How a Cultural Tradition Inspired a Tea Business

Jennifer Chen
May 09, 2017

While everyone is obsessively snapping shots of Starbucks’ latest frappuccinos, we’re still team tea. Our favorite oh-so-calming beverage can be transformed into so many things — like boozy summer cocktails, beauty treatments, and even delicious bubble tea. If you’re as in love with tea as we are, and you’re dreaming of creating a career that focuses on this bev, then you’ll love learning how one intrepid entrepreneur developed a business built solely on her own love of tea. In this week’s How to Quit Your Day Job series, we chat with the founder of T&Co, Jennifer Odera, about how she turned her love of tea into a full-time gig.

meet the tea PRO: Jennifer Odera

Originally from Kenya, Odera worked extensively in the European hospitality industry, and after spending a gap year traveling and rediscovering her passions and interests, she decided to make the trek to America in 2013 with the goal of earning an MBA. Her yearlong travels helped Odera realize that she wanted to bring people unique experiences in a more personalized and intimate way — similar to the hospitality industry. She toyed with the idea of starting a tea business and after talking about it with friends and family, she challenged herself to apply to a business competition, forcing herself to commit to formulating a plan. T&Co. was born from this idea, and today, her company offers curated tea subscription boxes for tea enthusiasts. Here are some helpful self-starting tips from the tea-preneur herself.

1. Discover what you love. Sometimes it takes a little bit of adventure and exploring out of your locale to reconnect with what you truly love. “My traveling gap year exposed me to various people, languages, and cuisines, and these experiences reignited my love of discovering culture,” says Odera. By taking this time to travel, Odera gained perspective and a better understanding of where she wanted to direct her passions.

2. Go it alone. When Odera got serious about starting her tea company, she started networking her local food scene and attending food events and specialty trade shows. She purposely went solo to every networking opportunity. “Going alone pushed me to speak to people I didn’t know and ask for help, advice, and introductions to other professionals,” says Odera. (Need some networking tips? Here’s how to network painlessly.)

3. Take a break. Odera hails from the Kenyan Abaluhya tribe who place great value on the daily service of tea. In her culture, each day begins and ends with tea. She loves taking a break during her work day to enjoy some time alone with loose leaf tea. “The process of preparing tea, particularly loose leaf, requires you to stop what you are doing and be very deliberate about putting all the pieces together. Lately, whenever I find myself getting anxious about deadlines and outcomes I take a matcha break,” says Odera.

4. It takes a village. Though Odera wanted to network solo, she’s mindful of the family and friends who have all chipped in to grow T&Co. Her parents and older sister have invested financially, while her brother helps her with financial modeling. Her friend Corey taught her how to set up her biz online. Her friend Maya curates music playlists for the tea kits. And her friend Juliana manages most of T&Co.’s social media. “My family and friends have been invaluable throughout the entire process, first by offering the most non-judgmental support and always lending an ear when I’ve had a bad day or need cheering on,” says Odera.

5. Get started. When Odera was working on her MBA, she learned an important exercise to get started. “Write three lists — one list of all the things you would need in order to get the idea off the ground, another list of the things you don’t know, and finally a list of all the people you know,” says Odera. From there, network with people to learn the things you don’t know, and test out your idea to discover your audience.

6. Keep good quality control. Since T&Co. is all about tea, Odera is careful to work with vendors that own their own tea farms or who are actively visiting tea farms — two signs of being invested in the quality of the tea. “I personally sample each tea before selecting which brews to pair for the month’s tea kit. I like to make sure there’s something for every type of tea drinker in each of my tea kits,” says Odera. If your company is food or beverage-based then you want to go to great lengths to deliver the best goods possible.

7. Don’t strive for perfection. When she was first starting out, Odera says she was stuck in a state of “paralysis by overanalysis.” She held back on promoting her business or using social media because she wanted everything to be perfect before anyone could see it. “I went in very naively, following the business school formula, thinking that if I checked all the boxes everything would work out overnight, but that’s not how things work. There is no specific thing you need to do but rather stay true to your passion, keep working multiple angles, and with a bit of good old-fashioned luck, everything starts to come together,” says Odera.

Perfect Your Skills

1. Tea Pairing Classes ($15-$35): Through online or onsite classes, you can learn how to pair tea with chocolate, beer, and cheese. You can conduct the pairings in your own home with friends with provided materials. If you want to take your tea expertise to the next level, try the Tea Blending Classes from the Tea Blending Sisters who have 10+ years experience in the tea industry.

2. Learn How to Run a Successful Subscription Business (Free): Subscription School offers dozens of online guides, videos, and webinars on how to start a subscription-based company. Topics covered include Building the Perfect Box: A Guide to Product Procurement, Four Best Practices for Facebook Page Management, and Communicating With Customers — Dos and Don’ts.

