RadishLab

Discovery Lab Beta: Hangin’ with Tea & Jam

Earlier this month, we invited the masterminds behind Tea & Jam to our office for March’s Discovery Lab Beta workshop. Tea & Jam, named after its founders (Tiyana, the Baker, and Jamal, the Businessman), currently operates as an online business selling made-to-order, grain-free baked goods. Born from a desire to have tasty and indulgent treats that can be enjoyed by anyone, regardless of their dietary restrictions, Tea & Jam refer to their bakes as “misfits” - not quite a cupcake, not quite a muffin (take a gander at their awesome Instagram profile to see them out for yourself). Their misfits are gluten-free, grain-free, vegan, and paleo-friendly!

Tiyana and Jamal have been making misfits for a couple years now. However, they hadn’t quite been able to make the right connection between their innovative product and their targeted audiences. We selected them from our pool of applicants to discuss strategies for improving their messaging strategy and visual identity. They also wanted help shifting their focus away from being health-conscious bakers to having a more direct social impact.

A large portion of the workshop was dedicated to Tea & Jam’s messaging. We knew ahead of time that Tiyana and Jamal were fun, energetic pair. Thus, we made it our mission to get that personality to shine through all of their communications. Chris couldn’t help himself from coming up with a batch of taglines for Tea & Jam, all of which reflected Tiyana and Jamal’s devotion to social causes, no-nonsense approach to baking, and their cheeky sense of humor. The Radish team also performed market research on Tea & Jam’s local competition before the workshop (a fairly easy task considering the plethora of health-conscious bakeries in North Brooklyn), allowing us to see what other businesses in the same sphere are reaching their audiences and how Tiyana and Jamal’s products could stand out from the crowd.

admiring tea and jams misfits

We walked Tiyana and Jamal through the next steps they should take towards updating their logo and overall identity. Our team also recommended some small changes they could make to their website to help improve its reach. We also discussed ideas for how Tea & Jam could transition to a more social impact-focused enterprise. These included things like offering health-conscious baking classes for students in North Brooklyn, or donating a portion of their profits to local community organizations.

Tiyana and Jamal have a good deal of work ahead of them. By employing the advice we shared and with a little careful planning, though, Tea & Jam will be ready to jump to the next level. We had a blast meeting these dedicated foodies and help them form a plan for the future of their business. We’re super excited to see them continue to grow and we hope to see them again soon!

Do you or your organization want to come in for your own Discovery Lab Beta workshop? Click here to apply and learn more about the program!