EP13 KRISI SMITH :Founder & Chief Tea Mixologist Bird & Blend Tea : Re-imaging Tea to build a sustainable & profitable business

Episode 13, My next guest is Krisi Smith , Co-Founder & Owner of the award-winning independent tea company Bird & Blend Tea Co. Krisi wears many hats within the business. Her alternative job title is Chief Tea Mixologist and she is the visionary behind their incredible tea innovation. Krisi is an inspiring woman with several years experience as an entrepreneur ,business consultant ,author of World Atlas of Tea, and most recently public -speaker sharing her story with the business community online ( in podcasts ) as well in person events . She set up the business 10+ years ago with her co-founder, Mike Turner, whom she had met at university while studying politics. After working as ski instructors in Canada , they decided to create their own business with a mission to be as ethical and eco conscious as possible. Krisi always knew that she wanted to make a positive impact on the world and craved the freedom and empowerment to be able to make a real difference. She had a background in the tea industry so decided to take that and run with it to challenge the UK tea industry by creating fun and imaginative blends! Fast=forward this direct to consumer business has 14 stores and an online store , Bird & Blend Co is a certified B-corp business , The business has also won numerous retail accolades . Notably appearing on the Amazon Prime TV show Ready Set StartUP which features Krisi and Bird & Blend is now out and available to watch. Please listen to this podcast where we have a candid conversation on what makes Krisi an trailblazer as an entrepreneur and business owner , she shares her career journey , challenges and successes as she grown into the role as Co-founder wearing many different hats along the way 00:15 Introduction to Krisi Smith 01:57 What shaped me.. the early years from teen to world traveler 05:57 What travelling the world taught me 08:40 University , Education and Job Skills 16:48 Canada and the business idea that changed my life 21:41 The steps of establishing the business : Google , a business plan and savings 23:21 The journey - Focus groups , Summer festivals and lead generation 25:10 Choosing the location to open the first retail store 30:36 Work ethic and leadership qualities 37:14 Self-care , investing in myself & mindset 43:34 Relationships - close friendships , growth and thought partners 48:41 Public-speaker - networking and mentoring to inspire 54:19 My first TV show - setting the task and 57:16 Trailblazer takeaway tips Mentions : Birdandblendtea.com Author The World Atlas of Tea https://www.amazon.co.uk/World-Atlas-Tea-explored-enjoyed/dp/1784720933 Amazon Ready Set StartUP https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/video/detail/B0BX3L1RC3/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r Please stay tuned and listen to this inspiring conversation with this trailblazer ! Krisi Smith : LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/krisismith/ Instagram :https://www.instagram.com/krisismithteamixologist/ https://www.krisismith.com https://linktr.ee/krisismithtea?utm_source=linktree_profile_share&ltsid=bc8c8580-ec29-4768-96b2-30b00130146f Send us Comments & Feedback Listen : to the audio version Apple Spotify .Amazon Music Google Podcasts Watch and subscribe to my YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@Thetrailblazersexperience Follow Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/thetrailblazersexperience/