Zeddy's Tea Leaves Business

Have you ever spent two weeks planning how you were going to surprise someone...

Only to be the one left speechless?

That was me today.

For the last two weeks, I had been planning to meet Zeddy.

Five months ago, she graduated from our program. Today I wanted to check in, hear how she was doing, and support her growing tea leaves business.

I already had a plan.

Zeddy would bring tea leaves to our office.

I would buy a few packets.

Simple.

At first, I was only going to buy one packet for a friend to try.

Then I stopped and thought about it.

Zeddy carries more than 50 packets of tea leaves on her back and walks kilometres through town selling them.

The thought of her making that journey just to sell one packet didn't sit right with me.

So I changed my mind.

I decided I would buy six packets instead.

One for my friend.

One for myself.

The rest? I had already figured out who I would give them to.

I felt good about the plan.

Everything was set.

At least that's what I thought.

Then Zeddy arrived.

We sat down.

We started looking through the tea leaves.

I introduced them to the friend I had planned to buy one packet for.

And then something happened that I never saw coming.

My friend started asking questions.

How much is a packet?

How many does she usually carry?

How often does she travel to the factory?

How much profit does she make?

The questions kept coming.

Then my friend bought 12 packets.

I was already stunned.

But they weren't finished.

A few minutes later, they started doing calculations.

If Zeddy had more stock at once, she would make fewer trips to the factory.

She would spend less time travelling.

She would have more tea leaves available to sell.

She would earn more from each cycle.

Then came the moment that left both of us staring in disbelief.

My friend paid in advance for over 100 packets.

One hundred.

Not because they needed 100 packets of tea leaves.

But because they saw what those 100 packets could do for Zeddy.

In a single moment, the conversation stopped being about tea.

It became about opportunity.

About reducing countless trips back and forth.

About freeing up time.

About increasing profit.

About helping a mother grow her business instead of merely survive another day.

I wish you could have seen Zeddy's face.

Actually, I wish you could have seen mine too.

Because I walked into that meeting thinking I was the one coming to support Zeddy.

Instead, I got a front-row seat to what generosity looks like when it meets imagination.

Not generosity that asks, "What can I buy?"

But generosity that asks, "What would actually change something?"

Tonight, I can't stop thinking about that.

And I can't stop thinking about how many Zeddys are around us.

People working hard.

Carrying heavy loads.

Walking long distances.

Doing everything they can with what they have.

Sometimes what changes their story isn't charity.

It's someone who pauses long enough to see the bigger picture.

Today, that someone was my friend.

And what a beautiful thing it was to witness!