Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael and Joelle Pahl. Them and their team share their story with us below:
Big Handsome Tea is founded after our toddler, nicknamed Big Handsome. After several years as an electrical engineer, Michael/Dad asked the question, “what do I really want to do?” He realized that answer was to expose others to tea, tea, and more tea.
Rewinding to our engagement in 2017, a local OKC tea shop was a part of the special day. It only fit for this to become a family business. Michael is CEO and Joelle is COE (chief of everything else).
We love tea because of the variety; we truly believe there is a tea for everyone including those who say they are not a tea person! We say we have 30+ flavors “for any mood” and we are only expanding.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It certainly has not been a smooth road, but luckily, we have adjusted long the way! We did not have anyone specifically guiding us for how to start and sustain a tea business. We had to figure out how to source teas, get into markets, build our brand, and so on. There was an extended period of ‘figuring things out’ before we got started. And we are still figuring things out!
Present day, the hardest obstacle is time. We both work and with a busy toddler, time always feels like it is slipping away. Somedays it feels like the next day is gone before it even starts. Also, neither of us are the best at social media so our strategy is to share our lives for now and hope people are along for the ride. We promise to make a better reel for iced tea soon!
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Big Handsome tea is a premium loose-leaf tea vendor that is both online and in various local markets. We love to expose people to the world of tea, especially those who haven’t yet dabbled in tea.
Many people we meet think of Sleepy Time tea before bed, which is a great practice. However, we like to show them the variety, and depth tea has beyond simple tea bags at night. From Sweet Watermelon Oolong to Hazelnut Black to Cream Earl Grey, tea has the possibility of capturing nearly every flavor in a cup. We like to say, “there’s a tea for every mood.” We consider one of our specialties to be our variety; we have over thirty flavors, and we’re always looking to add more.
Loose-leaf tea has big flavors because it uses natural ingredients like real flower petals, dried fruit, and more. We sell tea at local markets, and we enjoy having our customers sample the rich scents by showcasing all our teas for customers to smell.
One aspect of our business we believe sets us apart is our Tea Sampler Tower, where customers can choose three different teas each in a beautiful window tin. They are beautiful, and often our customers love to collect various tin samplers or send to people they love as a thinking-of-you gift!
Beyond markets and online sales, we also offer Big Handsome parties. We come where you need us to, and we bring the hot (or iced!) tea. Birthdays, showers, bachelorettes, company events, or just a chance to get fancy, we love these opportunities to connect with people.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out.
Our biggest mistake was buying way too many t-shirts; we wish we would have done preorders instead. The good news is if you overestimate your inventory with t-shirts- they don’t go bad!
Another piece of advice is to attend DFW local markets and even to expand into Austin and Houston if you find a market host you love. It is a chance to get in front of people to get your name out there and our greatest income source has been through markets.
Lastly, don’t look at other small businesses as competitors! We love making friends out of fellow small business owners. (Looking at you, Eve Luxe Co!)
Pricing:
- $12-$25 Individual Full-Size Teas
- $25 Tea Sampler Tower (includes beautiful tins)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://bighandsometea.com
- Instagram: @big_handsome_tea
- Facebook: @bighandsometea
Image Credits
Kaitlyn Weatherly Photography
NSB
March 2, 2023 at 5:31 pm
We love Big Handsome Tea!! It made the perfect Christmas gift for my brother-in-law tea lovers! They said it has spoiled them forever. Definitely worth trying!