3. Coding: From Web Page to Website Online Class ($39): When starting any business, it’s essential to have a quality website. If you want to learn how to build your website from scratch, this online course will teach you the basics. Designer Allison House will show you how to code a website that’s perfect for you.

What’s your dream career? Tweet us @BritandCo to let us know, and we could end up featuring it in the next column!

(Photos via Marisa Vitale and T Knight Gallery)

Fashion Designer Icon Betsey Johnson Dishes Her Best Advice for a Long-Lasting Career

Betsey Johnson turned 75 last year, and her feminine hippie style is famous in fashion. The designer has dished on how to nail your own personal style, rents out her stylish Mexican home via Airbnb, and knows how to rock a red carpet with her signature split. In this week’s How to Quit Your Day Job series, we chat with the fashion maven herself, Betsey Johnson, who blazed a path for herself, starting in the 1960s, to create a whimsical style that is uniquely hers. Here, Johnson shares some hard-earned wisdom for future fashionistas and creatives with all the sparkle and wit you’d expect from the pretty in pink powerhouse.

MEET THE FASHION ICON: BETSEY JOHNSON

In 1964, Betsey Johnson won a Mademoiselle magazine contest to become a guest editor and charmed editors at Mademoiselle with her home-sewn t-shirt dresses. A year later, she became the top designer for Paraphernalia, a clothing boutique in New York City, that catered to a younger clientele that offered silver mini skirts and neon bikinis, and had go-go girls dancing in the store windows. It was London-style by way of NYC, and Johnson was one of the first employees. After her experience at Paraphernalia, Johnson wanted to branch out on her own. Now, with 50+ years working in the fashion industry, the style icon gives an inside look at how she built her empire and what she hopes other creative women implement in their own career journeys.

View this post on Instagram

Cartwheels and love to all my Betsey Babes. Thanks for all the lovely messages XoX Betsey 💖

A post shared by Betsey Johnson (@betseyjohnson) on

Brit + Co: What’s your morning routine?

Betsey Johnson: Lately I have been crawling out of bed at 8:30am, which is quite late for me because I am usually a 7am girl. I really enjoy spending time in my backyard, so once I’m up, I drift into the kitchen and have my one cup of black coffee. I often take my coffee to my birds-of-paradise garden in the backyard and sit among my flowers. I’m all about fruit for breakfast, and I’ve been on a grape kick recently. Once I’ve eaten, l call my assistant and we will go over what I am up to for the rest of the day. My schedule usually changes from day to day, so I never know what the day will bring!

B+C: What inspired you to start your brand?

BJ: I worked for 10 years in the industry before starting my namestake brand, and between the ’60s and ’70s, I realized that I wanted to be my own boss, have my own company, do my own thing. I simply just didn’t want to work for anyone anymore.

View this post on Instagram

Sparkle in our step ✨ Dancing on our minds 💃

A post shared by Betsey Johnson (@betseyjohnson) on

B+C: You are a pioneer in the fashion industry and celebrated diversity like casting transgender models in your runway shows. How were you able to trust your inner voice in your business life and beyond?

BJ: Sometimes you have to keep your blinders on and move full speed ahead without distraction from what others are doing/saying. I cast my shows to represent the world I see around me, and that is the most important thing to me.

B+C: You’ve got a book in the works about your life, a boutique hotel in Mexico, and continue to be involved in your company. What keeps your creative spark alive?

BJ: Nothing can keep you creative, you either live it and you have it, you either do it or you don’t. There is no time zone, season, or reason for you to be creative. You just have to motivate yourself and be your own biggest source of energy! No one or anything should be able to make you do something if you don’t have passion for it.

View this post on Instagram

No such thing as too much pink 💖

A post shared by Betsey Johnson (@betseyjohnson) on

B+C: What have you’ve learned from a failure or mistake you made?

BJ: Your past, the mistakes you’ve made, and the failures that follow you are only going to help you direct how you want to live your future. I am always looking back to my past to inform the way I want to do things now. We should never be ashamed of our mistakes. They make us who we are!

B+C: What’s the best advice you’ve ever gotten?

BJ: “Love it or it will leave you.” I feel you have to love what you do, and be connected to the whole business, then the best results will happen.

View this post on Instagram

Fashion made to #FLEX in 👯 Shop the new activewear collection at BetseyJohnson.com #DoubleTrouble #FitButMakeitFashion

A post shared by Betsey Johnson (@betseyjohnson) on

B+C: Your clothes, design style, and personality are iconic while remaining true to who you are as a person. What would you tell future female fashion designers about how to blaze their own trail?

