Betsy is the founder and managing director of Boon Tea, a quintessential California lifestyle concept and a registered 500-hours yoga instructor trained in the tantric hatha tradition.
Name: Betsy Kwong
Graduating Year: 2009
Years at CIS: 4
Current city of residence: Hong Kong
As part of International Women’s Day, we asked Betsy the following IWD-related questions:
Which of these IWD values mean the most to you, and why?
- Justice, Dignity, Hope, Equality, Collaboration, Tenacity, Appreciation, Respect, Empathy, Forgiveness
Respect and Appreciation – because I firmly believe that if we all possess this humbling attitude towards all people, circumstances, and things we encounter in life, then all other values and virtues would emerge naturally.
Who is the woman that most inspires you, and why?
Audrey Hepburn – because she is full of grace, compassion, and talent, and I have always aspired to become someone like her.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
I was born in Hong Kong but raised bicoastally in Los Angeles, CA and Hong Kong. I graduated from the University of Southern California with a degree in Communication and a minor in Marketing and worked in Hollywood for a bit before moving to New York City to pursue a career in children’s books publishing. There, I found my love for writing and decided to move to London, UK for a master’s degree in Creativity Writing and Children’s Literature. I am currently pursuing my doctoral degree in Humanities at the Hong Kong Baptist University while running my tea and lifestyle business in Hong Kong and Los Angeles.
How has yoga helped to improve your physical and mental wellbeing?
Many say yoga is a healing act and I whole-heartedly agree. I was part of a Chinese folk dancing troop in Hong Kong but was injured during one of my examinations. As I was no longer able to perform rigorously and advanced further, I turned to something else that can keep my body moving and allowed me to focus on my needs and goals. My teacher training in Bali carved out the me-time that I desperately needed to recalibrate myself and find a mindset that motivated me. Yoga has inspired me to take on a new attitude to face all the adversities and good things that life throws at me with humility and grace.
What inspired you to start Boon Yoga?
Boon Yoga emerged as a natural extension to Boon Tea as a lifestyle concept that intersects understated California luxury with functionality. I wanted to develop a yoga method that could blend the philosophy of yoga with tea culture and inspire others to live more consciously and creatively. Simply put, yoga and tea work hand in hand to create a better quality of life for those that practice both.
How did Boon Tea come about? Was it difficult transitioning into a new industry/field?
Seed of the idea was planted in my mind when I was working in New York City, and I needed a morning pick-me-up to handle early morning department meetings. My stomach does not agree with coffee, so my colleagues introduced me to this tiny hole-in-the-wall kind of café near the office called Bibble & Sip, where I had my first matcha latte. I became completely enamoured with tea and was blown away by the versatility of it (mind you, matcha latte was not a trendy drink back in 2014). That’s when I started learning more about tea and its culture. I received my tea sommelier certification while I was in New York and later spent 1 year to travel to 12 cities, sourcing the purest tasting premium teas I could find directly from farmers and producers in China, Japan, and Taiwan.
It was a steep learning curve transitioning into a new industry. Each industry has its own culture and ways of doing business, but you must remind yourself not to be so immersed in the “game” of it that you forget the core reason for why you are doing this in the first place. It was perseverance and a singular mindset of sticking to my goals that got me through every hurdle that I’ve been through so far. This doesn’t mean I don’t adapt and change with happenings in the world to keep my business aloft; it just means that the way to reaching the destination could be different from what I expected, and I’ve accepted that as an essential part of entrepreneurship.
You were able to make a living out of two passions dear to you. What advice would you share with fellow alums looking to do the same?
Find out what is important to you and learn as much as you can about it. You cannot start a career based on passion alone—you need knowledge and real experience to guide you through the challenges you will face down the path of an entrepreneur. Also, I often remind myself just how fortunate I am to be doing what I love for a living—this mindset keeps me grounded and driven.
What is your favourite tea and why?
An organic black tea that I sourced directly from a female farmer in the Sun Moon Lake region in Taiwan which I call ‘Violet Hills’. It’s elegant and pure with a multilayered flavour; simply inviting, warm, and comforting.
Favourite memory from CIS?
Project week! I love travelling and seeing and experiencing new things. It is also a wonderful opportunity to bond with friends (I’m still very close with a lot of them today).