Today we’d like to introduce you to Tamiko Foster.
Hi Tamiko, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My name is Tamiko (also known as “Dr. T”), the president and founder of 2 E.D.I.F.Y., LLC DBA VIP Wellness Tea. I am a physician, wellness educator, author, and entrepreneur. My passion is helping people attain their highest level of health by utilizing varying methods to meet people where they are.
I am a woman of Faith, first-generation college student, healer & educator by passion, and dancer by heart. I’m a Chi town native with over 20 years in Minnesota! I’m a new grandma, mother of one daughter, and Auntie of many. The business was inspired by my own personal wellness journey and those of close family members.
During the prime of my career as a physician, I was stricken by an illness that threatened my well-being and livelihood. The doctor became the patient. When conventional medicine didn’t have answers, I discovered the healing power of various complementary and alternative medicine practices such as herbal medicine, focused nutrition, acupuncture, and other. To further my learning, I became a student again, focusing on integrative medicine and health coaching, in addition to gaining herbalist certification. Whole food, plant-based nutrition became a foundation of using food as medicine, and it was my passion to educate and empower others to take charge of their health. All of this, and more, inspired me to start my own business, 2 E.D.I.F.Y., LLC. It started as a service-based business with three primary aims: 1. Education & Empowerment: experience in multiple settings including academic, health system, community groups, churches, small groups, nonprofit. Services have included health workshops, keynote and panel speaker engagements, book signings, trainings. 2. Individual medical consultation: VIPMD Consult is a medical consultation service offered that was founded out of a passion and ongoing urgency to address disparities, inequities, and inequalities in health care. We provide consultative services for individuals seeking to enhance their primary care. 3. Community Advocacy: our VIP Ambassador Program is a wellness advocate program that focuses on children as change agents for their families and communities.
In 2021, I made the decision to expand our business to include retail products that aligned with the work I was already doing by increasing awareness and access to tools that may otherwise be overlooked or inaccessible. Being a tea enthusiast and herbalist, I strongly support the healing power of plants! Tea is being used as a vessel to help people think differently about what they already may have access to and how it may positively impact their overall health. We aim to cultivate authentic relationships and help others achieve their wellness goals.
(here’s link to My Tea Story for more information https://vipwellnesstea.com/blogs/tea-talk/my-tea-story)
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Personal- first-generation college student, started medical school when my daughter was 18-months old; met by many challenges, however, had a strong support network. Remember being told by a surgeon in medical school that “I should have thought about the challenge of becoming a doctor before becoming a mother” when a colleague suggested that he allow me to leave when my work was complete instead of hanging around for hours in earshot of small talk. Several instances of being treated as if I didn’t belong (even accused of cheating when I scored the highest on a neuroanatomy exam in med school), despite my consistent academic record and proven abilities. The list is too long, however, it has helped to shape me into who I am today, so I’m grateful.
More specifically, from a business perspective, expanding into retail has been met with challenges. We stand by our product, the quality & our mission, however, being able to set ourselves apart from an over-saturated market has not been easy. We have not been able to successfully expand into wholesale, such as co-ops and grocers, as we planned to do in 2024. Our lower supplier volumes as an emerging small business increase our costs, in addition, the luxury-grade category of our tea demands a higher price point. While we stand by offering premium products that are all organic, all natural, and ethically sourced with sustainability practices, this adds additional costs that has not allowed us to compete successfully in wholesale at this point.
We are predominantly business to customer, with some small retail and consignment arrangements. We’re focusing a little more on integrating the service side (i.e. consults) into the product offerings as a pathway and see this as a great opportunity to expand. In the next 1-2 years we will continue to work on expanding to co-ops and grocers, however will focus on hospitality and wellness spaces (spas, hotels, resorts, etc..) that will better align with our offerings.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Our tea story begins with a healthy earth, healthy people, healthy tea, and healthy communities. One that begins with a healthy earth (such as optimal soil health, environmental conditions, regenerative agriculture considerations), nourished by healthy people (fair wages and working conditions), which allows the growth of a healthy tea (all-natural, organic). A premium tea that is produced by the top 5% of global producers. This luxury tea is the backbone of our company. A company that is committed to healthy communities and believes in the power of giving back.
At VIP Wellness Tea, Wellness is Our Why! We are health care professionals and tea enthusiasts using our scientific background and naturalistic approach to wellness to empower every person to discover the health benefits of tea and make holistic wellness part of everyday life. We offer a variety of luxury-grade, classic & custom-blended, organic teas and herbal consultation. Top quality products at an affordable price, that’s the VIP difference!
We are a health & wellness company with the mission to bring healing to all through education, empowerment, and edification. We have served in the Twin Cities area for over 10 years, predominantly as a service-based business (2 E.D.I.F.Y., LLC- founded in 2012), however, recently launched our first product line, VIP Wellness Tea in 2021. We sell tea, however, standing by our tagline “Wellness is Our Why”, expanding to retail has created an opportunity to capture an audience for further wellness education (as we say, “we sip tea, talk tea, and spill the tea on wellness” through our blogs, podcast, and marketing). Also, our business is for those just looking for good quality tea! Our hope is to continue to expand in retail with multiple product offerings that align with our mission.
We are a certified Women Owned Small Business (WOSB) and national Women’s Business Enterprise certification (WBENC). As members of underrepresented groups, we understand the importance of giving back and striving for equity. A portion of our proceeds are donated to organizations that support quality & equity in health care, housing affordability, and food security.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Hmm… when I look back at old yearbooks, the description used most consistently in the signings were: “to a smart, nice, quiet girl”.
According to personality profiles, I would be described as an ‘introvert”, which has held true since childhood. I fully embrace my alone time and introspection! My family describes me as “the quiet one” (compared to my siblings). My mom would comment on how I “loved” school and would tell the story of how bad she felt when they “missed” that I was being bullied because I had days of trying to avoid school (gratefully, that story worked out well in the end). My 3rd grade teacher, Ms. Pat, was the one that planted the seed for me to become a doctor. I was a curious child, and often described as “the sensitive one”; cared about a lot at a young age (which I later learned was compassion and empathy). Motivated to learn new things, enjoyed exploring nature, and excelled in school. I was also a mediocre athlete (good enough to make the team, but not a star like my bestie). I played sports year round from 6-11th grade, involved in band, started a rap group in high school, a dance group in college, first job as a senior at T.J. Maxx, summer internship at an oil refinery, senior Homecoming Queen.
Although “quiet”, throughout college and beyond, I tended to end up in leadership positions. Very active in committees and volunteer work.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.vipwellnesstea.com
- Instagram: @VIPwellnesstea
- Facebook: VIP Wellness Tea
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vip-wellness-tea/?viewAsMember=true