BJ: Always be true to yourself. It’s the most important thing you have. Be kind, respect others, and fight hard for the things you want.

View this post on Instagram

Chocolates in boxes and eyeliner wings, these are a few of my favorite things 💋💗💐 Announcing our #BetseyBabeContest winner who will receive the entire cosmetics collection for two ✨ Luckily if you didn’t win, you can still shop cosmetics by Betsey Johnson at @fragrancenet 💖

A post shared by Betsey Johnson (@betseyjohnson) on

B+C: Name two female heroes who you think should get a shout-out.

BJ: First, I want to give a shout out to [my daughter] Lulu and my grandkids. I’ve been with them more than anyone else in my life, and I don’t know where I’d be without them. Also, women like Tina Turner, Madonna, and Janis Joplin have always been huge inspirations for my clothing and in my life. I can’t just pick two!

B+C: If you could tell aspiring creative women anything, what would it be?

BJ: You have to work really really really hard, but you should want to work hard. I think you make your own luck. I’ve been lucky in my life, but that is because I’ve worked hard. I believe the same thing can happen for any other young women out there.

RELATED: Insta Icon Eva Chen Dishes on Her Career, Fashion, and Her Latest Dream Collabs

(Photos via Betsey Johnson)

Fashion InspirationHow to Quit Your Day Jobfashion

30 AAPI Founders We Love to Support

May is Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month and what better time than right now to highlight some of our favorite AAPI founders. From artists to creators to designers and beyond, these entrepreneurs are charting their own creative paths and bringing fresh ideas to the world, making it a little brighter, a little more colorful, and a better place for all. Check them out and their brands, and prepare to be inspired!

Giselle Go, Cofounder of DAMDAM

The former editor in chief of Harper's Bazaar Singapore (the youngest to hold the title at just 26) turned skincare entrepreneur is Philippine-born and sought to build a clean skincare brand as an ode to the Japanese culture she loved and respected so deeply. Enter DAMDAM, a brand dedicated to preserving ancient Japanese beauty regimens, such as "osoji" and "mochi had," heritage Japanese beauty ingredients like the Shiso Plant and Komenuka Oil, and a team of partners and vendors that collaborate with the brand by creating hand-crafted atelier and preserve Japanese land through regenerative farming practices. The brand is a 5-star best seller on Sephora and one that's hoping to inspire more people to partake in minimalist routines that place an emphasis on mindfulness.

Yanghee Paik, CEO and co-founder of Rael

“I like to call myself an accidental entrepreneur," says Yanghee Paik, a former Hollywood exec who co-founded Rael feminine care products. "I was looking for new inspiration and ways to make a bigger impact on people’s lives when I met my other co-founders.” Together, they saw an opportunity to bring safe and effective technology of Korean feminine care products to the U.S. market. Rael’s first organic cotton pads launched in 2017 and became #1 best-selling pad on Amazon. All Rael period care products are developed without toxins and are hypoallergenic, soft, and breathable. The packaging is also something you don't mind leaving on your countertop.;)

Dev Heyrana, Fine Artist and Hip Hop Dance Teacher

Heyrana's particular brand of creativity is one-of-a-kind. She manages to be warm, welcoming and woke, with a focus on inclusivity, social justice and motherhood that comes through in every piece of art she creates. Born in The Philippines and immigrated to the U.S. when she was 9 years old, her family comes from the island of Cebu. "I'm a proud Cebuana. My childhood in the Philippines felt like freedom. I had my swimsuit in my backpack for whenever we decided to swim and I biked everywhere." But immigrating wasn't easy as a child. "I witnessed racism towards my family and didn't know how to make sense of it," she told us in our Creative Crushin' series."These events left a mark. I was a quiet kid and observed everything and everyone around me. I think about my grandparents, Lolo Jose and Lola Rita, a lot as I walk through life. When I make decisions. As hard as it feels, you have two choices, do you let it take you down or take it one step at a time forward. I kept going and it really shaped me as to why I am the way I am today."

Trisha Okubo, Founder of Maison Miru

Trisha Okubo (pictured center) started out as a Stanford engineer but always had a passion for fashion, sculpture and architecture. She discovered the magic of making jewelry, intersecting form and function, art and science, order and chaos. "It’s wearable sculpture, a thing of beauty that captures your magic: your experiences and memories of the people you love," she says. "Miru in its native Japanese is evocative of sight. It is a reminder to open your eyes, to see the world in a new way." Maison Miru is launching its limited edition jewelry collection today, in collaboration with Heart of Dinner, a non-profit organization that provides hot meals for the most vulnerable Asian elderly community around Manhattan's Chinatown area, in honor of AAPI Heritage Month. The Heart of Dinner System Kit features three styles curated by Heart of Dinner founders Yin Chang and Moonlynn Tsai (pictured left and right). Made to be waterproof, sweatproof, and life-proof, the kit will include the Classic Heart Nap Earrings, Shooting Star Open Hoops, and Classic Arc Ear Cuff. 20% of the proceeds from the kit will be donated to Heart of Dinner.

