Tuesday, March 31, 2020 - Diversifying Business for Resilience

Video Subtitles:

Hello Facebook Happy Tuesday Happy
last day of you can believe

it or not. it's finally here the
longest the This must be the

longest month of eternity really
to be honest, but yeah, that's

we hit and it's through every day
live videos So it's great.

thanks for being a part of it for
supporting me and Looking

forward to what's coming together
for what I had announced to

yesterday, the was virtual tea festival
far we've had a very

positive from people Have some comfort
presentations and a few

minutes late today I was on the
phone with our good friend

James Norwood Pets the American
teacher he was just me that he

is very excited to be a part of
the world's first virtual tea

festival and interesting Lee enough
nor would did express some

concerns about his ability to to
handle you know technical

technical challenges. Being engaged
with us hi to see you if

you want a drink, you can do join
me on the zoom. It's a dot L

Y slash Tea Tea party. you'll see
the link in the title of this

video. yeah. Norwood is gonna be
a part of it. so you know we

figured out a solution of how again
cuz he did express a

concern that he would be able to
handle the live streaming

knowing and cause the discern that
all of our of our tea fest.

So I made a deal with him that will
think and handle it just

from a phone call. so we'll have
Norwood a part of festival and

updating us on. How tea is during
this time work? we have other

very confirmed centers as well and
participate including some

tea festivals have already committed.
there is one teachable

that will not commit and talk a
little bit later about because

there are some overarching issues
that we talk about in regards

to business and sustainability and
community management during

this time of crisis. you know. I
think to be an issue long

beyond you know this big time of
of mentor quarantine or

whatever you wanna call it. so before
I get into that, I'm

gonna brought my tea. I'm doing
some little different today. I

have this picture. I was using a
blend of something with matcha

in it and I had all this magic stuck
to the glass. so you know

I think it's gonna be difficult
to clean this out and find a

way. Oh Adrian. Hi, you can get
yourself set up. That's fine.

I'll just be brewing my teeth so
Americans online Joy Party

Good to see you.

So is that I'm just along here and.
How much you use a whisk

you other pitcher transfer the money
or the pitcher? does I can

get it all incorporated? How did
you get your audio? Oh there

you go awesome. Good to see you
hey. hey, I usually have to

make dinner at this time. so I'm
to join but so yeah. watch

out. How's everything in Miami.
It's Miami. It's great right

now. Are you doing yourself going
to him? No just have a little

How did to do stuff at? oh cool.
Yeah just just to get to the

tea, but my parents so no. Really
trying to go out good good

good. just you and your parents.
I had a dog of course and yeah

dog. although like my parents are
in my like core gold. but you

know they're the only people that
I'm I'm meet in person

anytime when dad, you know he does
have you know does have some

you know healthy. so I wanna make
sure that that I keep it safe

for them exactly Austin Gloves and
sanitizing so.

I'm feeling okay, I haven't been
great so you know we we the

flu versus a cold versus versus
what yeah just mental health

right, you know mental health. I
think that's something that

like everybody is dealing with you
know, I'm guessing on you

know we're really something every
makeup. okay breathing tea

yoga. It's a constant battle definitely
something that's

challenging. It's challenging time.
Yeah. No. I got my sister

up and and right outside and with
the within worry and they're

worried and feeling well so hot.
but you know I need realize

myself first so that right now I
see how I was business for

you. Well, we're just about to open
the the tea the private

little House to do tea tastings
for up to five people to small,

but the backroom we're setting up
to do a video for team

Mixology. Oh awesome. so there was
going to be in in the model

as well but doors. so now, I'm automatically
a virtue thing not

real comfortable in front of the
camera. I can't see it's

definitely it's definitely something
on. Yeah, it's lunge, but

you know once you come that fear
and develop that confidence as

well as the skill you know, it's
not just confident. It's also

a sure that skill how to make your
presence is dynamic and

engaging people actually in but
if you have that's gonna unique

in your life and help you it's like
what I've been talking

about of my business friends about
because they all know to do

it. I think it's just a matter of
like developing the

confidence and I'm like no no. Everybody
everybody. I mean it

right now, right every trying their
hand at it. I mean myself

included like I know that like it
wasn't that great great for

friends like on help you know make
a come on all week. I've

been, but it's like time for us
here to start and you know have

you been have you been happy things?
Yeah. So that's the one

wonderful thing that many wonderful
living with minutes right

now, but you know and cook for them
and that for me Asian so

for me whenever. Get stressful I
to the kitchen so great. Yeah.

so this has been great so I've I've
been eating animal protein

because it's just much easier for
me. I'm preparing a lot more

of us that I haven't been doing
a while like Bowling's

yesterday. Oh wonderful, yeah yummy
but then I've been ordering

with stressful or feeling down and
never done this before is

like stretching. Yeah, I cleaned
out the living room. I'm not

really doing yoga. Yes the stretching
and yeah, you know I

practice yoga regularly. but for
some reason at this time, I

mean I'm really fast. so I'm finding
yeah, they're trying to

be. Yeah a lot more helpful than
anything else. Yeah. Yeah for

that. Yeah and you're in the House
now. Yeah. Yeah. I am yeah.

Yep. I'm in the the front like a
desk. Yeah. exactly. Yeah.

Yeah I I like I originally knees
from the tea. I'm using the

come to find that you know the live
streaming stuff. It's

really good to have like a hardware
so. I moved back in the

lighting from the window pretty
satisfied here. Yeah, you look

fantastic. Oh thank you. How does
how does Bitcoin? I mean?

that's what goes right here. Here
we go hi Mark Hi, who's that

who's that?

That's how he communicates story.
I'll take it. Patty He hasn't

had a those you know you have a
tea drinking dog. I forgot

about. I do drag em all and he only
drinks. Justice also have

everything but I didn't mind gotta
be good and dragonball. the

hungry agreed stuff guys. so yesterday
the word spiritual

festival I mean amazing you gonna
be involved as a cook yes I

would love to do that absolutely
and you know have some space

in your house do yeah so yeah I
would love that so yeah please

start planning what you wanna do
but it's really great yeah I

try to convince my legs celebrity
friend to make one because

really friendly I would love that
yeah Got like a pretty big

line following he's easily famous
bartender from New York City.

