Meet Tiffany Coleman | Small Business Owner

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

Hi Tiffany, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
My thought process behind starting Cook and Sip Social Club stemmed from a passion for serving others as well as fostering community growth through shared experiences. Over the years I’ve enjoyed cooking, hosting events for friends or family and, my business was something that I naturally gravitated to. Cook and Sip Social Club was born from a passion for creating unique experiences in the year 2020. I envisioned creating a space where individuals could come together to appreciate the art of tea, indulge in culinary exploration, and build connections within a welcoming environment. It also served as an avenue for networking and connection, particularly among businesswomen seeking to engage in a supportive and empowering environment. This vision inspired the establishment of our tea tasting experiences, tea tasting bar, and basic group cooking classes, fostering an inclusive and engaging platform for individuals to learn about various tea flavor profiles, connect, and unwind.

What should our readers know about your business?
Cook and Sip Social Club, is a woman veteran owned business that strives to build a foundation based on community. Our events are curated to capture the essence of what we represent; fun, inviting, therapeutic and exposing the community to something different. There is a world of people out there looking to enjoy life without it involving alcohol consumption or people who have never been introduced to a holistic way of having fun. I believe that our tea tasting experiences expose our community to another avenue of selfcare. In fact, one of my most recent selfcare events is what I’m most proud of this year. We had a men’s mental health tea tasting experience collaboration with B.O.O.M United, young men’s non-profit organization where the men prepared tea blends tailored for mental health and restful sleep. It also included open dialogue about mental health, tea for selfcare, education and business. It was truly a memorable experience that left the men feeling calm after a long stressful work week. Additionally, I’m also proud of all the collaborative efforts made with other small businesses. I enjoy collaborating with other businesses to provide a platform for growth, leverage our strengths and create mutually beneficial opportunities. Some of our collaborative efforts includes yoga & candlelight tea, luxury dessert & tea pairing, and a kids chocolate pretzel making class. I believe that engaging in collaborative efforts is crucial for the success of any business or individual, especially for black owned businesses because it’s tough navigating the business landscape alone.
My journey has been marked by challenges that taught me the value of perseverance, adaptability, and delivering exceptional quality. I want the world to know that Cook and Sip Social Club is more than a business; we are a resilient community dedicated to fostering connection, growth, and the joy of shared experiences through tea and culinary exploration. This business was built by a single mom, an Iraq war veteran and a woman who has been able to keep going in spite of many trials along the way. I’ve struggled with loss, grief, and mental & physical burnout due to toxic work environments and various life events. I made the conscious decision to put my mental health first and quit a full-time career in order to preserve my health. I figured, if I can work or put my blood, sweat and tears into helping sustain someone else’s dream, why not put that into my own. Why not take the time to improve my mental wellbeing so that I can be the best version of myself for the people who mean the most to me? Today, I can proudly say I am the happiest I’ve ever been in my life.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If a friend was visiting the AV area for a week, I would take them out for brunch at La Papillion for their amazing French toast and beautifully crafted mimosas, we would visit the MOAH Museum of Art and History, Regency movie theater, Generations Coffee Shop for a nice mocha latte, go for a nice walk on the trail in Juniper Hills, the aqueduct trail or Apollo Park, Modern Tea Room for vegan style lunch, Charlie Brown Farms for tri-tip BBQ and large souvenir gift shop, Twisted Exit Escape Room, and the LPAC theater for local shows.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I think it is important to acknowledge the support and enthusiasm of those who have supported my business from the beginning. Their participation and feedback have been instrumental in shaping the growth of Cook & Sip Social Club and gave me the fuel that I needed to keep going when I wanted to give up. Their encouraging words are constant reminders for me to take time to give myself grace during entrepreneurship because it’s not easy. So, I want to shoutout Nicole Watts; registered nurse, and owner of Uniquely Scrub’d; an organization that encourages nurses and healthcare workers to practice selfcare, and Etta Callum; mentor, educator and mental health advocate. It’s their collective effort that has propelled me forward, and their contributions deserve credit and recognition in the story of Cook & Sip Social Club.

Website: www.cookandsipsocialclub.com

Instagram: cookandsip

Image Credits
Image credit: Amber Beaugard Kayleen Imagery