Lin Chen, Founder of Pink Moon

A Brit + Co Self Care Award winner, Pink Moon is an online shop where you can find eco self-care, wellness, and lifestyle brands, with more than 30 percent of them being founded by women of color. When launching Pink Moon's in-house collection, Lin made the decision to create it as an open love letter for her Chinese heritage with the launch of a gua sha tool and accompanying face oil. Aromatherapy also plays a big role in Pink Moon's self-care in-house collection with original blends in signature candles, body/hair oils and more. 1% of Pink Moon's revenue goes to a nonprofit of your choice with every purchase.

Fiona Co Chan, Founder of Youthforia

Fiona founded Youthforia from the ground up while living in Hong Kong during the pandemic. An econ major who worked in business development for a software startup, she found that frequent travel to China was hard on her skin. She founded Youthforia, a makeup brand made famous on TikTok, uses plant-based ingredients and functions like skincare you can sleep in!

Rachel and Jiyoon Han, Founders of Bean & Bean Coffee

Not only did this mother daughter duo found Bean & Bean, but they're both certified Q graders (or coffee sommeliers)! The brand first got their start in 2008, after Jiyoon's parents immigrated from South Korea and opened the first ever roastery in Queens, NY. They're focused on ethically-sourced product, supply chain transparency, and Female Equity in Coffee.

Farah Jesani, Founder of One Stripe Chai

A daughter of South Asian immigrants, Farah Jesani started her career in NYC's corporate world. I graduated from the University of Georgia with a business degree and moved to NYC to work in the corporate world. She soon realized that the chai options offered at coffee shops didn't really reflect the bold and flavorful chai she grew up drinking. That's when the seeds for One Stripe Chai were planted...Founded in 2015, One Stripe Chai combines rich, spicy masala chai with black tea for an all natural chai concentrate that even the pickiest chai drinkers will love.

Tina Chow Rudolf, Founder of Strange Bird

Rudolf's fascination with beauty and skincare originates from watching generations of mothers before her. Her grandmother would give her mother facials using egg whites, cucumber, ginger and ginseng — all ingredients from their kitchen. Strange Bird (also her husband's nickname for her) is a plant-based and crystal-charged beauty brand that combines ancient Chinese beauty traditions with high vibrational alchemy to help women create a daily practice that supports their skin goals and their life goals. Products include ingredients such as ginger, ginseng and goji berry in organic blends as well as flower and gem essences such as amethyst, rose quartz and crab apple.

Clara Jung, Founder of Banner Day Interiors

Clara left a career in corporate law to start Banner Day Interiors when she realized that legal research and courtroom appearances didn't satisfy her creative desires. Her creative and comfortable style helps her clients transform ordinary rooms into stylish spaces. Originally from Los Angeles, Clara attended Cal and fell in love with the charm of Berkeley (shortly after graduating, she joined the Peace Corps in Nepal teaching English), where she now lives.

Sravya Adusumilli, founder of Mango People

Chemical engineer turned beauty entrepreneur Sravya Adusumilli was inspired by her South Asian roots when creating the plant-based multi-functional makeup brand beloved by TikTok. She struggled to find a brand that was truly clean and inclusive of all skin-tone shades so she began experimenting and researching Ayurvedic rituals and teachings to utilize powerful plants and pigment-rich fruits, flowers, and herbs to heal the body, mind, and spirit. After five years of intensive research and several iterations later, Mango People was born.

Ming Yi and Ching Yeh Chen, Founders Of Pearl River Mart

This duo founded Pearl River Mart in 1971 as the world's first Chinese American department store. People of all backgrounds can learn about Asian history and culture beyond NYC through their online site. Pearl River Mart has two events to celebrate AAPI heritage, including"Just Between Us," a new exhibition curated by Arlan Huang in partnership with Think!Chinatown at their SoHo location starting 5/4 and Pearl River Mart's Second Annual AAPIHM Sunset Celebration in conjunction with Lunar Hard Seltzer and Gold House will be held at their Chelsea Market location on 5/19.

Jennifer Tsay, Co-Founder & CEO of Shoott

Jennifer Tsay is a SAG-AFTRA actor whose personal experience with "side hustles" led her to launch a company that puts creatives and freelancers first. Shoott seeks to make professional photography more accessible to everyone with "Insta-worthy" 30-minute outdoor photo sessions that are free to book online and allow customers to pay only for photos they love at $15 per photo or less. In spite of the pandemic, demand for bookings grew and the company is now available in 600 locations across 60+ cities nationwide.

