Today we’d like to introduce you to Lilly Leon.
Lilly, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I always love sharing the beginnings of The Lilly Studio because social media often glamorizes start-ups and entrepreneurial endeavors when the reality is quite different for some. When it comes to The Lilly Studio, we sprung out of nothing but sheer desperation. As a teen, high school always seemed impossible for me- I was a misfit who was lucky enough to get C’s and D’s, I never really fit in with any crowd, and I had to learn how to grow up quickly in a minority-based neighborhood where the majority of the kids never got to graduate, and I’m pretty sure the number of people that expected me to fail has higher than the number of people who thought I would ever succeed. Believe me when I say that, never in a million years would I have imagined building a tea company that would someday shift into a self-care lifestyle brand. I’ve never been super religious, but I have always been very spiritual, and if there’s anything that I’ve learned throughout this journey is that God has a way of turning our lives around when it’s time to step into our calling.
Before The Lilly Studio, I wasn’t a tea expert; I was just a woman who desperately needed to turn shit around.
About 4 years ago, my mom’s arthritis had gotten so severe that weekly hospital visits became the norm. Being in and out of hospital rooms, it wasn’t long before I noticed the amount of medication that the Doctors were prescribing to my mom, none of which addressed the root cause or the issue. When I think of what it means to be strong, I think of my mother because she is the essence, the fragrance, and the melody of what it means to be a strong and courageous woman. My mom is and has always been the most resourceful and tenacious woman I’ve know, and to see her struggle day in and day out without the proper medical attention and support was devastatingly painful.
I knew that if I didn’t take matters into my own hands, the cycle would continue. The cycle of my mom continuing to take an overload of toxins loosely labeled as “medicine,” the cycle of doctors prescribing instead of treating, the cycle of “experts” masking a disease instead of actually healing it. I’m not trying to put shame or blame on doctors, but I do know that the healthcare system in the U.S. and big pharma need a major wake-up call. As I watched my mother struggle, my patience dissipated, and I couldn’t wait for the system to change any longer.
I was in a hospital room sitting next to my mom at around 11:39 PM when I finally experienced the perfect dose of desperation and clarity. In my 36 years of existence, I’ve never been able to remember a night so vividly. I can still feel my mom’s purple and blue swollen hands-on top of mine, the freezing-cold and dimly lit hospital room, the thin paper-like hospital sheets layered over my mom, the smell of metal and stale rubbing alcohol- zero nurses or Doctors to be found in a roaring sea of sick patients. Whenever I’m facing a challenge at The Lilly Studio, I always return to that moment and immediately get reminded why I do what I do and why it’s so important for me and my team to continue pushing forward. We can’t wait for change; we have to be the bridge that enables change to happen.
The second my mom and I got home from the hospital that night, there wasn’t any time for me to feel sad or angry- instead, I opened up our pantry and started exploring all the natural herbs/ teas that we had. I laid out everything and anything I found helpful on top of the kitchen counter and then spent the next 48 hours researching natural and holistic ways of treating arthritis. I had no idea what I was doing, and I’m pretty sure the kitchen was a mess for the next couple of days, but it all started with one tea blend, then another, and another.
Little by little, my mom’s inflammation went down, her joint pain decreased, and the hospital visits slowly faded. After experiencing beautiful results with my mom, there was a blissful wave of relief, but I knew that my work wasn’t over. Because even though I knew my mom was doing better, I also equally knew that there were still a lot of people out there; someone else’s mother, father, sister, brother, daughter, son- that could also possibly use some help. Someone out there was just as desperate as I was, trying to find alternative ways of healing themselves and/or a loved one.
Without hesitation, I decided to go back to school and learned the art of tea and medicinal tea blending, a practice that I’m still improving on and learning through each and every day. Four years later, The Lilly Studio has now humbly serviced hundreds of customers across the U.S., and Canada collaborated and worked alongside amazing corporate clients such as James Allen, AirBnb, WeWork, The Hollis Co., Future Founders, and most recently Lugano Diamonds- to bring their customers, clients, and staff elevated tea tasting experiences centered around wellness and self-care. Most importantly, we’ve been able to donate thousands of teas to different charities and organizations that help and support victims of domestic violence and abuse, parents of kids diagnosed with cancer, and animal rights initiatives.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Has it been a smooth road? No, it’s been everything BUT a smooth road, and that’s the beauty of it. Being the CEO of a Latina-owned tea company comes with a heavy price tag, but I never question it because I know that this brand and our mission is far bigger than my team and I. I also know that it hasn’t always been me- God has blessed us every step of the way, specially when the going seemed dreadfully impossible. From the moment I started packing orders in my living room 4 years ago to the moment we grew, and I had to rent out a warehouse – it’s been an uphill battle all the way. Here’s what I’ve come to learn. Challenges will be served daily for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and then some- we can’t change that. What we can change is the way we handle our challenges. Here’s another thing that I know to be true- in order for us to see our dreams come into full fruition challenges are not only unavoidable, but they are also absolutely necessary.
