Meet Shawn Levi | Cafe and Tea House Manager

We had the good fortune of connecting with Shawn Levi and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shawn, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
As I get more deeply involved with business, I’ve had to learn how to take care of myself better and better. I have to be more efficient with my habits and my time or else things wont get done and I’ll face the consequences down the road. I’ve had to take action regardless of how I feel, become more organized, and follow a set structure I’ve made for myself more and more in order to maintain health, balance, and peace of mind. It’s been waves: where a new challenge or difficulty in business will throw me off, but I’ll then bounce back and learn how to deal with the added stress and pressure. The more pressure I learn to handle, the better I can balance my life. We always have time for things, the question is if we have the skill and experience to take advantage of it.

What should our readers know about your business?
Dr. T House is a conglomeration of efforts and ideas our team has put together for our beloved customers and shop. Each and every member of the Dr. T crew has the freedom to contribute part of their unique vision into the store, and our customers can feel all the love we pour into it. We are extremely proud of all of our products: our coffee, baked goods, tea, and merchandise were all hand picked from local sources and exude quality you can rarely find elsewhere. We’re incredibly driven and have built up our business through facing all of the challenges we’re handed head on, and through building great relationships with our business partners and customers. We strive to always act on our ideas and implement them in rapid succession. Taking a shot as a win no matter what: it’s another idea off our plate and into existence, and another lesson to have learned. We put love, service, and integrity into every cup of tea we serve, and we pride ourselves as a café with one of the best customer service in Santa Monica.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love the palisades, Temescal canyon, and the nature of LA: I would take to Eagle Rock to go on a hiking journey. Next, I would take them to the sacred pools off of Sunset Blvd: The Fellowship Lake Shrine honoring Ghandi and Yogananda. I would want them to see some of my favorite restaurants: Shamshiri in Westwood, India’s Oven in West Hollywood, and La Bruschetta in Westwood. I’d take them to the Grove, Melrose, the Hollywood sign, and driving around the hills and Mulhalland Drive. I’d show them around my neighborhood on Pico and all the different businesses in Santa Monica.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My shoutout is to my personal coach, Thomas. He has stuck by me thick and thin and has helped me get through every single obstacle I have faced on my journey. He has helped me get back on track when I have gotten overwhelmed, demotivated, or when I lost appreciation for my journey. He’s helped me grow in innumerable ways, helping me foster better relationships with my business partners and my customers, and he has given me such amazing insight in management and people skills. He’s been a pillar to rely on, and his wisdom and love will always be with me for the rest of my life. I would not be in my position without him, so my greatest thanks, appreciation, and gratitude go towards him.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drteahouse/

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/dr-t-house-santa-monica-2