He has a couple of famous he's made,
including a Tea Cup called

Luka Suffolk. We heard of this cocktail
at but I made maybe

yeah, I mean I bought him a lot.
I'm a big. I'm a big fan of of

his work. It's basically like but
with tea, Oh yeah and it's

presented the same way and a cocktail
like if you go to any

like major like cocktail lounge,
cayenne mixology left they're

gonna know that drink and they're
gonna know this guy. He's

like really famous and he. Something
to Associate a few days

ago, kind of talk trash about all
the bartenders making videos

right now on how they're all shitty
you know so except for a

few like really comical ones just
like awesome challenge him

last night, you should show up his
his friend and make so like

finger I can convince him I would
do it be awesome, but yeah,

whatever you wanna do mixology.
I mean, I think that those

types of activities right now would
be really useful to the

community. Yeah, we all know. Know
how to brew our own place

something something in it. So what
I'm just between you

crosses. You know I'm working on
these tea versions of pro

cocktails. Oh sweet or competition.
I'll do a whole series.

Okay, you know switching. I'm actually
doing much research on

old old cotton. I I found one for
hundreds of mixing Cup okay,

and they actually have a tea, a
cobbler and a coffee cobbler

from about 60 something in the mixology,
something you know

great. Oh, yeah. I think it up.
you have like a week to get

your content together. now it's
like photos, videos or like

presentation plane while we my team.
Like polishing everything

up the Web streamed is gonna look
really really nice. So I'll

be in communicate about collecting
all of those and like all

the conversations with you to kind
of yeah. That would be

awesome. Yeah figure out how you
want it to be presented have a

perspective of I'm already having
some idea. I'll put it the

other Senate to you and then work
on school and then you could

totally use that platform to launch
whatever you launch. So

like you'll have HR audience there
and then you can tell people

you like this content, please fear
and like you know. That's

what I'm trying to do for everybody
kinda like like one place

where all the tea lovers are to
like see content and then

figure out can stay engaged. You
know, hopefully and indirectly

help business. I'm really not trying
to make this event called

I'm really trying to make it Super
engaged. I mean I love it

cuz you're doing it. It's you always
community for you and

that's what's beautiful thing is
you're always focused on

community right now. I'm going to
be focused on things you know

under the vanity. Yeah. Well, I
mean. is also and i hope you

know i wanna i also don't want to
get this traffic sounds like

me is thankful sa shot all networks
to ah to know about this

and we there is only one zero coloring
and this for as well no

breaks the rest of the festival
help in motion of like in

fighting there na works become are
we can Pimp out there like

let people know like healty festivals
that this you know is

done in and one of the major tea
festival to me. you know they,

they definitely made clear that
they're not gonna support and

that they felt that creating this
creating fear that all the

festivals that you know. this was
the end of teeth. I feel like

Oh yeah. that's an interesting response.
Yeah. I mean I

understand it. There's definitely
happening in our community

too. that like Oh we're blow over
blowing this and that let me

more anomic damage then health and
it's. Economic damage is

that we can divert now the economy.
that's what I'm trying to

do here in the long run I I think
the engagement absolutely so

going radios and or not working
together as a community right

now is not the key. Yeah. Yeah.
Play Realty Expo to They waited

a very limb until they made that
decision phone and it's like

even if a world opens up, I do like
businesses who are like the

backbone of those tents are still
going to be flustered got

back together, so they're not to
be able to. You know divert to

events or you know something with
the festival so I it is smart

to be mindful the businesses that
like the events are meant to

be sorted are going to be dealing
with longer effects than than

just the pain itself.

So it's an interesting time. it
really is, but yeah, I have

focus on the positives. you know
it's not that hard to it.

definitely is easy to get sucked
into you know those moments of

uncertainty of just like well. What
is this? Where is this

going? What can I do? But yeah,
I just yeah. It's not too

healthy to be doing it. No no and
we pivot and we shift and you

know as people we are. We are fluid.
Yeah. literally. it's we

focus the energy behind their fluid,
You know. so what are what

are you gonna cook your your sauce
with yeah. So we've got some

grass-fed ground beef and I've got
some tomatoes and I've got

sick and we've got some fresh basil
oregano driving now

probably. If they want it now the
next two hours. Yeah, I

totally understand but I I do it
you coming in and that you

you're interested in that and I'll
be on with more frequently

basically when I'm over to get my
hey with you every day a

pretty awesome way.

Yeah. Yeah. I mean even if it's
just for me, it means the world

Bitcoin will be quite say goodbye.
say goodbye. goodbye. Bye

Bye. Okay, Buh bye. Wow, What was
Adrienne aren't American team

Master? Oh, I can't believe that
it's always easy in the

surprises We people just tune in
joining in on the fun. if you

guys join on the fun you're welcome.
the link is just on the

the the post this video bit dot
IC slash Tea Tea party. That's

the ongoing zoom room where you
know our meeting for tea with

meds. There a waiting room there.
so if you click that link

you'll have to wait in the way I
am sent a notification that

you eating and I could see that
you're there and loved it. well

good to see you. I'm excited about
your presentation tomorrow.

I really am I've had to learn all
the new tools as I have

something to share you know. I'm
a novice at all. think a lot

of us are you know but learning
fat interesting on Sunday, like

kind of thrown into the fire cuz
we were oh awesome.

See you yeah. Hello again. I like
it is that a shirt or a shot.

