Story & Lesson Highlights with Maureen Bonsignore & Emilie Rodgers

Maureen Bonsignore & Emilie Rodgers shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Maureen & Emilie, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What do you think is misunderstood about your business? 
It’s easy to reduce a business to the product their selling and call it another capitalist venture, but we’re not just selling loose leaf tea. We’re building a community of tea lovers from all walks of life. Our ultimate goal is to open a tea room that doubles as a dry nightlife space right here in our hometown of Salem, MA that serves as a communal safe space. Salem is a diverse town, and people from all over the country (and world around October) walk our streets. We want to provide a seat at the table for everyone. This is not only about making a living for us, it’s about the people brought together by something as simple as a love of tea!

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
We’re Emilie and Maureen, the founders of Midnight Teas(e), a loose leaf tea company based in Salem, MA. We create occult and folklore inspired tea blends that pay homage to the the many things that inspire and bring us joy. Currently we operate as an online and pop up market based shop, but our ultimate goal is to open a gothic tea room that also serves as a dry nightlife space here in Salem, both things the city is sorely lacking.

We began our journey back in 2022 when a good friend of ours heard us talking about our fantasy of starting a tea company and opening up a witchy tea room here in town, and simply asked “why not?” We agreed with the sentiment and in that moment Midnight Teas(e) was born. Since then we have curated a collection of over 20 teas ranging across a wide spectrum of tea types, flowers, herbs, and spices, each paired with their own unique art on the packaging.

When we started our endeavor we created a Kickstarter than allowed us to not only achieve, but exceed by hundreds of dollars our initial goal for startup costs. Now, we’re doing a second Kickstarter starting October 1st, 2025 to actualize our dream of a brick and mortar shop tea room and dry bar (not the hair kind, the mocktail kind). We plan on having a variety of fun rewards for backers, including some custom tea mugs, 4 limited edition tea blends, and an opportunity to come to our opening!

You can follow and contribute to our Kickstarter by searching Midnight Teas(e) Brick and Mortar on Kickstarter, or following this link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/midnighttease/midnight-tease-brick-and-mortar-shop?ref=discovery&term=midnight%20tease&total_hits=0&category_id=312

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
Our friend Cindy is truly who to thank for us starting this journey. She believed in us before we even believed in us. Without her unwavering confidence, we may never have taken the leap to start our own business.

Do you remember a time someone truly listened to you?
The great thing about running a company with your best friend is that you always feel heard. We’ve been friends for 16 years, and throughout that time there have been few moments that we have not seen eye to eye. Most of the time we’re aligned with our ideas and thoughts on business decisions, and when we’re not we’re able to talk things out effectively. One thing we agree on is if the business ever comes between us being friends, our friendship takes precedent.

Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
We’re committed to our dream of opening up a gothic tea room and dry nightlife space. We feel that the fact that Salem does not have a gothic tea room is an unconscionable oversight that must be corrected, and we hope you agree. We’re about to launch a Kickstarter campaign this coming October 1st aimed at raising a portion of our startup costs for building out a space. We know it’s not going to be an overnight project, but we have the dedication and drive to make this a reality.

Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. When do you feel most at peace?
There is a special kind of calm that washes over you with that first inhale of steam and sip of a freshly brewed cup of tea. Whether it be the warming sensation of a hot cup, or the crisp and refreshing bite of iced, there’s something special in experiencing tea. It’s long existed in societies across the world for centuries and is as diverse as all of us are. Tea reminds us of home, family, friends, and the simple pleasure of enjoying something you love.

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