thewomensbusinessschool.com/ignite