It's cold again here where there's
some snow blowing and I

think Wednesday and while tomorrow
night cuz they were supposed

to get there more. So wow. Yeah,
it's cold again. So I I've

been wearing this skirt. Yeah. yeah
the weather the weather I

think today is like trying to felt
the sugar. It's gonna start

being hot. yeah, yeah, which is
good, You know. Getting warm

here, you always have you know one
Mass snows and March or

April at somebody and they don't
limit will dump eight inches

on us or whatever, and then it will
be melted in three days,

but it was like I have this morning.
You know it was. it was

nice. Yeah. That's how beautiful
but they're calling for snow

and in the two hours and just got
all great really fast or

weather so patient are you guys
well special is it lower but

lead the town that I was just just
about 15 minutes. I think I

know for sure it right on the town
is the. 85 5000 feet,

Usually, I mean we're here, we're
probably probably closer to

you know probably 4000 something
like so and this is like the

full of the Black Hills here in
spirit, I see so yeah. we're up

here away in an area where a little
bit of every climate, so

just kind of just like a little
offshoot, You know a lot of

range the great little bit of candidate
of mountain weather. We

get the planes other. you know it
kinda gets around here. We'll

see all four seasons. You know.
it's great that gets it gets

pretty crazy. at least. I'm sure
it's just hot. They're most

most. yeah, but you know the winter
adult you right. you know

it gets freedom its nose. Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. it gets

legitimately cold here. People are
all surprised, but I used to

be a new driver and during the winter
Towson like the topic of

every conversation, this car was
like I was prepared for cold I

coat at home. I thought I'd hear.
Awesome. Yeah, but you didn't

really see much. you know what I
mean, I can see how it would

drop down every once in a while
I figure for you in the winter

for the market. What is it like
voice? fifties? kinda stuff?

mostly yeah, but we will streaks
of like every night couple of

weeks. yeah when I when I first
came here so I moved here

Halloween of 2014 the first week
of December, so I was just

newly to some weak of Lincoln futures
all day long all night

long, the and all the big water
fountains. They all froze. Oh

okay. it was cool. Gorgeous sad
yes on the Internet. Yeah.

Yeah, it's snow and bold as usual,
pretty beautiful. It's like

if he's older like when it's all
muddy on the Street. That's

not beautiful. Yeah. It's all pine
trees. so the contrast when

it snows, I mean there's nothing.
there's no memories. it

didn't get there. No. we just have
someone help us. Oh okay.

That's what it was. Yeah, but yeah
the the pine tree. I get all

weight, but they got that under
the the The Pines look like

that, Blackish Green and man is
the most gorgeous though. Yeah,

it's pretty pretty beautiful here
like we have work.

Surprisingly, it's also by mountains
that we surprise. Yeah.

We're here like we're advised right
mountains and during the

winter, they're usually cuddle.
so yeah we we get those views

but but you know the really even
sure if you get more than like

an insert in the whole city shuts
down and actually, yeah all

the kids out, make it snow that
that only for like five minutes

probably don't have much as I. Oh,
no. Oh, so that's that's a

big issue. We get a big snow and
anybody's traveling so last

year we have we hope they come through
and it's snow at all and

after Christmas or Christmas, a
lot of people working and all

the mountain pass loads because
they just weren't for something

like that. you know most places
that we have the infrastructure

for everything to that is apparently
we have. We're ready for

it. You know, yes this places like
you'll see snowing or

something and they just get a little
bit. Shut the whole place

down and it's a nightmare. Yeah
cuz it's right after Christmas,

but he's trying to like Northern
California, California and

then all throughout and out of California.
Every vote has at

least one Mass and they all got
people LOLA for work there, we

could drive the 101 the That's like
really famous because

Drake, but everybody was on it.
You know people had to take

like my family. My dad had Dallas
is so like we we haven't met

we had to get back for we ended
up like 20 hours out of way.

Take that take that out that coastal
road. Alright, Yeah. The

drive should take in only six hours
but ended up taking eight

hours. No. Yeah. Yeah. I'm gonna
go to Vegas one time when I

was 19, has been a long time. I
remember what it was like

entrepreneur. Yeah, I remember having
fought in well. Yeah back

back at you know. I'm not like we're
we're we're similar in

back back when I was a teenager.
Vegas used to be fun kids like

now it's it's not so fun. You know
they go through like a city

White of like families they they
wanted to support families for

every you know had some type of
like. Big arcade or some

activity kids now they all got rid
of that cuz they realize

that like they don't make me off
of families. Alright, the

families aren't there to blow a
bunny. Yeah. That's for sure.

Yeah curious now that you mentioned
how old are you? I'm 30?

Okay. I'll be in September. Okay.
Yeah. Yeah. not too far

apart, you defend you with the employing
that you're mid

thirties like no everybody always
be younger than I am. So

yeah, I feel like I'm 50 so. Five
year-old man my doctor

basically well, and I used to be
pretty colored past a wild

one. so ignore my friends are sort
of you know, calm and

missing this and that you know my
meditation and my philosophy

that is and things like herbalism
it kinda just go over most

men's heads anymore. You know my
age group is doesn't really do

the same thing to anymore. I grew
up like 20 -fifth force of

like two years you Was that was
all those all related to the

story? you said about you know how
you discovered tea. Yeah.

Oh, I just yeah. yeah. Basically,
I mean it kinda all just

happened with basically as soon
as I turned by everything. just

I mean everything just changed and
I started exploring a whole

different world and doing things
different. I actually found

part of the doubt as I found the
book and it kinda show that

there was an art to living and it
was something that I didn't

realize before I could get better
with things, but I didn't

know you could really get better
in general and once I started

kinda just started changing my hobbies
and my interests and you

know my friend group. You know here
I am five years in black

and White just different person.
I have a couple of months that

are just like they'll come over
and have a session with me one

share it with them in there, man
you have so much. I can't even

comprehend it. I was actually just
work all about how tea

changed my I don't wanna give it
is. it's the perfect or it's

it's like culmination is that I've
been all this stuff changed

in my life. Yeah, you know, it's
it's a good person for all the

different ways of that. I've changed
you know. I think it's a

little bit of philosophy and practice,
but all you know about

peace, so I kinda lens if you would
wave looking at world once

you kinda develop this way of changing
way you add you react

and you know. It's a profound people
are like, Oh, it's just

tea and we're not talking like gold
pizza from the convenient.

