On drawing from life lessons…
“In university, I was suffering from a chorionic pain condition that manifested as an autoimmune disorder and, more than medicine, tea was my biggest cure. I threw myself into the love of tea, reading about all the health benefits and I was so inspired by the whole notion of caffeine culture and using it to escape the nuances of your daily life. I discovered the secret to resilience, which is happiness and enjoying the little things in life. So using this notion of the love of tea and reaping its health benefits and directing yourself by being in a pretty atmosphere, I really wanted to open that kind of thing in Dubai.
On utilising university degrees…
“I have a bachelor of honours in psychology and I was always interested in human behaviour, which led to my interest in creating a profound unique customer experience.
On words to live by…
“Before starting Tania’s Teahouse, I wish that I understood that kindness is not a weakness. You don’t have to be a shark to survive in this industry. Keep your head up high, be compassionate, and be assertive when necessary, but you don’t need to be rude.”
On letters to your 16-year-old self…
“I would tell my younger self that being dorky is cool. Own your hexagonshaped glasses, being crafty and being a bookworm is actually cool. I became an out-of-the-box thinker because of it and it all paid off in the end.”
On bouncing back from failures…
“One of my biggest failures was not capturing customer data when we first opened. I don’t think I realised the importance of creating a database and a loyalty program, which I really wish we did now.”
On success…
“We were crowned the seventh most Instagrammable cafe in the world. I didn’t think that after a few months of being open we would receive international recognition, so I’m really, really proud of this.”
On future plans…
“My dream goal will be taking over and conquering the food industry one cup of tea at a time. ”
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