“I love tea, I’m all about tea.†~ Dee
Ditshego Sedikela, also known simply as Dee, is a young entrepreneur and owner of five of The Tea Merchant stores. I caught up with Dee recently at her store in Dainfern Square to find out why she is so passionate about, of all things, tea.
Long before she had dreamt up the idea of owning her own tea stores Dee had gotten into the habit of collecting different types of teas locally and from her travels abroad. She had always aspired to be a businesswoman but after graduating from university she was unsure of the type of business to start so she spent six years of her working life as a financial analyst. She began her career in corporate with the aim of getting a better understanding of the world of business. Dee is grateful for the experience and exposure that she received while working for Investec & JP Morgan and has gained valuable skills that she is now applying in her own business.
“I can be anything I want to be. The world is my oyster.†~ Dee
So when and where did it all begin?
It was back in 2014 when, while walking around the Bryanston Shopping Centre, she noticed a store called The Tea Merchant. Being the tea lover and collector that she is, she had found her little piece of heaven on earth. From the moment she walked into the store she knew she had found her calling. She decided right there and then that she wanted to own one of the stores. Without giving proper thought as to how she was going to make it happen, she immediately requested a meeting with the owner of the store. The saleswoman on duty noted her details and promised to put her in touch with the business manager who wasn’t available at the time.
As luck would have it, Dee happened to be leave on the Thursday that the business manager agreed to meet with her. This was two weeks after her initial encounter with the saleswoman. The business manager instantly took a liking to her and was impressed by her passion for and knowledge of all things to do with tea and agreed to connect her with the founder of The Tea Merchant.
Two weeks later, Dee met with the founder who narrated the story behind the Tea Merchant and where his passion for tea began. He and his wife, like Dee, were accustomed to collecting different types of teas on their many travels around the world and in 2010 they came up with the idea to start The Tea Merchant. Dee also shared her life long passion for tea and him seeing her genuine love for tea decided to form a partnership with her. That is how her journey as the owner of The Tea Merchant began.
Dee opened her first store on the 26 th of May 2014 at Clearwater Mall. She initially attempted to run the store part time while still employed on a full time basis at JP Morgan but realizing that she was missing out on some of the important aspects of running her business she left her job to work full time in her store. She has since opened stores at the Cresta, Woodlands and Dainfern shopping malls and on the 1 st of August 2015 she launched a store at Fourways Mall. Her team consists of fifteen young women who help run her stores.
Reflections on the journey thus far…
Convincing her family that she was leaving a secure, good paying job to start a tea business wasn’t easy but her passion and determination is slowly winning them over. “I can’t stress the importance of family support. Even after hours and days of explaining the business to my husband and parents they were not convinced but supported me fully. You need your family in your corner during the whole process.â€
Dee admits that the hardest part of doing work that she loves is that she struggles to switch off; she thinks, drinks and sleeps tea. She also doesn’t enjoy the mundane tasks, like admin, that unfortunately come with the job.
As a young female boss she feels that she is not always given the respect that she deserves and people sometimes take advantage of her. She has had to learn to be a bit more assertive while at the same time treating others with respect and dignity.
Being in a partnership also has its drawbacks and because the founder of The Tea Merchant requires consistency of look and feel and operation across all the stores, she isn’t always given carte-blanche to implement some of her out-of-the-box ideas. On the bright side though, she has learnt the importance of compromising with the partners of the other Tea Merchant stores.
Launching a business with an experienced businessman and partner has been a blessing because it’s cushioned her from some of the hardships that start-up entrepreneurs have to contend with in their first few months if not years starting a business. In the future though, she is looking forward to taking up the challenge of starting a business from scratch.
On what motivates her…
Dee is motivated to work hard by the freedom that running her own business gives her, particularly the freedom to manage her time. She also thrives on working hard for the things she wants, “I have a love for the finer things in life. I know they come at a cost and I’m willing to work hard for them.â€
Advise she would give to people wanting to start their own businesses…
Dee emphasizes the importance of market research; she says that from her experience it is important to understand every element of the business that one is considering going into. She says that one should pay attention to detail and never be shy about discussing money.
Outside of The Tea Merchant…
Dee is a daughter, sister, wife, and recently added mother to her list of titles. She is soccer fanatic and a proud supporter of Orlando Pirates. She is a passionate foodie, traveller and she loves spending time with and spoiling her family and close-knit group of friends. She adds that although she may come across as arrogant to people who don’t know her well; she is actually a very shy person.
Connect with The Tea Merchant to find out more.
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