Now we're talking about a whole
thousand years old color and

practice. Yeah definitely. So what
are you doing with that line

of when you first start? it's just
so I was like blending I

made like a custom blend like in
my matcha blend for some and I

was using his picture for you know,
holding it and for blending

and there was just all that residual
matcha that I couldn't. I

was like you know I like put the
put the warm water here and he

don't wait. yeah, of course, especially
matcha cheese. So yeah

and this is like the highest grade
you know. so yeah, it's not

kitchen. And as soon as we can,
I mean it's tasty. That's

awesome. I just I do, but it's not
really frothy like it would,

but they'll probably before doing
this. You know a picture to

pitching you know I and injecting
you know so we can see the

oxidation nation Yes, but it's better
than throwing it away.

You know today, you quote unquote
some car experience. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Steve my teeth
Oops. Well, you know, yeah

somebody who's just getting into
it. Best of the best, So

that's like one of the first Bowl
when I started teaching team

at like it's okay to make a boutique
cuz you make a million

more and they're better and better.
so don't be afraid of that

permanence to no Cup, something
that is really important.

General is that no two cups of fear
the same. it doesn't matter

if you know it doesn't matter really
from the same batch and

you brew it at the same, you know
temperature time and things

like that, like they won't just
won't be the same no matter

what yeah the energy. Put in too
many factors kinda exact

science. That's what I like to tell
them people with people

team. I'm really familiar and be
like what do I do with it? put

it in hot When you get the leaf
out, I think they need some

sort of Super fancy tools, something
like gets me figure it

out. all you gotta do is like the
goodness out of the leaf and

then drink it. You know. Yeah. if
you make it back up, Don't

worry like just just remember you
know if anything keep

yourself a little notebook and you
know it's you know if that's

gonna make you feel better but really
don't need. Yeah just

wait. Our wholesalers we are expecting
on them, one of their

employees, a friend of ours and
we have a lemon ginger over

there and she she was like so I
don't know if I did something

or what put him in Ginger and it
was like she was like it was

almost toxic. I like I couldn't
even it was like Oh well like

you know seven anything like that
and I was like alright. Well,

I was boiling water and like the
issue just old that Green tea

to resist bitter you know and I'm
like you have more of it. No

do it like you or something 190
for like two minutes, the first

you know you'll get you'll get a
better car. So and I think she

enjoyed herself in time. Yeah, but.
You'll make some bad tea

that is for sure he knows to do
that. No. I'm I'm like this for

that because I talk so much never
brewing tea. I'm I'm

confirming it. so I've got friends
that he's the same way she

completely forgot Deeping and you
know I will be be sitting

there having a session should be
like what can I host this one?

I'm like yes. I'm sitting there
like you're gonna drain that

out. you know the crap you know,
actually, let's leave it

there. It's gonna be like oh crap.
Oh like I completely forgot

about. It's the talking get so animated,
you know I see so I've

got like playing cool happens. You're
like I just like I look

like I meant to do it and then I'll
do it a steeping for like

seconds and then he can't attack
em and and make sure it taste

okay. But like yeah, I don't I don't
like show you ??? you

messed up kinda.

Yeah, that would be action go to
do that cuz. it's my gun.

Don't shoot my art. Yeah basically
go. don't worry about it. I

know it well even the best of the
best team master there I I

know that they're making the same
mistakes isn't alone. Yeah.

Team Masters I've ever interacted
like they've accidentally lit

cigarette into the guy. Watch you
know. that's that's all.

Yeah. Oh no. Yeah, I could see it,
though I mean like I said,

we're human. We talk together so
that nobody is perfect and no

tea is be there So so don't did
you see my announcement about

the the world's first virtual tea
festival I did and then it's

coming up to do that quick, No doubt
that time of urgent

contained you know, so I figured
we just gotta do it. Yeah. You

know what idea and I thought those
are named Adrian Adrian Yeah

and about how somebody you had.
one of the two responded. This

is promoting that kind of stuff.
Yeah. yeah. and I think I

think you're going about it the
right way. and I think that

kind of shows their first scared
that this thing to collapse

and you're out there trying to we
just gotta shift and he said,

you know it's we flew it. We have
to remain have to be able to

change and and and be able to adapt
to conditions you know. so

I think this is the best way going
about it. It's like here.

We're all just sitting around. I
got nothing going on. you know

all my whole sales, except for one
and events that we usually

normally be opening until a little
bit later school. So it's

like I got any a time here. Make
the make without of this, What

are we doing with all this time
or we're just sitting here busy

in ourselves, we can go back to
normal or are we actually

making something out of this. I
think it was him yeah and

you're gonna be like a one -off
thing. you're just trying to do

this next week and they're like
I'm trying to like I am trying

to put a momentum into that way.
we have like a big group of

hers and against with it so that
we we can go to the company

that have the money to the market
or the events you know, even

those or whatever and say to them.
Hey Cuz you've had to

postpone your mental your physical
event like you know like we

have a solution. This is you don't
have to sit in stasis. Yeah.

Yeah. So looking forward to it.
We have like a lot of confirmed

you met some of my buddy Nick not
Nick. I will hopefully makes

involved. Hopefully he does something
like live RV really great

but Priscilla yeah preset Priscilla.
She's gonna do Lemonis

presentation well versed in the
channel used. Yeah. yeah, for

sure and I love that it's gonna
be coming from. Yeah. awesome.

That's the best part is again. that's
wonderful and I just got

off the phone with Norwood Norwood
Prada, right, you know and

and he at first, he said. No because
he's like this is like

technology and I just like I know
all mess it up. I'll push the

wrong button or I do and I said
you know what we'll figure it

out where I'll just be like a live
phone call. I'm basically

gonna take a live phone call with
him and people ask him

questions like he's gonna give her
the occasional can ask

questions from the from the phone
call. you know cuz I think

just the fact. For so many I've
started going to festivals

eight years. He is he's like the
Bowl of the tea Festival.

