Meet Jamila Wright | Co-founder

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jamila Wright and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jamila, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Risk taking has been a constantly moving goal post for me. The more exposure to entrepreneurs taking “risky” chances, the more some actions move from being anxiety raising to a regular day at the office. Opening a second store in Atlanta felt too risky until I met someone that has a business not older than mine with 4 storefront locations already. Risk taking weighs your fear of failure against your need for comfort but desperate desire for growth. I have to self-reflect often to see whether fear or complacency are driving my decisions and train myself to imagine what my outcomes could look like if I focus on the growth potential.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Before becoming the “tea lady,” I was an early childhood educator. I taught 1st-4th grade, I was Dean of Students, and then an educational consultant. That experience shaped my identity as a leader and taught me the importance a creating strong culture. I was use to growing with a strong sense of community but it wasn’t until I was an educator that I realized how much of that had to be built from the ground up and then constantly nurtured. I learned the value of being core values together as a team and leaning into feedback instead of it being your adversary. Brooklyn Tea has been given much praise about the warm and communal vibe and I thank my students, parents, teachers, and administrators for lessons learned.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Whenever, I am back home in Atlanta, I have to take friends to the Historic Castleberry Hill neighborhood. There is this amazing resurgence of young black entrepreneurs that are paying homage to the work laid by our elders to give the neighborhood its classic art vibe. You can visit everything from a chic cigar lounge (Fellaship) to a retro shoe store (Versus) to a wholistic day spa (Iwi Fresh).

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Black Owned Brooklyn is an organization that we could never thank enough. When no one knew that we existed or that there was a black owned teashop selling loose leaf tea in Bedstuy, they highlighted our business. Over night, this organization gave us credibility and an army of people excited to galvanize around us and ensure the survival of our business. We started getting customers pouring in and almost every time we asked, “How did you hear about us? they would reply “Through Black Owned Brooklyn!” They are a platform dedicated to recognizing black owned businesses in Brooklyn with a dedicated audience. Without them we would not have garnered the attention that we have thus far.

Website: Brooklyntea.com

Instagram: @brooklyntea

Facebook: @brooklyntea

Image Credits
Lizette London Instagram @lizette.london