TEA MAKES EVERYTHING BETTER

TWG Tea’s co-founder honestly reveals the story behind her success and how she incorporates tea into her busy lifestyle

What advice would you give to young women who want to succeed in the workplace?

The best career advice I would give is to be patient, and that all good things require time and consideration to mature into something exceptional. In such a competitive and challenging time, its takes a combination of grace, perseverance, a willingness to accept criticism and a sense of humour to succeed as a woman in the workplace.

How do you incorporate tea into your lifestyle?

I can say tea almost runs in my blood! I get up quite early around 6 am and make myself a cup of strong black tea like our London Breakfast Tea or a single estate tea like Nuwara Eliya or Harmutty to start the day. For lunch, I enjoy a tea-infused salad or smoked salmon at TWG Tea Salon, paired with a lovely green tea like Gyokuro Samurai. For days when I crave the sweeter things in life, my favourites are our tea-infused macarons or a slice of Singapore Surprise paired with a cup of Silver Moon Tea. I try not to skip meals, but sometimes a busy work schedule can take over. For dinner, I have a light meal with a nice cup of White Night Jasmine Tea to unwind. After all this success, what do you struggle with now?

After 10 years in the business, I still struggle with finding the time for myself, whether it be sharing time with friends or getting out for walk. I am constantly on the go and as a working mother, it’s truly important to find the balance between work, home and for myself.

Do you think women feel intimidated in business?

I feel workplace intimidation isn’t just limited to women, in fact it runs across all genders and nationalities. Intimidation in any business is a prevalent issue, and it is one which bosses or managers should play an active role in breaking down by speaking up for those who can’t.

How do you achieve work-life balance?

Spending time with family and having work life balance is important to me as we also encourage the same practice within the company to keep morale high. My family do understand that I must sometimes attend events in the evening and travel for new openings, but when possible I try to reserve evenings and weekends for them. I try to never spend too much time speaking about work when I’m at home. When I get home, we often go straight to the ping pong table to thrash out a few games before dinner, which gives us tons of laughs and relieves any stress which I might have brought home from work!

Has your mentality changed since you started working for TWG Tea? Definitely! It’s important to have a very positive support structure, and to always take a step back from any setback so that you can put problems into perspective. I am definitely more flexible and understanding, although I still am rather impatient and detail oriented. But with age and experience, I don’t take setbacks as being insurmountable anymore, but rather as lessons to be learned from. Nothing is worth losing your health over and very often a good night’s sleep will bring a solution to almost any problem!

How did you get where you are today, and who/what helped you along the way?

From the start I was blessed with a very unique upbringing thanks to my mom who was a teacher and my dad who was a graphic designer. My mom taught me at home since I was a concert violinist from a very young age, and since my dad had his own business, it was only natural for me to grow up wanting to be an entrepreneur. They truly gave me the strength to embrace my passions and lead an exceptional life. I started working in the fragrance industry before moving to communications, and met Taha, my husband (and TWG Tea President, CEO & co-founder) along the way. I’ve always felt that much like perfumes, scent still plays an essential role in creating and appreciating fine teas and have Taha to thank for introducing me to the fabulous world of tea!

What has been the role of luck in your success?

I do believe that we were fortunate to have been given the opportunity to build TWG Tea in Singapore when we did, but to transform any lucky draw into a success story, you have to be knowledgeable and put in a lot of hard work to transform an opportunity into a business. We’re thankful to have launched the right product at the right time and in the right place. But having a strong vision, a great team, hard work and attention to detail were the real keys to our success.

Tell us about your beauty routine and what you couldn’t live without Beauty starts from within – I drink a lot of water and tea because of its natural antioxidant properties and boost of theine to start the day. I use a light Chanel foundation for the morning, some brightening powder from MAC, a good spritz of Gardenia by Chanel and a dab of Dior lipstick and I’m out the door. At night, I use Skin Inc facial oil – in Singapore, even though it’s so hot and humid, I can get by without a conditioner! But above and beyond the products I use, I try to get at least 8 hours of sleep a night!

What is your favourite quote?

I admire so many strong women, but dearly love this quote by Maya Angelou: “If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be.” Embracing your difference and making it your strength is the most enriching way to live life!

For more information please visit TWG Tea Salon & Boutique at The Mall of Qatar / +974 4017 4877 www.TWGTea.com