Meet Candy Lowe-jones

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Candy Lowe-jones. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Candy below.

Candy , so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.

Being able to move forward had always be what I’ve even as a child. As an entrepreneur wanting to stay ahead I had to come up with creative ways to keep customers in my tea shop at the time. I came up with three day a week making it a day that you wanted to have the or tea sipping. If I was able to get you in, I had a sell

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

For a number kept years I started out in the medical field and with entrepreneurs being my passion. Having a number of family members creating their own, that definitely was my path to come as time went on. I started a tea shop business in Tampa in 2003 with goal of be a full time businesswomen. One of the things I learned quickly was, coming up with way to get customer and repeat customers was the five star goal. Once I started see a steady flow in customers and building relationships it stir in me to keep going. I created on three different days special creative ideas. One that cone to mind that was very successful, tea tasting Friday’s somewhat of a happy hour with hot tea and conversation which really took off. Give people a relaxing to come and share and meet other like minded people.

After mastering the above, I still need to come up a way to get the word out about my tea shop. On Saturday was a great day to plan something fresh and different. We started having book club and small intimate tea parties with children for birthday parties and adults. The venue I was located Jesse full of life as time went on and we started creating together so that we all would win. In 2006 the Black Business Bus Tour was created know that I needed more foot traffic, but what would I be like if I had a vendors showcasing after networking in the community at countless events I had created a massive number of contacts and relationships that spreading the world a networking event with the concept of a bus touring black owned businesses and returning back to the location of my tea shoe and the vendors all under one roof would be a win, win for us all. The bus tour would transport 50 people to four different businesses, we would all get off the bus and go into the store and shop with the businesses. Know that so many a black owned businesses would benefit for something like this and help sustain and bring awareness to their business.
I stated Tea and Conversation over19 year ago, bring the community together with tea and a number different topics of discussion. This has really been successful in our community.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Being humble, patience is your friend, being consistent. Building relationships and being aware that some will come and go. There’s some truth to season come and season go. Knowing your target ordinance. All push yourself to be better and stronger in your willingness.

Early on, it may seem like a tough road, but trust yourself and carry the baby so to speak to full terms. Believe that you got it and you’re i n in for the long haul. Giving up isn’t an option. Surround yourself with positive people and learning how to relax and sometimes getaway from time to time. Vacations are essential.

Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?

My husband, parents, grandparents and of course my two children that has been my classroom of treatments, how to be calm and patient. I’ve had a couple mentor that I know was assigned to me by the creator to help keep me grounded and my growth process personally and professional in my business. Being able to stay on task and stat planted on solid ground can sometime become challenging, but had a circle of people that has your total best interest at heart goes a long way.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @candlowe
• Facebook: Candy Lowe, Black Business Bus Tour Tampa, Black Business Hall of Fame Tampa Bay
• Linkedin: Candy Lowe
• Youtube: Candy Lowe Tea Time, Candy Lowe

Image Credits

Photo credit: Mr. Lester Booth