Brewing Success: Tonia Jahshan's Sipology, From Tea to Wellness

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Ever wondered how to juggle the hats of entrepreneur, mother, and partner? Tonia Jahshan, Julie's guest on Figure 8, shared her incredible story of growing Steeped Tea (now Sipology), from a one-woman operation to appearing on Dragon's Den to being a regular on the PROFIT 500 Canada's Fastest-Growing Companies list.

Tonia Jahshan embarked on her visionary journey over 17 years ago, armed with a cup of tea and a mission to infuse the joy of loose leaf tea into people's lives. Through her social selling venture, Sipology, she not only shared the love for tea but also empowered numerous business owners, providing them with extra income and a supportive community. Today, Sipology has blossomed into a renowned North American health and wellness brand, offering matcha, essential vitamins, and super greens – a bouquet of well-being.

Julie and Tonia discuss...
**The beginning of the entrepreneurial journey (00:01:30)**
Tonia shares her inspiration for starting Steeped Tea and her initial experiences with loose leaf tea. Tonia discusses the challenges she faced, the success of her in-home tea parties, and the decision to turn her business into a social marketing company.
**Transition to a larger scale and striving for a significant sales target (00:08:22)**
Tonia talks about the transition from running the business at home to involving her husband, Hatam, and the challenges of managing a growing company while having children.
**The Dragon's Den experience (00:11:15)**
Tonia discusses the changes brought about by Hatam's involvement, the decision to appear on Dragon's Den, and the subsequent expansion into the US market.
**Evolution of product offerings and health and wellness focus (00:16:01)**
Tonia explains the company's shift towards health and wellness products, including the development of Health Canada-approved teas and boosters.
**Working with her husband and maintaining a strong marriage (00:20:24)**
Tonia discusses the dynamics of working with her husband and emphasizes the importance of prioritizing their marriage over business disagreements and the power of complementary skill sets.
**Delegation, adapting to social media, and incorporating AI (00:23:14)**
Challenges of managing people and delegating tasks in business growth, evolving the sales model to work with social media, and incorporating AI.
**Focus and Decision Making (00:33:15)**
Advice on focusing on key aspects and having a strong decision-making process in business growth.
You can connect with Tonia on Instagram or LinkedIn, on her website, or through Sipology.
You can connect with Julie on LinkedIn or Instagram.
Find Julie's writing at her blog or by ordering Big Gorgeous Goals.
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