Diane Reade, Founder of MO MI

Diane's mother and grandmother raised her with holistic, naturopathic, aromatherapy and encouraged her to seek wellness beauty rituals. Diane says her Asian heritage inspires her creative process when sourcing plant-based ingredients that have been used for centuries. Her personal care brand MO MI is animal- and planet-friendly and incorporates values from Diane's heritage and from time spent living, working and traveling in Europe and Asia.

Eunice and Sabrina Moyle, Founders Hello!Lucky

Eunice and Sabrina are bi-racial Chinese-white sisters who grew up in Asia and Africa. They founded Hello!Lucky in 2003 as a letterpress greeting card studio with a distinctive humor and style inspired by their Asian and Midwestern roots. Since then, Hello!Lucky has grown to become a design and licensing studio with the mission of delivering joy, creativity, and connection through their products, which include greeting cards, best-selling children's books, and home goods. They are committed to supporting the highest good of their customers and promoting self-awareness and social justice. They published Sloth and Smell the Roses, a children's board book on mindfulness and self-compassion and in 2018 published Be the Change: The Future Is In Your Hands, a DIY book for girls and women about using creativity to inspire community and civic action. Sabrina serves as Board President of @mosaicproject, an Oakland-based youth non-profit that provides immersive, experiential learning in building inclusive, equitable, peaceful communities.You can follow along with Eunice and Sabrina @helloluckycards and @helloluckykids.

Joy Cho, Founder and Creative Director of Oh Joy!

LA-based Joy Cho exploded in the world of licensing with home decor, kids, pet, and furniture collections with brands such as Target, Band-Aid, Calpak, Petco, Keds, and more. She has authored six books and consulted for hundreds of creative businesses around the world. For two years in a row, Joy was named one of Time's 30 Most Influential People on the Internet and has the most followed account on Pinterest with over 14 million followers.

Andrea Xu, Co-founder and CEO, Umamicart

Conceived by Andrea Xu to serve as a one-stop-shop for home cooks, Umamicart, an online market, prioritizes Asian American-led businesses, immigrant-led businesses, and the mom-and-pop suppliers and producers behind consumers' favorite heritage brands, as well as the inspiring Asian American founders that are reinterpreting traditional flavors with new and personal products.

Angela Chau Gray + Ervina Wu, Co-Founders of YINA

YINA is a beauty and wellness brand based in California whose mission is to demystify and enliven Chinese Medicine. Co-founded by Dr. Ervina Wu, a licensed in TCM, the brand features products for skincare, wellness and more.

Vicky Tsai, Founder of Tatcha

One of our favorite Teach Me Something New podcast guests, Tsai's personal skincare routine (equal parts skincare + meditation) is as impressive as it is inspiring. Her customers include celebrities like Meghan Markle and Kim Kardashian who are fans of her Japanese skincare products, which are based in ancient Geisha beauty practices. For Vicky, skincare *is* self care, and we all need to take time for ourselves to wash away the day, and start fresh each morning.

Syama Meagher, Co-Founder of Rendall Co.

Syama Meagher originally planned to launch Rendall Co. as a home goods brand featuring aprons but pivoted to premium face masks at the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020. The styles were bestsellers and now the brand finally launched its collection of aprons, which feature durable chambray and denim fabrics and professional quality workmanship. We love our Bistro apron!

Hanna Chiou, Co-Founder of Habbi Habbi

Hanna Chiou grew up in the U.S. speaking her parent's native language Mandarin but not reading it. "It's challenging because Chinese is character-based so most books from Asia are intimidating because there are a sea of characters — and speaking doesn't translate to reading," she told us. Habbi Habbi was her answer to accessibility and ease of learning with a set of language books that kids can tap with the simplicity of a translating wand (our kids love theirs!).

Justine Tiu & Adrian Zhang, Co-Founders of The Woobles

We love this online learning platform for crochet. The brand sells beginner crochet kits that have been designed leveraging UX research and customer feedback to push through initial frustrations of learning a DIY art through remote learning.

Kirstie Wang, Founder of A Jar of Pickles

Kirstie Wang started A Jar of Pickles with $200 as a side hobby business that eventually grew multi-6 figures in revenue while she worked full-time jobs in UX design and marketing. She started it as a hobby Etsy shop in college after teaching herself digital design. She recently took the leap and quit her full-time job to grow A Jar of Pickles, pursuing her passion to share what she's learned by coaching other small business owners. You can enroll in her Selfmade course, Organic Social Media Growth, starting on May 25.

