Meet Tonya Lee | Owner of Wine That Ash

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

Hi Tonya, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
When we were hit with the pandemic I started doing wine reviews for fun on Facebook Live. A few friends and family members thought my ‘lives’ were good and said I should start doing videos on YouTube. I was terrified of the thought and had not idea if anyone outside of them would find my channel interesting. Fast forward, I got the courage to start the channel and review wines there. As the weeks went on I began to incorporate food pairing and cigar reviews. I love wine and enjoy a nice cigar so I came up with the name Wine That Ash. After that, I had a t-shirt made with the hashtag #winethatash and that was the start of the business. I realized if I could promote other businesses on my channel why not my own!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m a Quality Analyst for Anthem, Inc. and it’s an interesting job. I think what sets me apart in my area of expertise is the ability to understand that we all have difficult days. I started in the company working a temporary assignment as an admin assistant to VPs. At the end of the assignment a manager in the department of application processing asked if I’d be interested in staying on longer and moving to her group. My answer was a resounding YES as I had no other employment lined up. I began to work as a part of her team and was eventually promoted to an analyst. It took some time to become an analyst because there wasn’t a demand for many in the area where I worked. Transitioning from a processor to an analyst took some training but the job was fairly easy once I caught on. Along the way I’ve learned to have patience. I’ve also learned that sometimes the things we want may take a while to blossom, but if we persevere and stay the course everything will work out.

The lessons I learn as an employee spill over into my journey as I become an entrepreneur. I’m learning to be patient with sales growth as it does not always happen over night. I’m also learning that in order to have a successful business it takes creativity, knowledge of your who your consumer is and tons of patience. Not everyone will support you and that is okay. My brand is #WineThaAsh. People often ask “why that name for your brand?” I chose the name because contrary to some beliefs, wine and cigars pair very well together. I like to say that a nice wine and cigar are ‘relaxation personified’.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Hampton is a relaxing place to visit – no hustle and bustle at all. If I had friends visiting we’d head over to Buckroe Beach on Sunday and listen to live music while enjoying the waves in our view and sand under our feet. Dinner at Deadrise on Fort Monroe is a must and I’d make sure we eat outside to take in the views of the marina. We would eat at Fuller’s Raw Bar for the best oysters in town! Mid-week venture over to Port Warwick in Newport News for live music outside. A quick stop at Willy’s Cigars on Friday evenings is a must. A quick trip to the Williamsburg and Norfolk outlets for shopping. To see a little history we would go is the Hampton University Museum and to take in nature Sandy Bottom Nature Park. We’d close the week out with a trip to 1865 Brewing Company and Fox Tail Wine Bar.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have an amazing circle of support who encourage me daily on my journey in the world of entrepreneurship. My first thank you goes to my longtime friend Dr. Jacque Nickerson. It is because of her that I am afforded this awesome opportunity to be interviewed by Shoutout Atlanta! I want to thank my brother-in-law, Rodney for creating my logo. Once I had the logo I felt I could begin creating merch and getting my name out there. My husband, Omar is my biggest cheerleader and his support is unmatched. A huge shoutout to my sister Tamika, my daughter Alyssa, my nieces, my parents and my sister-in-law, Nadine for all of their support as well. Lastly, I’d like to send a shoutout to everyone who takes time from their day to watch my videos, purchase merch, and send those words of encouragement.

Website: https://www.winethatash.com/

Instagram: wine_that_ash

Facebook: For the Love of Wine

Youtube: Wine that Ash – Sample Sundays with Tee

Other: https://linktr.ee/wine_that_ash

Image Credits
Photo credit: Alyssa M. Luck