Every festival has you know and
and everybody's like wing line

to you know to hear him speak for
him either his his passion

and his sense of humor. and so yeah,
I think even though a live

phone call would be an lovers to
ensure that I've been told to

people just wanna know that healthy
and that you're safe and

that you're on your time you know
cuz right and then you don't

think the tea community is gonna
create it probably.

You know it's a very good idea.
An idea I come to work and I

honestly always attending Yeah,
but and actually I like one

something getting the multi expo
site to see if there's an

actually you beat me to it, said
that they rescheduled to

October and I so I just found that
out that was that was gonna

be my first my first teeth at the
expo. Yup. Yeah. That was

yeah. That was a little delayed.
You know missing that right.

Yeah like I said, like it's not
just. Of like when we're gonna

be left of our houses are not we
got for involving this is you

know small businesses that are getting
several covered like it

would be very actually irresponsible
for me to like do a

business trip at least for like
the next six months after we

open back up, you know, absolutely.
yeah, that me and the me

and my partner about that as far
as our business goes and stuff

like that well when they back up,
they're gonna want more tea

immediately. Yeah. Yeah. take some
time and people are gonna.

Holy comment get back to get back
to one, so it's gonna be a

wild before we really get going
to where we were. you know.

Yeah, It's really hard to predict
though. Yeah, yeah time. So

why not have a teeth all stuck in
our houses? Yeah, you know

like I have to be able to continue
my conversation with Tea

Festival organizer that I was talking
about because I would

like to encourage them to reach
to the vendors probably. Cells

like seven months, eight months
in advance their boots right,

but they've already collected booths.
You know anticipating to

I. I think it really wise for to
those businesses and genuinely

like how are you you know like because
like it's one of those

businesses may be bankrupt by the
time right, you know that

happens so like not that they would
need to like them the

money, but maybe the Interupt virtual
festival their brands

until like we just throw you know,
do some marketing for you

know. yeah. stuff is simple. Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah. yeah enough to

have. Small auction so you know
if we if we come to a complete

stand still for six months, it's
not about two worried about

starting back up. You got a big
operation, overhead and stuff

like you would not make it back
to where you work is you lost

out, You know, lost all that view
and maimed over the years and

just fell apart. You know I'm lucky
enough to still have

operation while this is happening.
so yeah, you get a momentum

back to where I was problem. Yeah.
Yeah. I got that. it's a big

difference between that and you
know if you have like a break.

And employees too right, Yeah, No
one wants to lay their

employees off and you know I think
good government is coming in

with some forgivable. So like there's
a real payroll loan that

they're gonna be starting to take
occasions for. I think like

next week without yeah, especially
I think we lost is applying

for in my other. I said every job
beside my by one of my best

friends owns a company. so I'm at
a taxi driver part-time cool.

He's he's doing the same basically
so he's trying to get a

fire. Yeah, that's all along anything,
he says. It's like

80 cent or something like that.
Then that loan into a Grant is

that yeah. Yeah exactly. Yeah. Yeah.
you'll just be like.

That's all yours. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
I mean, of course if you

end up applying to money and then
you put it off your

employees. Yeah, you have you have
to be. That's what he was

saying you were buddy. Yeah around
then you'll after that pay

loan off. you know. yeah. I think
that's that's a great way of

going about it because he's everybody
even if nobody's done.

Yeah. So it's not. Call still chipping
in necessarily like I

work a tipped position, so I'll
say I'm not gonna be making his

money. I'm doing any, but at least
I'm still getting paid my

hourly wage and that helps you know
yes isn't it isn't a

perfect solution, but it's actually
it. It gives back a lit you

know so I'm I'm grateful for that
old program that they're

getting rolling checks will be going
out at some point and did

you hear the the SBA loans that
the economic injury loan

actually. One of our would you call
this message sent us an

Email was that this morning. I think
that she sent us that you

should definitely do that too. Yeah,
she said. There's a level

of considerate where you can apply
it. so I think that that

helps so it's like you can apply
see if you're accepted and

then kind of factors and then go
and also if they don't

qualify. but there is like an attic.
$10000 Grant. What are

they? What are they sticking that
one that's daddy as long as

you as long as you qualify as like
a business for two years and

you know you're older You'll qualify,
but if you don't qualify

itself like let's say it's not good
or let's say you know you

just don't meet the lenders vacations.
you're still gonna

qualify for that 10000 Grant. Wow.
Yeah, but did so yeah make a

big difference and I don't not apply
for that. That's something

I'm gonna advice somehow. I know
it's worth it sounds like it's

entertaining whatever is going on
so the application process is

like last week Monday, I went to
SB website. buy so much for

myself because you know like I've
you know I'm diversifying and

I'm working on figuring out other
revenue streams for like me I

I don't know that actually in the
past, I've tried appoint

alums and they have always told
me that like Standard is 250000

revenue, which is right and it's
my company like I'm barely

that you know, I understand that
so yeah, that's kinda hesitant

to apply kind of thing. Yeah, like
am I show. Up on their

radar, No, but it will still be
Grant as long meet like

standards like not the letter standard,
if you're if you're

rejected by the way that at least
you know, still those grants

out so running. That's just like
being a real. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. cuz you're a real business.
You might get some aid

there exactly but I am going to
be a website to rely for

myself, a new lender. We're gonna
like my company, but like I

do have clients that I were doing
over 250000. so I just like I

wanted to research the process that
way I can likely

information and The application
as of last day they had like

like an app for so many application
and it kept being on the

signature page like really frustrated
and I went from all the

different browsers and try on IP
addresses and trying it from

everywhere and it just kept crashing
like this is terrible like

people proper loading the system
and then on Friday after I

announced the Cares Act, you know
trying it. and then they

announced that I went back to the
say no longer had an app like

a. Medium PDF, You know these PDS
fill them out and then submit

it chronically through that process,
and it took me a couple

hours cuz whole bunch of comments
that you have to like fill

with information and sign like very
old school way but I was

like everybody must go through this.
so I'd already like told a

lot you know a lot of my clients
that is worth their time to go

do that and then an email from SBA
dot Gov yesterday saying

thank you for your application.
and while it's being reviewed

now, we'll let you know that we
have a whole new process that

you must go through and I'm like.
but I got I got a text from

my friend like that, says hey. Hey,
you've gotta apply like

it's it's really fast. It's really
you gotta apply and I'm like

FM like I already applied and they
told me I got apply again.