Image via Clar Ngai-Howard/Instagram

Clare Ngai, Founder of BONBONWHIMS

Before Clar Ngai launched BONBONWHIMS, she moved to the U.S. at the age of 19 to study journalism. From there, she's been working in the fashion industry for the past 10 years. Her experience with the digital and influencer aspects of fashion have come in handy because BONBONWHIMS speaks to several generations with its Y2K appeal.

It was during the pandemic that she began creating the bones of BONBONWHIMS to fuel her own passion and raise awareness for BIPOC organizations like Stop AAPI Hate.

Since its creation, BONBONWHIMS has been featured on stars like Megan Thee Stallion and Demi Lovato.

We are also big fans of our Selfmade members, including Christine Tong (above), founder of Christine My Linh, Shannon Huang, founder of The Soul Edit, Justine Pon of The Ponnery, Sruti Bharat of FutureMap, Koyun Fan, co-founder of Sticky Rice Sisters, and Poy T. Granati of Summer Space Studio.

To support the fight against anti-Asian racism, visit Stop AAPI Hate, a national coalition documenting and addressing anti-Asian discrimination.

Brit + Co may at times use affiliate links to promote products by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.

This post has been updated.

entrepreneursmall businessesclean skincareaapi brandsasian-owned brandslifestyle

How Salt & Straw Founder Kim Malek Turned an Ice Cream Cart into a Growing Empire

If your sweet tooth is your calling, why not learn how to turn your dessert dreams into a full-time passion from women entrepreneurs who took their inspiration beyond an idea? One movie date with her future husband to see Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory prompted Sugarfina co-founder Rosie O’Neill to wonder why grown-up candy stores didn’t exist. Food blogger Katie Higgins flipped her side gig of writing healthy dessert recipes into a career, and food scientist Natalia Butler found her ideal job creating new flavors for the Ben & Jerry’s ice cream empire. In this week’s How to Quit Your Day Job, we chat with Kim Malek, the CEO and founder of Salt & Straw — a popular West Coast chain of ice cream parlors focused on local flavors — about how she turned her idea for a community-based gathering spot for good times into a sweet success story.

Meet the Ice Cream Pro: Kim Malek

Years before Salt & Straw founder Kim Malek started her company, she worked at Starbucks Coffee, Yahoo!, adidas, and Gardenburger in marketing, community outreach, and product management and development. But inspired by the time she lived in the foodie paradise of Portland, Oregon, she had a vision to create a local eatery where friends could gather. Fourteen years later, she and her cousin Tyler, now head ice cream maker, started with an ice cream cart in Portland. Their unique flavors, like Strawberry Honey Balsamic with Black Pepper and Pots of Gold & Rainbows (a mix of colorful marshmallows and cereal milk-flavor), garnered fans and graced Food Network’s list of the Top 5 Ice Creams in America.

With brick-and-mortar scoop shops now open in Los Angeles, Downtown Disney District, Portland, San Diego, San Francisco, and Seattle, the neighborhood ice cream dream Malek had 14 years earlier is now a thriving company. This year, Salt & Straw is gearing up to open its 19th location, and the team will be releasing its first cookbook, the Salt & Straw Ice Cream Cookbook (out April 30).

Brit + Co: What’s your morning routine?

Kim Malek: I have three kiddos, and I try to always take them to school when I’m not traveling. My mornings are all about them. I wake up around 5:30am, take our new puppy out for a little walk, make coffee, and pull myself together over a morning dose of NPR, and then wake up the littles and get them rolling. I’m big into ensuring they have a well-rounded breakfast, so I’m always dreaming up new things to serve along with a large plate of fruit daily. We dash out the door to be sure they have some time to play before school starts (essential to burn energy before sitting all day), which also gives me time to connect with other parents and teachers. Having accomplished all of that before I arrive at the office by 8:30am makes me feel like I’ve already packed in a lot. It’s great momentum for my busy day ahead.

B+C: What inspired you to start your company?

KM: I’d spent most of my adult life in Seattle but lived in Portland for a brief period in the mid-’90s. While there, I was struck by the incredible sense of community and collaboration that I experienced, and I was convinced that an ice cream shop would be the perfect way to reflect that. I wanted to create a place where people could run into their neighbors and spend time with friends and family. I started to work on a plan to open a shop and even looked at real estate. But I got cold feet and retreated back to my safe corporate job for the next 14 years, until the stars aligned for me to move back to Portland in 2010 and dust off my plans. Now, when I see the lines and groups of people who come together at our shops, it’s really gratifying to know that my original inspiration of creating great neighborhood gathering places has come to life in so many wonderful places up and down the West Coast.