Challenges are a God-given gift that allow us to unfold- It’s the nectar that takes us from merely existing to fully LIVING and experiencing life. Challenges give us a space and opportunity to become whatever is on the other side of fear, doubt, and uncertainty.
Experiencing challenges is experiencing a galaxy of endless opportunity and growth.
My most recent challenge has been restructuring our entire company because in just two weeks, I’ll be moving to Europe and then Asia. The Lilly Studio will continue to run online, but my goal is to explore and continue building relationships with the tea regions that we import from.
I’ve always loved the educational aspect of our brand, so I’m going to spend some time developing more Tea + Wellness workshops and retreats while being abroad.
We’ve been impressed with The Lilly Studio, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
The Lilly Studio is a self-care brand that focuses on curating high-functioning wellness teas, self-care products, and wellness workshops centered around tea, herbs, roots, and botanicals.
There are four pillars that make up this wonderful brand
1. We take huge pride in the quality of our ingredients. Everything in our store is 100% certified organic and sustainably sourced. There are ZERO toxins, fillers, dyes, and/or artificial sugars.
2. We take huge pride in not taking any shortcuts. All of our products are heavily tested and result driven. We test over 150+ teas, herbs, botanical weekly, and only a handful make it to our store. If it’s not bringing in the results, we do not use it in our blends.
3. Giving back to communities is a must. For every tea that is purchased the Lilly Studio donates teas to victims of domestic violence, parents of kids diagnosed with cancer, and animal rights initiatives.
4. We are on a mission to teach our customers as much as we can about the benefits of tea, herbs, and botanicals. We use a few outlets to do so, such as- our podcast, Tea With Lilly (On Spotify), Our blog, our IG @TheLillyStudio, and through private tea tastings + custom tea blending labs.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
I’ve always loved this quote from Brianna Wiest; The Mountain Is You.
“Your new life is going to cost you your old one.
It’s going to cost you your comfort zone and your sense of direction. It’s going to cost you relationships and friends.
It’s going to cost you being liked and understood.”
Nothing could be closer to the truth when it comes to entrepreneurship. When you decide to go after your dreams, know that it’s going to require everything inside of you and then some.
In the arena of dreams, only one thing is certain and guaranteed, and that is that we will fall and fail more often that we can count. There is no way around it, but here’s the thing- falling and failing are the key ingredients in the recipe of resilience and persistence.
Falling and failing are two professors whom, if you let them, will transform your outlook on life for the greater good.
My advice to any aspiring entrepreneur is to just START.
1. If you’re not sure what service/product to launch do your research and ask questions, but don’t get stuck in paralysis analysis. Reflect on what’s important to you, to your potential customers, and decide how/when/where you’re going to provide value.
2. Seek targeted and specific mentorship. When I started my very first company, AweSomm, in my early 20’s – I sought programs, workshops, conferences, mentors, etc to propel me in the right direction. One of the best decisions I ever made was reaching out to Future Founders, a prestigious year-long program designed to accelerate the nation’s top young entrepreneurs. Be specific with your outreach.
3. Protect your inner and outer environment. Our greatest currency is TIME, so be careful and wise on how and with whom you spend it.
4. Entrepreneurship is a lonely road for a reason, don’t get discouraged. Over the years, I’ve outgrown friendships and relationships- it’s necessary to know when it’s time to move on as it’s necessary to know who your core people are.
*Note your core people will align with your personal philosophy and core values.
5. Take action. You can read all the books, attend all the conferences, seek all the mentorship- but until you take specific action and put in the necessary work, nothing will change.
I can’t express how grateful I am for having an incredibly supportive family throughout this journey. My siblings are my best friends, they’re the unseen professors that taught me some of the most significant life lessons a classroom could never reach.
Through them, not only have I learned how to be a great CEO but also, and more importantly- a great sister, daughter, friend, and hopefully, one day, a great wife and mother. All this is to say is, acknowledge those that are standing right beside you as you grow, don’t wait to say, “I love you,” and don’t take your support for granted.
Contact Info:
- Website: Thelillystudio.com
- Instagram: thelillystudio
- Youtube: The Lilly Studio
Image Credits
Azeez Alayah
@katrinaakat
@t.mmartinez
@therealambiii
@aydenreda
@Nanami.be
@yourejessintime
@amandaawayda
@janelleleahmua