He was like no go. check it. It's
really easy. It takes less

than two minutes so this morning
and if it's literally just one

page one electronic page that you
like fill in very simple

things and anger submitted. I think
what we were sent today. I

haven't yet. I'm sure you were said
the new one. Yeah. Yeah. it

was it seemed like this website.
fill out this. so I'm sure

that's probably yeah around it might
come. So we're in town at

like 1215 thousand people, it's
somewhere between 70 and 80 for

businesses in our I mean it's it's
a it's a very community

centered area. I think a lot of
the people are gonna be very

entering a lot of feedback immediately.
I used to go. Do you

think you should do it? Yeah just
go do it. I think that's why

they may application process to
encourage businesses cuz it's

really discouraging if like denied
for SBA the past cuz

everybody's you know they've been
denied so discouraging

sticking up for a. Like I have no
staggered towards like what I

do like the size business 2000 a
year in revenue is a lot of

money. It's not absolutely. yeah
and I especially and I feel

like it's the case for you in our
field in general, but

specifically with us, you know we
we go to the Bank SBA to

apply loan and they're more confused
than any of like well in

general, you know you say, Oh, I'm
you say like you wanna go

get a loan coffee shop and they're
like sure sign this paper

you know. and then you're like I
wanna get a loan for. Carry

the first one we were actually applied
for and the Bank could

just could not wrap his head around
the concept of their profit

care. You know a lot of these people
just don't even know that

plants are medicine in the first
place. so you gotta explain so

much to us and they just kinda lose
you you know and and then

like they're like, Oh I need market
research and around here.

there's no other. There's no other
tea shops. You know the

nearest one is in Denver. There's
one in Sioux Falls. maybe why

we might be the tea shop in South
Dakota like faulty. once we

get the you know, I find this hard
to find that stuff we get

with normal business. you know they
understand what I'm kinda

curious. If you have something good,
It's probably a good epic

for any new deed business. owner
of Like How Do you go any

financial service any and that within
the load, the Middle have

been given any for life. You know
we gotta look pretty and so

going into this business, I wanna
do this thing and they're

like, okay you need a hundred thousand dollars
and I'm like

that you know. Standard. That's
a serious, maybe if you have

something to add to it, Yeah So
I I have a unique tea itself

has a unique story because we were
tech for us like you know

how we're developing are trying
to think about how we can be

more of a tech company than like
a physical brick and mortar,

you know a business so I I ended
up getting my financial break

you know in the beginning through.
At all, which is Super

unique business and and you know
like our, I'm thinking that it

probably wasn't right path. you
know because little you know

they do a bunch of money and they're
anticipation their

business is that you're gonna go
raise more money and then

raise evenly and try to launch either
foil it as quickly as

possible. We'll give you that chunk
of money. Their

anticipation is that you're gonna
see year and a half and that

without period you will hurry till
go and raise from the.

Investors and if you didn't, you
should just quit quickly so

like that's like very much the mandate
and like can be it's

like nothing like common type of
a thing try to raise as much

man you know, spend that money quickly
to figure out this is a

hit or miss type of a thing right
with spectate. It's like it's

funny when I started so I started
to let in 12 when they barely

on anywhere and dusters that their
idea was okay. He is like a

multi culture can be the world.
this is like the most drink

beverage after water, but that's
the opposite of that you know

and so them a couple of years surprise
that difference and then

when I go asking for more support,
you know cuz all these me,

they told me to spend it quickly.
They told me the team they

told me to like a knife office and
like you know like what's

going on. Yeah do it dance. I did
that and I did the money and

like I don't want to get noticed
in the industry like very

quickly. The industry has been noticing
like we were like

nothing. you know like we were like
very very nascent market.

Like we didn't huge like hockey
stick growth that they had so

when I went to ask them for money
in response to me was like

wait, we invested you had a chain
that why chain just go buy

cheaper tea and put a bigger like
that's what ruins your

business. That's exactly not doing
it. That's fine TV market. I

got it so yeah, leave it at that.
Let me more money. and so

that was like I started Newbridge
and so I was like like 60

hours a week on top of 40 hours
office cuz just like new in my

heart and in my mind that leg what
mean is needed, is that dude

it's definitely value the scope
of DC likes to business, but

it's valued and time is coming.
so I just bootsie type so right

and from that and then started broach
banks like a year. An

annual revenues were like not wanting
to fund. I mean even now

like I'm I'm just like right under
50 and be like no you need.

50 before we'll even consider you
kinda credit that has huge

APR or you know they lead you like
one of these like a small

loan lenders that are like a credit
like. so actually the

funding that I best couple of years.
It's helpful is to pay

pill working capital. so like I
use all of my invoicing. you

know I I use a credit card processing
on the website and it'll

invoicing bitcoin but or domestic.
Boys to use PayPal just

because it's it's a sermon ever
better with. It's like well

known it's trusted. so I've been
PayPal and they launch years

ago, a program called working well
worthy. yeah, do money based

of your like your history on their
platform, and they allow you

to pay it back with a portion of
your sale. So like now I like

rotating. I'm not being big loans
time smaller because you know

I can get it at you know one to
two percent interest rate,

which you know is. Is used so that's
like really the only kind

of mean I have been but yeah for
for a team unless you have

like a brick and mortar shop and
you have had a history and a

good business plan written it's
really hard to go to a Bank and

get additional lending friends.
yes, definitely what we found.

so we have a business plan and maybe
you guys got this

well-thought deal like this is we
don't any security in this.

you know they don't market research
to go off. Except for other

terriers, but yeah, it's been it's
an uphill battle. It is that

most of us probably go to the same.
The most of us are faced

hurdles in this kind of business
exactly I have noticed a lot

of TTP reaches are less spoke on
the brick and things like the

overhead accomplice Nations they're
more focused on like I

mean, Commerce and things like that
because it's cost so. And

it's so much more of a liability
Just order shop wear teeth.

now, it's really hard to be virtual
worlds successful. I mean

you're you're not. It's not a genetic
scheme by any means you

know, instead, like for me, it's
a woman thing. No, I gotta be

just arriving for the rest of the
people team. That's kinda I

think most of us look at it. two
minutes like I need to get

rich or we the market you know being
in the artisanal and the

GTA market. It's definitely something.
Trees that may never get

to sit and enjoy the shade. Yeah.
it's good.