View this post on Instagram

Shoutout to our scoopers at Portland's Northeast Alberta scoop shop, where we first served Salt & Straw's classic flavors way back in 2011. The team is still one of the grooviest gaggles of ice cream ambassadors we've ever met, and we couldn't do what we do without them. Thanks for spreading the happiness, friends! (Thanks for the photo, @bridgesandballoons!)

A post shared by Salt & Straw Ice Cream (@saltandstraw) on

B+C: How do you challenge yourself as an entrepreneur?

KM: I heard [football quarterback] Joe Montana speak several years ago and identified with a statement he made about being motivated by fear. As a classic entrepreneur who is motivated by the possibilities with a great appetite for risk, also being motivated by fear seemed ironic to other people when I described it. I had the opportunity to sit next to Joe at a dinner a few months ago and let him know that his statement had stuck with me all these years later and asked him if he’d explain a bit more what he meant by that. He said that he was generally pretty confident that he’d succeed at whatever he was doing, but he was motivated by fear to create contingency plans, be more ready than seems logical, and work harder than anyone else. I loved that!

View this post on Instagram

Guess who's back?! 💕⭐🐴👠🍀🌙🍯🌈🎈Get ready to time warp to fabled flavors past because our March menu launches Friday 3/1 with some of the most beloved ice cream concoctions we've ever made—including Pots of Gold & Rainbows—so stop by your local scoop shop ASAP for a taste of this cereal-rific creation as well as a few more fan faves you've been waiting for...

A post shared by Salt & Straw Ice Cream (@saltandstraw) on

B+C: Tell us about how your family and friends help support your business.

KM: My family has been instrumental in the company. I founded the company with my cousin Tyler. He wanted to join me to make ice cream when I was getting the company started, but he’d never made ice cream before and just started culinary school. He lived in my basement and experimented with ice cream making on a machine he got at Goodwill. It quickly became apparent that he was really talented, and he became the head ice cream maker right off the bat. It turned out to be a terrific partnership, and his culinary sense has made the company what it is today. The other person I have to mention is my partner Mike. Before I started Salt & Straw, I lived in Seattle and was about to move to NYC. I came to Portland for a birthday and met a guy in a bar, which doesn’t usually end well, but we are still together with three kids. And so I moved to Portland instead of NYC for love. I began working on the business but didn’t really have the funding needed. I cashed in my 401(k), sold my house, and had a garage sale to raise money, but was still $40K short. Mike put his house up as collateral for a small loan from the City of Portland to secure the final funds needed. He’s been an incredible support ever since.

View this post on Instagram

"Dear @saltandstraw, you have made my day with your delicious vegan ice cream. I have to eat as much as I can. Please don't tell mom and dad. Love, Paris. PS please send more!!" Thank YOU for giving our Toasted Coconut Milk & Cookies a try, @paristhefrench. We like your style!

A post shared by Salt & Straw Ice Cream (@saltandstraw) on

B+C: What have you learned from a failure or mistake you made?

KM: One mistake that most growing companies make is around hiring. I’ve learned what a costly mistake this can be. I’ve found that spending more time on scoping roles to be sure we understand what the company needs over the next two to three years and collaborating with the team on core competencies associated with the position are key to ensuring that we find the right person. It slows us down at the start but allows us to move forward with everyone aligned on what we are looking for in a candidate.

B+C: What’s the best advice you’ve ever gotten?

KM: One of the best pieces of advice I’ve gotten: not to take advice! Stay clear about your original vision and mission, and come back to that when making decisions. I find it most helpful for others to share their experiences versus offering advice. I’ve learned the most that way and have been able to choose how to incorporate that experience into my decision-making.

View this post on Instagram

If you're planning a midnight celebration for New Year's, make sure the freezer is stocked with your favorite flavors! We've teamed up with Postmates to offer FREE Salt & Straw delivery from December 31st through January 6th. That's right—check your #Postmates app to get some pints delivered to your front door.

A post shared by Salt & Straw Ice Cream (@saltandstraw) on

B+C: What do you love about your job?

KM: I’m most inspired by working side-by-side with people who have been with Salt & Straw since the beginning and have had a long career, continuing to push the company and others to new heights. It’s incredible to see how people have grown and taken the idea of this company far beyond what I could have imagined. I popped into a meeting recently with folks from all over the company working to figure out how to introduce a new product. It blows my mind to see these super-smart, passionate people creating a new future together.

B+C: Name two female heroes who you think should get a shout-out.

