Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Pedro Villalon, owner of O5 Tea Company, located in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

O5 is Vancouver’s first-in-kind rare tea & kombucha bar. O5 entertains guests with a friendly tasting bar experience built on a list of zero-proof drinks that rival wine and spirits in complexity. O5 also creates tea programs for boutique hotels and third-wave coffee roasters across North America and often partners with top bartenders.

Tell us about yourself

I am a tea-hunter, entrepreneur, chemical engineer, and family man (in no particular order). After working 10 years for a multi-national company in Mexico, the US, and China. My family and I moved to Vancouver; we love mountains, the ocean, and its multi-cultural community. I found ‘tea’ while hiking to the hometown of an old friend in China. Inspired by National Geographic explorers since I was a kid, pursuing tea became a no-brainer. It facilitates a lifestyle that involves climbing random hills, learning from people who preserve ancient traditions, and building long-lasting friendships.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Creating a happy space for our guests and our team, and our friends who grow the tea.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

Focusing on key projects. Every day presents new, very interesting opportunities; 24 hours are not enough to pursue them all.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

These may or not work for other folks, but they work for me:

  1. You are responsible for everything that happens in your business (in fact, in your life). Do what you should, bank on nobody else, and be thankful for any help you receive.
  2. Don't be attached to what fails or succeeds; learn to live with change.
  3. As far as possible, try to bring a smile to others.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Thanks for reading. Give us a shout (info@o5tea.com) if we can help in anything.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.o5tea.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/O5Tea/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/o5tea/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/o5tea

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.