Tea Talk: Kim Le On Starting Over
What’s your cup of tea?
In many cultures, tea is more than just a beverage. Whether you prefer your tea with or without milk, in a tea bag or in the form of loose leaf, it’s safe to say that tea is an integral part of our lives.
The connective power of tea is a gift from Mother Nature, and the act of tea drinking can be as casual or as ceremonial as you make it. Some cultures perform a ceremony out of the practice of serving and drinking tea, while others enjoy the drink as a daily ritual. For Sum Tea, a Hong Kong-based artisanal tea brand, drinking tea is all about having a good time.
Inspired by all the good things in life, Sum Tea will transport you to places, evoke different emotions, and create moments worth savouring.
By working closely with a Tea Master in Hong Kong, Sum Tea curates carefully hand blended and hand packed tea blends that are 100% natural and made with love.
We speak to Sum Tea’s founder, Kim Le, about rebranding her tea business, the ups and downs of entrepreneurship, and the female-founded brands she admires.
What were you doing before starting your own business?
I began my career in banking back in Sydney which eventually led me to fulfilling my dream of living abroad. It was a great experience but I wanted to try something outside of banking so I resigned and moved to Hong Kong in 2018 to figure things out.
I eventually started my first brand, Blue Brew Tea, with the intention of learning new skills to get my next job. I began working for a retail tech startup which was fun but unfortunately 2020 happened and like many, I was laid off. That was when I decided I would take Blue Brew Tea seriously and turn it into a full time hustle to see what could happen!
Have you always wanted to be an entrepreneur?
I flicked through my Pinterest account recently and saw plans for a juice bar from 6 years ago which I completely forgot about so I guess the desire to be an entrepreneur was there but I got swept up in corporate life.
What are the biggest challenges of being an entrepreneur?
Oh sooooooo many! Keeping yourself motivated, inspired, accountable, consistent—the list goes on! I like to use the train analogy - when you work for a large company, the train is nice, it’s spacious, there are nicely laid tracks to follow and there are loads of people working to keep that train running smoothly. You can decide how much work and effort you put into helping that train move, but it will generally keep moving forward. On the other hand, when you’re a solo entrepreneur, you’re responsible for everything; laying the tracks, keeping the engine going, maintenance etc., so if you stop, the whole train stops. There’s no one else to keep that train moving and that can be challenging when you’re feeling doubtful or unmotivated.
What are your most rewarding moments as an entrepreneur?
Bringing my ideas to life and seeing strangers buy my product not only once but again and again—it blows my mind! I also love getting to know my customers; I tend to feel anxious at the start of a pop-up or market but by the end of the day, I feel so grateful and humbled by all the support.
“I really want to build a company that has purpose and heart, so it’s fitting that ‘Sum’ sounds like heart in Cantonese. ”
What’s the inspiration behind Sum Tea?
There are several reasons behind starting Sum Tea. As much as people love blue tea, not everyone does. I also found that many boutique tea brands on the market tend to be geared towards women even though I know so many guys who like to drink tea too.
So, why not create sumthing new for everyone? I also find joy in creating new blends, I have so many ideas for new blends that expand beyond blue tea so I wanted to create a new brand that allowed me to be more creative. And lastly, I look at brands that I am drawn to and they all have one thing in common: purpose. With Sum Tea, I really want to build a company that has purpose and heart, so it’s fitting that ‘Sum’ sounds like heart in Cantonese.
What are the lessons you have learned from rebranding your business?
It’s OK to start over! Sometimes a fresh start is what you need to clear your mind and do better. Plus, starting over doesn’t mean you’re starting from scratch, you’re starting with so much more experience and knowledge than before.
What advice would you give to anyone who’s looking to start their own business?
Progress is better than perfection. I took so long to get Blue Brew Tea out there because I was focussing on getting all the details perfect first but it’s better to be 80% ready and out in the world than fussing over the details for ages to get it to 100%. You can always fix things along the way and most people won’t even notice that it’s not perfect anyway.
What’s your favourite female-owned brand(s) at the moment?
I have quite a few favourites but some special ones are:
Compassion Culture by Kellie for cute, mindfulness cards for kids that adults can benefit from too.
852prints by Krystal for cheeky, punny greeting cards and accessories, her designs always make me chuckle.
Kitty N Wong for cute, whimsical fashion and HK inspired illustrations, she is also the sweetest person!
Sqwishful by Jenn, I love her message; small changes in your daily routine (like switching to sustainable sponges) can have a huge impact.
Plantdays by Laura, a one stop shop for all pretty, sustainable products, she makes sustainability fun!
What’s next for Sum Tea?
Exciting new blends, collections & collabs! More purposeful content and heart!
Get sum tea at https://sumteaco.com
