I Left My Job in Company Legislation Job to Run a Tea Enterprise With My Spouse

• Elias Tiong and his spouse, Hailee Chong, began a bottled tea drink enterprise after a visit to Japan in 2018.
• As risk-averse full-time legal professionals with no enterprise expertise, they began the enterprise on the facet.
• They’ve since left their jobs to deal with constructing their model, Crafti, full-time.

This as-told-to essay is predicated on a dialog with Elias Tiong, 31, the founding father of Crafti, a matcha enterprise in Singapore. The next has been edited for size and readability. Enterprise Insider has verified their enterprise earnings.

After a 12 months in company regulation, I noticed it won’t be my cup of tea.

The regulation agency I used to be working at had provided newly certified legal professionals a monthlong break after a 12 months of coaching. The break was well timed. I had misplaced weight — not in a great way — and my zits had gotten worse. I started to mirror on whether or not being a lawyer was the best profession selection.

I made a decision to make a journey to Japan with my then-fiancée, Hailee. On that journey, I found how dependent I had change into on espresso. Since becoming a member of the agency, I began consuming two to 4 cups a day. Whereas touring via distant areas, I could not get espresso and struggled with extreme migraines. I noticed this as a wake-up name that I wanted to dwell more healthy and cut back my caffeine dependence.

Because it occurred, we got here throughout many bottled tea drinks at comfort shops in Japan. Not like espresso, which I discovered had much less selection exterior the specialty espresso scene, there have been so many several types of tea — from hojicha and matcha to genmaicha.

They turned out to be appropriate alternate options to espresso. Whereas teas like matcha include caffeine, I discovered that they did not trigger jitters, in the way in which that espresso had.

So Hailee and I believed: Why do not we attempt to create one thing related again house in Singapore?

In 2019, we began a facet enterprise promoting bottled matcha. We used premium components like ceremonial-grade matcha and recent milk, so the drinks tasted extra like café-made drinks and fewer like what you’d sometimes discover in a comfort retailer.

As legal professionals with no enterprise expertise, we had been risk-averse. We invested a small quantity upfront — about $1,500 — simply to conduct analysis and growth and give you the primary batch of stock.

We obtained questioned in regards to the profession change

At first, some folks requested, “Why would you be a lawyer and promote tea?”

My mother and father additionally questioned me in regards to the alternative value of beginning a enterprise. However I wasn’t as nervous about how a lot cash I made. I used to be keen about one thing, I believed that with that, I’d be capable to flourish.

The enterprise began off robust. The pandemic led to a surge in demand for e-commerce and our bottled drinks offered properly. That was once I determined we had been doing properly sufficient for me to stop and deal with the tea enterprise full-time.

However when pandemic restrictions had been lifted, demand fell, and we noticed enterprise tumble. It was scary. It was our first expertise with volatility — one thing we have since realized to dwell with.

We determined to pivot from promoting bottled tea lattes to promoting matcha powder for shoppers to make wholesome tea lattes at house. Now referred to as Crafti, our enterprise grew 50% to 80% in income yearly. On the finish of 2024, we reached a low seven-figure income.

Mixing enterprise and marriage

Once we began, we determined to run the enterprise on the facet as a result of we did not need to take an excessive amount of danger. We had a mortgage to pay and different bills to contemplate. So, even once I left my job to do that full-time, my spouse continued to work in regulation and helped run the enterprise on the facet.

However in 2024, she left her job to work at Crafti full-time. And I am completely satisfied that we’re managing to make it work.

We complement one another properly. I tackle a extra managerial function and work on longer-term enterprise technique whereas she takes on a extra artistic function.

I’ve seen many examples of profitable companies run by {couples}. The professionals are that {couples} typically have a shared imaginative and prescient, and that’s so vital when operating a enterprise.

The dangerous factor is, in fact, there are disagreements at occasions.

Studying to handle disagreements has strengthened our relationship. We’re not mother and father but, however I imagine there are particular similarities with parenthood in that it is a shared challenge between us. Many {couples} have informed me that parenthood made them nearer, and I view our enterprise in the identical means.

Matcha as a long-term plan

We’re pleased with our enterprise and haven’t any plans to return to regulation.

The factor about operating a enterprise is you can have revenue on paper, however you might not have money within the financial institution, as a result of that you must make investments again into your small business. After 5 years, we now pay ourselves about the identical as we obtained in our earlier jobs.

The most important change is that I had somebody to push me alongside on the regulation agency. However now, my spouse and I are liable for ensuring issues get executed. Over time, we have grown to a workforce of 10 and work out of a coworking area.

Nonetheless, I really feel a better sense of achievement. I did not used to look ahead to work. However now, each time my spouse and I am going on trip, we won’t wait to return and get work executed.