Necessarily venture capital, they
give you this junk.

Double my money in five years or
something you know, yeah

problems like that. Yeah. So yeah.
that's kind of our plan is

just lovely and just be content
exactly. Yeah. that's you know

so I work with now it's close to
14 small businesses specialty

teases regulations on that because
that is awesome figure in

the world. it is you know what I
don't need to sell to all of

them, but I work with our like startup
that are studying but

like that's my marketing strategy
is. Helping them ready for

their business right because like
there's so many store people

that have like 10 years ago if you
are passionate and wanted to

start a business like more than
likely take, you're running

around, I mean right cuz that's
kind of what I'm getting at the

difference between like the brick
and special teeth thing. you

know you end up restaurant and me
I've worked in foods for I I

was a cooking in a in a chef for
10 years. you know, so I don't

walk into the business, you know.
Be in the teeth yet, and

that's kinda what you're yeah. Yeah.
Yeah ended up being a

restaurant. You know out there choosing
so you know what I

wanna do, I can help them get themselves
up for being able to

focus in versus trying to survive
and turning restaurant. You

know what Angie was the market is
becoming more educated and

developing for guilty T to succeed.
it is your but it's

difficult. you know you still have
to face a lot and be a lot

companies and it's like the same
story with everybody like no

one 's getting mean the and the
people are getting funding be

it from well. mostly you It's like
it was like you know this

tech put a lower is something that
you know really not not

organic also given up on on the
whole VA saying now like I'm

I'm starting to visit it actually,
but not TTE, but from

scaling my business concept and
business platform and to other

commodities, especially like Lucrative
ones that are in need of

experiencing and try it works and
that would be the only way I

take money now from BC's was if
I'm scaling into being oranges

at once so, like But even that I'm
I'm be like very pink and

very caught out how I do, but I'm
quite content and what I'm

doing with tea do have like a solid
of core businesses like

really what I'm doing. There's like
a whole bunch of like fried

very small sizes that like are definitely
not enough to support

that that's okay like, but it's
really important that I

continue to support because like
they're ones that are gonna

like be the scene. you know great.
Yeah. that's. That's that

continue well, it's what's building
the entire tea community.

You know that sustainable way of
God if we're not just getting

everybody off the ground, all one
and for our longevity and

it's kind of a slow across there.
Yeah. I do wanna say like you

were one of the ones that I actually
found because like I said,

I kinda live in a in a cultural
desert. it was it was basically

my inner research that found me
a lot of my supposed. besides

my local ones, my local farmers
and stuff for some of my herbs

and motions like that. But you know.
It was it really help to

find the ones who were making themselves
available specific I

was looking for suppliers and just
middleman. I kinda feel like

that's that's essentially what you're
doing is finding people

who contact with those farms and
we're looking we call it

ethical sourcing. That's what we
do. That is our that's our

main job is to go find stuff is
produced ethically, so they

know that you're getting agreements
in your tea and will blend

and things like that and so there
was only a few that we. That

parent that off you know, it's like
hey in a deal, you know

yeah. And so that was that was really
important, Probably the

same with small teeth for good quality.
It's really funny buddy

doing that job. It feels like a
small retailer to any sourcing

trips in China immediately costly.
It's really costly. you're

ready. Yeah. Yeah priced out several
different but trips and

wow I I got it. I got some work
in here. so yeah perfectly

where I'm at but at the same time,
it's it's a it's a. Standing

at the bottom of my mouth of a mountain,
wow, this would be a

this is gonna know yeah and so the
folks that are small tea

retailers that you know, community
and their own direct but you

know they they from a place of privilege
and then personally in

that, yeah. And it's like and then
Mobile is that like able to

like together like a 10 - thousand
- dollar sourcing trip for

yourself one year, then you bring
back a suitcase of tea that

you know The next you know you're
gonna do that and if you

don't and then you decide to ship
that's really expensive,

buying small quantities and having
it shipped over it. So you

know like that's business floors
to share the economy with

everybody and you know like there's
still that like we're doing

electorate because I am a metal
man and true direct trade would

mean that that retailer or that
tea shop has to go to Asia

themselves or has to like meet Indian,
tell them the teeth. To

be honest, like the farmer makers,
they call themselves or

Chinese tea factory team makers
like they're look a bigger more

corporate Organization than I am
right, but just because

they're energy just because they're
Chinese are more legit and

I am alright, I think a lot of room
for talking and and you

know like because I'm not you know
Japanese Indian like be as

authentic of a supplies the the
tea farm themselves. Right and

see it that way personally, I think
as long as you cost

everybody in the chain and you know
what I mean, and you know

where it's coming from. There's
enough transparency. see all

the who it doesn't. It doesn't really
matter you know what I

mean. Yeah. That's kinda what we're
looking for cuz it's not

it's not feasible for every smoke
shop owner to be going to

sleep every year. It's not it's
not that's not even reasonable

to that you know, so I think they
deserve important and they're

people of other ones like like yourself
that are doing in

different areas. You know there's
there's just. I and most of

your skin, Indiana and things like
that correct. no, I mean we

we pretty diverse. We we work with
producers in China and Japan

are pretty much covered the entire
cap and so, yeah, you're a

lot of people that are been doing
like deeper transparent work

than I am it's usually niche. you
know it's it's usually

wearing it. right. they're like
I know five tea farmers isn't

only in China and we'll do you know
just gonna work with these

five tea farms. Apples. Fred Yeah.
And and so like what I. Why

platform is that even folks that
can play into our platform and

and what we do is we call them proceeds
so an example of that

pond and and from West China Tea
Company, so he's walking with

him on Thursday with with on Thursday
afternoon, but he has

like a specific niche relationships
like the best and most

reliable a relationship I've ever
seen in all of industry with

like is that they you know they're
getting direct from the

farmers like you know like there
and what transparency but his

relationship with. There is like
nearly as old if not longer

when he was friends with that guy,
but then like no team maker

in that area, you know and so actions
that are priceless. Yeah.

that's like can't go make that connection
and you wanna be able

to make sure that States like benefit
that so he exams like a

proxy and I told him from the first
time that so actually the

first time we met, I was on a sourcing
trip and I was heading

to United that time my idea sourcing
in Union was just like

renting a car. Just driving through
the mountains and trying to

you know like hey, what's up? I'd
like to buy some technical.

