Jolene Brewster Spills the Tea on 20 YEARS of Brand Building
Based in Canada’s first national park, Jolene’s Tea House is the result of 20+ years of hard work by owner Jolene Brewster. She shares the challenges of building her organic tea business and how she kept focused on her goals.
Housed within heritage Crag Cabin, Jolene’s Tea House is a required visit when visiting Banff, Alberta. A cosy place to taste and shop for hand-blended organic tea is the result of 20 years of hard work by owner Jolene Brewster, taking advice from her parents who were both entrepreneurs and trusting her gut to build a Canadian brand that is natural and sustainable from a small town in the Rockies.
When you launched your business, what fears did you have?
I started my business when I was 25 and I was driven to prove to myself what I could actually do. I’ve always had a healthy fear of failure, but I had a lot of determination and a strong work ethic.
What kept you up at night?
The learning curve was like hitting a brick wall. All I did was worry about how to pay the bills and debt. Debt to the bank, credit card debt, and if I had enough to run payroll.
When did you realize you needed to make a change?
I worked seven days a week from 9am to 9pm and realized a good business takes more than hard work. I eventually made the decision to close my original tea house and simplify my operation as my expenses were too high. A good friend helped me set up a website so I could continue my tea sales online.
What lessons have you learned?
Over the next 10-15 years, I travelled to hundreds of farmers and artisan markets across Alberta, BC, and eventually to Ottawa and Toronto. This was an incredible opportunity to build my business sustainably. I received firsthand feedback from my customers and got a clear understanding of who my demographic was. I continued to hustle and learn the nuts and bolts of business.
During the first decade, my family worried a lot about me. Almost everything I made would have to be re-invested back into the business to keep it going, but my customers loved my tea and their words of encouragement kept me going forward. I had to work other jobs to support myself and my daughter, but something deep inside of me couldn’t stop.
Did you ever doubt your decisions?
I remember asking myself, “am I in the right place for me, right now?”. I was not asking, “is this where I want to be?”. The voice inside me ALWAYS answered with a clear YES, so I kept going forward. My mantra became: bread and water can so easily be toast and tea.
What advice was helpful as you built your business?
My Dad’s words played a lot in my mind: “If it was easy, everyone would do it”. On a particularly hard day, I remember speaking to my father asking if I was making a mistake going down this path and my father said quite simply: “there is no crystal ball here, there are no guarantees, you have to have faith.”
Do you have a mentor?
When I met my husband, my business had become sustainable enough to support me without side jobs, but I still went through periods of financial stress. I remember finally working up the courage to tell him how hard it could be. He shared with me when he had to run payroll on his credit card. It flooded me with relief I had someone who understood and most importantly, wasn’t rushing in to save me. He has become my favourite mentor.
What have you learned from your customers?
My customers care about quality as much as I do. I never get tired of hearing how much customers love my tea. It is deeply humbling and is always an important reminder of why I do this.
How has being based in Banff affected your business?
The mountains and community of Banff are such a huge part of me: my roots, my passion, and my heart.
What would you share with aspiring business owners?
Timing and persistence are everything. You do not have to be the best at everything. Tea is slow, deep, and ceremonial: my business has been the same. The success of my brand has needed every single day it took to grow into what it is now. Every person who came into my life with something to share or give - I was open.
You’ve got to be determined to find the way no matter how long it takes.
You can browse Jolene’s Tea House here - https://jolenesteahouse.com/