Tea Service
Basketball star Tamika Catchings is combining a family tradition with her community passion to run a successful business. Discover the entrepreneur-sip insights she gained from ICCC as Regions takes the program to Nashville.
By Kim Borges |
During National Black Business Month, Regions Bank is highlighting Black entrepreneurs and organizations like Inner City Capital Connections (ICCC) helping entrepreneurs build long-term success. Here, we spotlight basketball legend Tamika Catchings’ unexpected path in discovering that small business is indeed her cup of tea.
Tamika Catchings has transformed many of her dreams into reality.
Four-time Olympic gold medal winner, WNBA Champion, NCAA Champion and nonprofit founder – check, check, check and check.
And now, tea shop owner.
“Every single night it came up in my dream,” recalled Catchings of the two-week period before she purchased Indianapolis small business Tea’s Me Café in 2017. Catchings had initially explored other investor options with the former owners after learning the couple planned to move and close the quaint spot she frequented. But that nightly dream kept leading her back to the idea of taking her first shot at being an entrepreneur.
“We grew up drinking tea; it’s always been part of our family,” Catchings said. “I just loved the intimacy of the space, the ambience of this place. This is my own little oasis. To this day, I still lose track of time here.”
And these days, you’re just as likely to find Catchings behind the counter at Tea’s Me as in front of it.
“I will mop, I will sweep, clean the counters, whatever I can do,” she said. “I’m not going to ask my team to do anything I’m not doing as an owner.”
Small-business owner – Catchings’ newest title – offered the opportunity to take advantage of Inner City Capital Connections in Indianapolis. Regions Bank brought the tuition-free, “mini-MBA on steroids” business training program to the Circle City for the first time in 2022 to empower entrepreneurs whose businesses are in or near urban or economically under-resourced neighborhoods. Topics ranging from business strategy, to marketing, employee retention, access to capital and more are covered. Mentorships are formed. Coaching continues as long as the business owner wants it.
