We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Carolyn Saunders. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Carolyn below.

Carolyn, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

About 12 years ago I attend the Cinco de Mayo celebration. Something to me was missing, so I began crafting again. I made adult festive hats and masks and sold them at the Cinco de Mayo, that’s how it all started. Though it was a good idea and I made a small profit, I had to put things on hold due to personal reasons. I got back into crafting about 5 years later, but in a different direction, I started decorating smaller hats. What I thought was just going to be a hobby I realized, could be a business, and Focus on retirement, which became my goal. Approximately 6 years ago, helping a friend sell their products at a Selby Jazz Fest located in St Paul Minnesota. Gave me the idea to vendor there the following year, I felt the Jazz festival was a great place to introduce my Hats, By this time, I expand to making mini party hats, and Mari Gras parasols. On the second year vending at the Jazzfest, I’ve formed a small second line to assist the Selby Avenue Jazz Band, kick off the event, it was great! The street dancers, use my products for props, giving the festival a Minnesota Nola flavor. We’re going on our 4th year participating. My goal is to bring a New Orleans flair to all the Festivals, I realize it will take some time but I think it will be worth it.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I raised by a single mom, only girl out of six children, I taught myself how to make doll clothes at a early age, mother wasn’t able to buy those type of things, back in the day my mother did good just taking care of us kids. I learn to be quite crafty and good with a needle and thread. I became a wife with 5 children of my own. I never went grocery shopping without coupons, It was natural for me to sew my kids summer clothes, from clothes I went into trying to invent things, always trying to improve things. One product was for holding little girls hair barrettes Lol, needless to say that didn’t sell. as life would have it, I became single and had to go to work. My ideas where left behind. As my children got older and I became an empty nester and my ideas started to come to the Forefront of my mind. The idea for making festive masks, came from attending the, de Mayo celebrations. Though they were nice celebrations, in my mind, I wanted to take the festival to another level, I envision people laughing, dancing, in the streets wearing masks….my masks and having a great time, I started making adult size festive hats and Masks, the first year I made a little profit, but 2 years down the road, I either broke even or took a lost. so I moved on to other festivals. What I thought was just going to be a hobby I realized, could be a business, and maybe I could retire, that is my goal, one year, I helped a friend at the Selby Jazz Fest in St Paul Minnesota, the following year, I became a vendor there, feeling it would be a good place to launch my products. By this time, I expand to making mini party hats, and parasols, the word Jazzfest was right up my alley. The second year vending there, I’ve formed a small SECOND line to assist the Selby Avenue Jazz Band, kick off the event, the street dancers wore some of my products, that was great for advertisement . We’re going on our 4th year participating. My products sell well there. My goal is to bring a New Orleans flair to all the Festivals, My booth stands out in bright happy colors. My products are for any occasion you want, Bridal showers, birthday parties to girls get together, let’s not leave out our 4 legged Friends, they like hats too. I also provide Tea Hat decorating parties. My theme is ” The Hat that makes you SMILE”. I think we need a little of that right now.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Of course everyone that has a product has the hope it’s going to sell and make money right away, with my product, I found that my clientele, had no clue what I was selling, my business name is Tea Hats and Friends. I was shocked to find that my targeted audience have no clue to what a Tea Hat is. To this day, I have to explain what Is a Tea Hat, I’d explain, it’s like the fascinator but a lot more fun. That’s disappointing to me, if my targeted audience have no idea, what the product is they’re not going to buy it that’s something that hit me a little hard but I am going to push through, because I believe in my product.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

One of my first Vending event, I didn’t sell not one product, not one. the table next to me was jewelry and it was a hot table, people were buying, buying, buying, I just watched, A light bulb went off in my head, I realize they were not my target audience. when you have something to sell, you have to find your target audience. I realize, that night, they were not my target audience. I didn’t feel defeated, I had to regroup, re-analyze and assess and figure out who my targeted audience is.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Tea Hats and Friends
• Facebook: Tea Hats and Friends
• Other: [email protected]