(Don’t) Spill the Tea (with Michael Ortiz)

CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains mentions of sex, and references of drug use. 

This week, Daniel and Monty reconnect with a former acting classmate turned entrepreneur and International Tea Master, Mike Ortiz (@sipjojo on Instagram) to discuss his journey from theatre school to brewing tea on the world stage. Topics include:

The return of “Danny” KemperFinding your weirdos in action!The parallels between auditioning and building a business.The importance of unapologetically taking up space.Being comfortable with not having answers, and being willing to constantly ask questions in life and theatre.The proper way to drink teaHow Mike went from actor to tea salesman and entrepreneurBrewing tea as a practice of meditationThe importance of persistence in developing relationshipsLearning under pressureThe influence of slave labor on modern tea consumption and sales.How an actor with no business training starts a companyResilience as a necessity in the pursuit of your goalsWhat makes a master?Understanding a structure well enough to break it.The origin of the name Jojo Tea

This week’s shoutouts, recommendations, and further reading include:

Anya SaffirEBE EnsembleMaster Chufei Tsai Jojo Tea CompanyBadia Spice CompanyWorld Tea ExpoGrandmaster Maurice AshleyTea Master’s CupOsteria 57Cafe IntegralMalaparteTiger King on NetflixHollywood Caucus podcast

This Wooden O is a production of Rude Grooms. Learn more at rudegrooms.com or follow us @rudegrooms on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

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