A day in the life of the tea house is filled with a variety of tasks and activities. Despite all the planning and preparation, each day brings its own surprises and unpredictability.

A typical day includes cleaning, packaging tea, planning, writing, and learning about tea or business—often through reading or listening to audiobooks. I spend time talking with customers, introducing new teas, filming videos for YouTube, taking photos for social media, and managing inventory. Some days, a little inventory management is all that’s needed to stay on top of things; other days, it takes up a larger chunk of time.

On certain days, I place orders with vendors and communicate with our tea suppliers in Taiwan. Of course, tea tasting is also part of the routine—sometimes just a little, and other times, a lot! I also spend time connecting with customers through email or phone and reaching out to potential wholesale accounts. Then, there’s the fulfillment side: packaging online orders and updating the website.

I truly enjoy the variety of activities, the creative nature of many of the tasks, and the opportunity to learn something new every day. It’s rewarding to help people find teas they love and to connect with interesting individuals. It’s a job I wouldn’t trade for anything.

One of the more complicated parts of my work is buying and selling tea. Learning about YouTube, filming and editing videos, and managing all the other aspects of running a tea business also keep me on my toes. Still, my business is relatively simple these days because I focus on “keeping the main thing the main thing.”

I genuinely enjoy creating content for the blog, YouTube, and social media. These platforms offer an incredible creative outlet, and I feel lucky to be able to participate in them.

I almost forgot to mention deliveries! We deliver tea to restaurants, coffee shops, and other businesses in the Eugene-Springfield area.

At the end of the day, I take time to reflect and write down all the day’s activities in a business journal. I’ve learned that recording daily business activity is a best practice, and it’s become a relaxing and meaningful part of my routine. In my journal, I note the people I met, the miles I drove, the tasks I completed, and which teas were popular that day.

Running the tea house is a labor of love, and every day offers new opportunities to serve tea and share its joy with others.