We were lucky to catch up with Clay Griggs recently and have shared our conversation below.

Clay, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s kick things off with a hypothetical question – if it were up to you, what would you change about the school or education system to better prepare students for a more fulfilling life and career?

I would like a mandatory service to state or country, beginning with freshmen to last until graduation, incorporating basic education, life living skills, and training in a field of the students interest. It would be like a paid internship. It would help family finances and give a starting path to the young adults.

Clay, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I opened the bubble tea shop for my kids to have experience working and a safe environment to still be themselves. I chose the Tea Shop because the midwest is all about coffee. We have espresso service but I have always enjoyed tea and the culture around it.

Bubble tea has tapioca pearls that are added to a drink of choice, requiring a big straw to pull them through with the liquids.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

In 2020 I had been building up a pool service company then posted the majors of clients. It helped me decide on boba tea.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

I had saved up a little over $10,000 from pool service. I used that as a start up for the tea shop. They have since continued to pour shop profits back into the shop in addition to pool service profits. It’s an ongoing thing.

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.tearexboba.com
• Instagram: @tearex.mission
• Facebook: Tea Rex mission Kansas

Image Credits
Clay Griggs Tea Rex