On my journey to discover new tea companies, I’ve found I love hearing owners’ personal stories — what inspired them and keeps them going. My Tea Connection opened in October 2024 and, despite a hectic year of tariffs and challenges, they’re thriving. Find your own “tea connection” below!

Website: https://www.myteaconnection.com/

Location Headquarters:

• I live in Shenzhen, a city I first came to in 2014 after dropping out of college. My tea ships from my parents house in Oklahoma. I’m very lucky to have my elderly parents still around and still sharp.

Company Focus:

• A gaiwan in every house across America and making Chinese tea easy for English speakers is my mission. I want the company to focus on tea education stemming from my experience in the terroirs and at the tea factories to make choosing tea easier.

Most popular company tea(s)?

• My 2023 and soon 2025 Jingmai ancient tree red tea is a real knockout.

Does the company name have a meaning?

• China has enough domestic demand to consume all the high quality tea it produces. Good tea is always snapped up quickly and the tea market is very opaque in general. Who you know can make all the difference in getting good tea at a good price. A tea company is only as good as their farmer connections so that’s why I named the company My Tea Connection. Through the business my tea connections indirectly become your tea connections.

Do you participate in any charities?

• My wife and I have taken injured/stray dogs and cats off the streets, give them medical attention, and then find them good homes. We’ve done this with probably 30 animals over the past 10 years. It’s a personal passion and something I don’t mention much, it’s just the right thing to do. People in our neighborhood know we do this so we get the call when there is an animal in need.

What is your and/or your co-workers’ favorite tea?

• This is a difficult question and the company is just me at this point(2025). It changes all the time and I go through phases Yunnan Moonlight White or Aged Ancient Tree Sun Dried red tea cakes from Jingmai. I also love bud teas Bai Hao Yinzhen and Mengding Huang ya or yellow bud.

What are your thoughts on transparency in the tea industry?

• Pesticide testing needs to increase because most of us are drinking tea for our health, so making sure batches aren’t contaminated is a good thing.

What role does tea play in our lives?

• Tea is a helpful coworker, a useful study buddy, a relaxed old friend, a motivational speaker, a mentor, a determined personal trainer and friend when fasting. Every area of life can be improved with tea if you let it.

Anything else you’d like to add?

• I have a the best quarterly tea club on Earth, just check out the reviews.

Social Media:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• YouTube
• TikTok
• X
• Pinterest
• Snapchat

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TeaTiff Picks: Mi Lan Xiang Dan Cong Oolong Tea. This was a really hard choice. I almost went with the Jingmai but ultimately I could literally taste the tea as I sat here looking at the picture. Pretty good way to make a decision I think. I will update this after I taste it.