You know well that that's not how
it's it's a lot you know cuz

if you do, you're gonna you're like
desk it ripped off and

destined to be like to lesson that
is learned. Yeah. Yeah.

What's that? What's really important
is to like drive up and

say hey, I'm American and I'm here
and you know look at her.

You know like that type of thing.
yeah, I really have no plan

of that ended up getting introduced
to so on heard he wasn't

United. I was like hey, I'm heading
to United. Dinner than to

humble and to try to meet people
and he was like great and I

mean the fact that I said with humility
was like the only that

caught his attention cuz I'm sure
he gets hit up by everybody

wanting to be introduced to his
contacts and he has to be like

very full of who he lets in and
who he invites because you know

that at that point or or potentially
out of his relationship

with his car and then nobody's that
contact yeah exactly that's

that's totally would be worried
about and so yeah. Met there

and I'll never go around him. You
know being that, with like

completely like to create that tab
with me, you wanna cut cut

me and cut the value that I've added
it and so like I'm I'm

constantly trying to figure out
how can I scale this platform

where like proxy thousand or other
folks can come in and add

their value and take value from
it still maintain that that

transfer you were talking about
right like that's my my

intention in my work right now is
this filled that that

technology and that platform so
that. Benefit and and you know,

make this stuff happen and it's
a trust. you know it's all in

trust and it's not it's not near
where one person is connected

to the sort. It's kind of like actally
everybody's kinda

connector to where the work I knows.
what do you rather just

this one catalyst way of way you
can add it to worry. It's just

a great line, but everybody have
interwoven and I think I

better wake up going because it
offers the pork. Yeah. Yeah get

rid of that. Can't get rid of that
interwoven thing because if

you're doing direct like let's say
your T shirt like you're

about to say that you do your own
trade, but you know will

become less your own jet that you're
proud of yourself and

going around to pick everything
up back like there's that

you've gotta consider there's you
know there are other places

that are absolute trades so they
absolutely depends on your

definition of direct trade transparency
comes down to speed

through it. I mean it's you know
as long as nobody is trying to

hide stuff or you a question and
they're like. Oh, yeah. Oh.

yeah. I'll give you some. You know,
that's that's what you're

not looking for. You want people
that you have a question like

this person or this are come from
or this is you know the

answers are there that train there.
Everybody knows what he

knows what's gone for whether they're
host to it or not like?

yeah. Yeah. So that's like. yeah
that condition I work with is

transparency and I get at least
or twice a week from either tea

producers or a lot like it's tea
broke traders from like China.

Well, How can I get on your platform?
You know, I'm like I can

do we have to be certain or certified
fair trade. I say no none

of that, like only condition is
transparency. here is that you

matter. Any unanswered immediate
Red flag and we are on a one

strike you're out policy. So yes,
sir, what is the age of your

workers or how many workers or how
many acres do you work with

any of those questions? That's the
first Red flag. Now we also

visit them in person to go through
all the marketing material

cuz it helps sell their product
and at that time, I can show

they provided. Yeah. there has been
an and they really you know

not knowing what I was doing. you
know I I did it how to

validate from. Now, you know like
I've been in the field and I

know kinda what's going on behind
the curtain, call ???

real fast, but like in the day like
unable to and there was an

instance when I go visit, you know
a family team producing lean

and when I came to learn that like
they're huge operation and

while you know, state owned companies
in all like they don't

just own that one that they own
two assets and but they also

own several States and they're all
tea brokers and and then

when when we went to their fields,
managers' on camera, they're

saying completely. On camp, they
were saying in person when

they go off and you know when I
asked if I could talk to the

work, she talked to the employees
like that was like, Oh, I'm a

dancer like where is they did bring
to us what they did, you

know. and that's what happened These
like it's like all these

dates any dirty the state. It's
all like that. so I hate all

about and say that this is because
it's like it's all these

States are like no industry. Cuz
he wouldn't it yeah, But when

I see all these retailer do support
trend they refuse to

because they do their own swing
and then you see them. You

know, promote the States and say,
Oh, I went there in a

bungalow and like Bari. they even
have like a hold the workers,

but that's even really do you know
like they they have. Yeah.

So that's why I like retail minute.
They don't work with me.

That's fine. They can work with
me, but if you're gonna claim

you're doing transparency or doing
direct trade, you've gotta

like you gotta do it all the way
to the Sea so well all the way

people yeah in any opaqueness there
like it's not. It's not

transparent, you know so much. Conferred
trade certification

You know, I just wanna go man.

But I'm just gonna tell you. Really
doesn't you might have

within? Insert it might be the absolute
imagine. You accepted

to be or what you think you could
be that bad.

Important See you know that's where
a million times more than

his certificate. A personal certification
you know like I

validated or somebody that I trust
by the date with what's

going. Yeah. Excuse me one second
well, Hey, Joe. I think I'm

gonna get myself so we can and I'm
gonna send you a man. I'm

thinking I wanna share with you.
I think you'll find retaining

but so I'm grateful that we gotta
kinda much for for joining

keep news. I'll jump back in again.
Blessings blessings much.

Thanks. Alright. Bye. See you tomorrow.