When does a company stop becoming a start-up? At first, I thought maybe we had reached the next phase when we finally had health insurance. Then I thought we had evolved when we finally invested in a pallet jack. So, have we made it yet? If by making it, you mean literally making everything by hand, then yes, I think we've made it. We're still wrapping pallets, still cold-calling stores, still hand writing love notes on your orders, and still hold that crazy blinded "start-up" belief in our product and the people behind it.
Maybe we just like the thrill of always being on the edge. Maybe we need that motivation of always working toward something bigger. But the truth is, we will always be a start-up. We don't follow the clear linear capitalist model of squeezing profit margins, streamlining solutions, and automating. Heck, all of our boxes are handmade!
Our product is the investment in people. We exist to provide women, farmers, and orphans opportunity.
It was fun to be starting up in our 20s, high on beliefs and deep in the weeds of practicality. Sara and I are now in our 30s and we've gone through the hard start-up growing pains. We now feel less of that anxious need to prove ourselves and more of a deepening sense of gratitude.
Thank you for helping us get this far. Together let's keep drinking tea, keep employing women, and keep bright and driven scholars in school.
Keep your sense of purpose and your tea strong,
Kate, Sara, and Ann
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At Ajiri, we feel so lucky to be on this earth at the same time as all of you. Your purchase of tea holds a lot of that elusive power of art. Sure, your purchase is the transference of physical money that goes to support women and children. But your purchases of tea, time and time again, transfers this feeling of belief. You believe in these women. You believe in these kids. You believe that the world can be a better place.
People in the U.S. like to lament that there is no “village” anymore when raising children. But here’s the thing, Thomas was born without a village to support him. We made that village. You are that village. Every box of tea, every donation, gave Thomas the love and structure and opportunities to grow.
We will continue to share our good fortunes with others. We will continue to run Ajiri Tea throughout this tariff madness. We will continue to run Ajiri until we can’t. Running Ajiri is a type of protest in this constricting capitalist world. If to grieve means to have loved, then to protest means to hope.
Kate Holby
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