KM: First, Maggie Weissman, a principal at Billings Montana High School where I grew up and who went on to own Great Harvest Bread in Seattle. Before that, she was in the Peace Corps. I remember going to the drug store with her to buy toiletries for someone she was hiring who was recently released from prison. She worked on a plan to help him be successful in the job. Watching her go through the process changed everything I knew about what creating jobs could mean for others.

Second is RBG [Ruth Bader Ginsburg]. One story I love about her is that when her son’s school called about her son’s behavior, she said, “He also has a father. Please call him from now as the first point of contact for issues pertaining to our son.” Since they both worked, it didn’t seem fair that the school always contacted her first. Funny enough, she said when the school now had to interrupt a man at work, they stopped calling so frequently. As a household with two working parents, it was a good reminder to be sure the systems and institutions we work with are supportive of co-parenting. It’s an ongoing struggle to make it all work.

B+C: If you could tell aspiring creative women anything, what would it be?

KM: Find your voice and use it. You have terrific ideas that the world deserves to hear. I think women tend to be too conservative in sharing their thoughts, dreams, and plans, and wait until they have things perfect to speak out. One of the biggest gifts someone can give you is to underestimate you.

RELATED: How Two College Roommates Turned a Food Allergy Into a Superfood Ice Cream

(Photos via Leela Cyd Ross)

Brit + Co may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.

EntrepreneurGirlbossHow to Quit Your Day JobIce CreamCareer Advice

"A Family Affair" Is The Hilarious Summer Rom-Com You Can't Miss

I love sappy, sweet-as-candy rom-coms. You know, the ones where two leads spend the entire movie pursuing other people only to realize they were in love with each other the whole time. The movie usually takes place in a big city or a small town (and sometimes both), there's a quirky best friend, and there's always a big declaration of love before the credits roll. And while these straightforward movies are always on my watchlist, I also love the wacky movies that involve hilarious misunderstandings, ridiculous fight scenes, and gravity-defying Dirty Dancing movies (yes, I'm talking about Emma Stone & Ryan Gosling'sCrazy Stupid Love here). Humor always makes a movie even more enjoyable to watch, and A Family Affair is as wacky as they come. The movie reunites Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron, who played opposite each other ten years ago, and this time, Joey King's added into the mix. Here's everything you need to know about the new summer movie.

What is the movie A Family Affair about?

Image via Netflix

Like any good rom com, A Family Affair is all about a surprising romance — just not the kind Zara might be hoping for. When her mother (Nicole Kidman) and her famous actor boss (Zac Efron) fall for each other, their newfound relationship complicates everyone's ideas of sex and identity, and Zara's entire life. And, just like you might expect when your boss and mother hook up, chaotic hilarity ensues.

When does A Family Affair come out?

You can watch A Family Affair on Netflix starting June 28.

Who's in the A Family Affair movie cast?

Image via Netflix

Joey King, Zac Efron, and Nicole Kidman lead this new rom-com, and they're joined by a few of our other favorite actors! A Family Affair also stars Liza Koshy and Kathy Bates.

What does A Family Affair mean?

Image via Netflix

A family affair refers to a situation that's connected to someone's family in one way or another. For me, being an adult has been all about establishing work-life balance, and I'm sure the same is true for Zara. I can't wait to see how this movie's unexpected romance turns everything upside down.

What else did Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron star in?

Image via Netflix

Before they were cast in A Family Affair, Zac Efron and Nicole Kidman played lovers in The Paperboy in 2012. Familiarity and comfort are two super important things in any romantic role, and I can already tell from these first look images that Zac and Nicole not only have awesome chemistry, but they're comfortable enough around each other to just have fun. And that's all we can ask for from a good movie!

What would YOU do if your boss and one of your parents hooked up? Let us know in the comments and on Facebook!

Lead image via Netflix

entertainmentpop culturemovies

Hey Mamas! Enter To Win A Diaper Genie + A Refill Bundle

From running on 3 hours of sleep to constant diaper changes, mamas do so much. We've teamed up with @diapergenieofficial for a special Mother’s Day gift to make things easier for new moms: receive a FREE Diaper Genie Select Pail with square refill technology, plus enough refills to get you off to a great start! The giveaway will consist of one Select Pail + four Jumbo Refills for an associated value of up to $118. Say goodbye to diaper odors in style with this sleek, easy-to-use pail. The winner will also receive a $500 Amazon gift card to shop for all their baby and household needs. Check the deets below!

Enter to win a new Diaper Genie Select Pail and four Jumbo Refills here. Giveaway ends on May 31. One lucky winner will be announced on Wednesday, June 5.

Good luck mamas! #DiaperGenie #MothersDayMagic

sponsoredamazon gift cardbaby needsdiaper changesdiaper geniegiveawaymother's daymother's day giftsmothers daymothers day giftnew momsnew select pailmoms