When Juliet Herrera-Chen was preparing to open her first milk tea store, she didn’t have a detailed business plan or formal training in entrepreneurship. What she had was a product — and a desire to find out if people actually liked it.
“Wala ako formal background sa pagtayo ng business,” Juliet admits. “So pinatikman ko muna sa mga katrabaho ko kung magugustuhan nila yung drinks namin.”
Before launching, she and her husband — who crafted the tea recipes — invited her former co-workers to try their milk tea creations. It was their first form of market research, and in many ways, their first real marketing plan. “Yun lang alam namin na marketing plan that time na mabilis,” she says.
The couple prepared a range of drinks, including Taiwan-style recipes that her husband had developed. But as soon as the feedback started coming in, they realized something important: what works in Taiwan might not immediately click with the Filipino palate.
“Pag-tikim ng mga co-workers ko, medyo matabang,” she recalls. Filipinos tend to prefer sweeter drinks, so they took the comments seriously.
“You know how Filipinos like sweet,” Juliet says. “So ginawa ni husband, ni-improve niya — pinatamis niya to make sure na pasok siya sa panlasa ng Pinoy.”
That simple tasting session became the foundation of a much more localized product. It taught them that even without business experience, listening to customers early could shape their brand in the right direction.
Today, Juliet Herrera-Chen’s milk tea business has grown beyond that first tasting table. But her approach remains the same: start simple, stay customer-focused, and don’t be afraid to tweak until it’s just right.
The takeaway:
You don’t need an MBA to launch a business. Sometimes, all it takes is a good product, real feedback, and the humility to listen — and adapt.
This article includes quotes from an interview originally published by Esquire Philippines, authored by Henry Ong.
