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

Hi Kristin, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I was first a teacher living and working abroad. I spent a lot of time in Asia. When I was in China I fell in love with my husband and bubble tea! After several years living in Shanghai, we decided to move to the U.S. When we settled in Columbus, Ohio we went on a mission to find the best bubble tea we could. The results were disappointing to say the least. We decided we could do it ourselves and do it better. And we did! Most of our customers are Asian and we get told all the time it is because we are the most authentic bubble tea you can find. Our tea is our pride and joy. You can’t find anything like it anywhere else.

What should our readers know about your business?
What sets us apart from the competition is our quality. One sip and you can tell the difference.

However, what I’m most proud of is our tenacity in navigating all the challenges that come with starting a business. I didn’t study business and had to learn a lot on my own. Luckily, there is a lot of information on the web and there are a lot of people who are willing to help if you are brave enough to ask for it. It’s an intimidating process from registering a business to negotiating with landlords, but it IS possible. I’ve learned that a “No” is really just a “Not yet.” That was the biggest lesson for me that I’ve learned on this journey.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Columbus has something for everyone. The food culture here is great and there are some really amazing authentic cuisines available right near our shop. We would definitely go to Ming Ga just across the street for their japchae (sweet potato noodle dish) and go for a walk at Antrim Park down the road. I would recommend Kenny Center for shopping at J Avenue and desert at Belle’s Bread Japanese Bakery. I would also squeeze in trips to Franklin Park Conservatory, German Village (the Book Loft and Schmidt’s), Topiary Park and the Columbus Metropolitan Library.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to dedicate this shout out to our customers. Without your support, we wouldn’t be here!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebrewedleaf/?hl=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebrewedleaf/

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-brewed-leaf-columbus

Other: TikTok: thebrewedleaf

Image Credits
Kristin Maile

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