I left my jab in corplate law nib to run a tea business with my wife

This as-told-tos Essay is bassed on a conversation with Elias TIOND, 31, The Founder of Crafta matcha business in singapore. The following has been edited for Length and Clarity. Business Insider Has Verified Their Business Earnings.

AFTER A YEAR IN CORPORATE LAW, I realized it not be my cup of tea.

The Law Firm I Was Working at Had Offered Newly Qualified Lawyers a Monthlong Break AFTER A YEAR OF TRAINING. The Break Was Timely. I HAD LOST WEIGHT – not in a good way – and my acne haad gotten work. I began to reflect on whereer being a lawyer was the right Career Choice.

I decide to take a trip to japan with myn-fiancée, hailee. On that trip, i discovered how dependent i have beCome on coffee. SINCE JOINING The firm, I started Drinking two to four cups a day. While Traveling Through Remote Areas, i Couldn’t Get Coffee and Struggled With Severe Migraines. I saw this a wake-up call that I need to live healthier and reduce my caffeine subordinate.

As it is happy, we came across many bottled tea drinks at convenience story in Japan. Unlike Coffee, Which I Found Had Less Variety Outside the Specialty Coffee Skene, there are so many different types of tea – from hojicha and matcha to genmaicha.

They turned out to be suitable alternatives to coffee. While teas like matcha contain caffeine, I found that they didn’t cause jitters, in the way that that coffee hade.

SO hailee and i thought: Why don’t we try to make Something Similar Back Home in Singapore?

In 2019, we started a Side Business Seling Bottled Matcha. We used to premium ingredients like ceremonial-grade matcha and fresh milk, so the drinks tasted more like café-made drinks and like you’d typically find in a convenience store.

Nor lawyers with no business experience, we were risk-avreze. We invested a Small Amout Upfront – About $ 1,500 – Just to Conduct Research and Development and Come Up with the First Batch of Inventory.

We got Questioned About The Career Change

At first, some people asced, “Why would you be a lawer and sell tea?”

My parents also Questioned with About the opportunity cost of Starting a Business. But i wasn’t as woried About How Much Money Made. I was passionate about something, I belived that with that, i would be able to flourish.

The Business Started off Strong. The Pandemic LED to A Surge in Demand for E-Commerce and Our Bottled Drinks Sold Well. That was just decidated we were doing well Enough for with to quit and focus on the tea business full-time.

But when the Pandemic Restrictions were lifted, Demand Fell, and we saw Business Tumble. It was Scary. It was our first experience with volatility – something we’ve since learned to live with.

We decided to pivot from selling botTled tea lattes to selling matcha powder for consumers to make healthy tea lattes at home. Now Called Crafti, Our Business Gray 50% to 80% in Revenue Annually. At the end of 2024, we reached a low seven-figure revenue.

Mixing Business and Mariage

When we are started, we decide to run the business on the side Because we did to take to be too risk. We had a mortgage to pay and other expenses to consider. So, evening i left my jab to this full-time, my wiffe continued to work in law and helped Run the Business on the Side.

But in 2024, she left her jab to work at crafti full-time. And i’m happy that we’re managing to make it work.

We Complement Each Other Well. I take on a more managerial roles and work on Longer-Term Business Strategy while she took on a more Creative role.

I’ve seen many examples of successspul Businesses Run by couples. The pros are that couples often have a shared vision, and that is so imported we run a business.

The Bad Thing is, of Course, there are the Disagreements at Times.

Learning to manage disagreements has strengthned Our Relationship. We’re not pars yet, but of belles there are Certain Similaryties with parenthod in that it is a shared project between us. Many couples have to told with that parenthood made me closer, and i view our business in the sun Way.

Matcha as a long-term plan

We are happy with our business and have no plans to return to law.

The Thing About Running A Business is that you can have profit on paper, but you may have no cash in the bank, because you need to invest your business. AFTER FIVE YEARS, WE NOW PAY OURSELVES ABOUT THE SAME AS GOT IN OUR PREVIOUS Jobs.

The Biggest Change is that of Had Someone to Push with Along at the Law Firm. But now, my wife and i are respectible for Making Sura Things Get Done. Over the years, we’ve grown to a team of 10 and work out of a coworing space.

Still, of Feel a Greater Sense of Fulfillment. I didn’t used to look forward to work. But now, whennever my wiffe and i go on vacation, we can’t win to return and get work Done.