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

Letitia , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

So, this business for me actually came full circle during Covid. Back when I was 19, I started workingin the restaurant business. I would always watch the bartenders and were just amazed at the technique, the hussle and bustle of being behind the bar, literally everything about it. But of course, because I was underage, I wasn’t allowed to be back there. I worked my way up over the next few years from a host to a server and the minute I turned 21, I was ready to start my training. I bartended a few years and then was asked to become a bar manager. Reluctantly, I accepted. It wasn’t long before I was kind of over that position. So when Covid happened, I set a plan into motion. I began a job in healthcare, but I still felt like something was missing…being behind the bar. So while at home, I began planning out how I wanted this to look. Trust me, mobile service was not in my plan. Once we were allowed to start back going outside, I hosted my first pop up shop, and just made the adult capri sun pouches. Each pop up got bigger and bigger. But again, all good things come to an end. Pop up shops began to slow down so I thought, what if I just started taking bookings for people having parties, weddings, etc? My first booking came in late 2020 and I never looked back. I ran with it and Twisted Taste by Tee kept going.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am a Charlotte native, a unicorn, as most people say. I provide mobile bar services for private and public events. Weddings, birthday parties, baby showers, divorce parties, concerts, I have done them all. I like to think that I am the key piece that takes any event to the next level. I love themed events. From customizing menus or coming up with drink names and unique garnishes to match, it excites me. All drinks are personalized for the event that I am servicing. All mixes are handcrafted and made in house. I named my business Twisted Taste by Tee because I love to take your traditional drink and add my own little twist that makes it hard to forget. I take so much pride in each drink, building those connections, and executing the perfect cocktail.

Can you share one of your favorite marketing or sales stories?

My very first concert was last summer. I came across an ad on Facebook for an outside concert that was looking for vendors. My initial thought was “okay, I’m just gonna make a lot of pouches and sell them.” I reached out asking if there was possibly any space left for a drink vendor. A few days later, I received an email stating that there was a chance to actually be in charge of all bar stations for the concert. My largest crowd yet! Over 1500 people were slated to attend and I had to hire a team, make sure they were all properly licensed, have enough product to stock all the stations, and so much more. Leading up to this day, almost everything that could have gone wrong, did. Bar stations almost weren’t delivered in time, last minute location changes for the bar areas, you name it. But talking myself through it all, being able to rely on what I already knew as an experienced bartender, keeping a level head and a smile on my face is what got me through. There’s never a chance to second guess yourself, no matter what. Keeping calm and believing in myself is what helped me make it through.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Social media is really all about consistency. The algorithms and trying to figure them out take way more time than just sticking to a consistent schedule and posting as much as possible. Follow those that you can learn from, engage with them, record the content. These are things that I tell myself constantly. I am the absolute worst at remembering to record content while at events. I have to literally set reminders to record. The presentation of drinks is what will attract clientele. The better they look, and the more you post, the more interactions you have, will all help the social media presence fall into place.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Twistedtastebytee.com
• Instagram: Twisted_tastebytee
• Facebook: Twisted Taste by Tee

Image Credits

Evona Brown