LocalJuly 12, 2024

Small Business of the Day: Conversations with Essence Unique Easley

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Today’s Small Business of the Day features an interview with Essence Unique Easley. Please find our conversation below.

We’re thrilled to have the chance to ask you some fun questions today, but before we get started, can you introduce E&E Tea Co. and Enduring Minds The Foundation to our readers.
I have two businesses. In 2018, I founded Enduring Minds The Foundation. A nonprofit organization whose mission is to be a resource to patients & their families who endure chronic and most times rare neurological conditions. Conditions such as Epilepsy, Pseudotumor Cerebri & Chiari Malformation. We work to raise awareness & enrich their lives in any way we can. I currently act as the executive director while running my for-profit company E&E Tea Co. an award-winning online purveyor of organically sourced loose-leaf & herbal tea, tea ware & more. What makes both of these businesses special is our dedication to transparency and our commitment to living well & helping others do the same.

What is the most important lesson you’ve learned building your business that you can share with those just starting out in their entrepreneurial journey?
The most important thing I’ve learned building my businesses is that there are a million different ways to skin a cat. I know we’ve all heard that saying but in business, I’ve found it’s so true. There are so many ways to reach the goal; your journey doesn’t have to look the same as someone else’s. You don’t have to take the same route, the same risk. You won’t be allotted the same opportunities as everyone else. So do what works for you.

I used to think if I followed steps or lessons learned in business classes that automatically meant success. But every industry, every customer, every business owner is different. What worked for some didn’t work for me. But trusting myself, learning from my customers, and doing things that worked for us helped us see success.