Wonder Woman of the Week: Zhena Muzyka

Pretty soon, I will be embarking on the next chapter in my life. I honestly have no idea where I’m going or what lays ahead of me. But there’s comfort in knowing that others have blazed the trail before me and one of those pioneers was this week’s spotlight. She started a business to support her special needs son and founded that business on supporting the needs of laborers around the globe. This week’s spotlight never shirked the needs of those who contributed to her success and never failed to help the women who helped build her business that has gone on to become one of the most successful businesses of the 21st Century. This week’s spotlight has been a source of inspiration for me, and I know she can be an inspiration for others. The Wonder Woman of the Week is Zhena Muzyka.

In 2000, Zhena Muzyka founded Zhena’s Gypsy Tea to support her special needs son. She started at rock bottom. Muzyka attended a gypsy tea party with belly dancers and all and had a revelation. Other jobs refused to hire her because she needed to have her son at work- so Muzyka started her own business- selling high quality, fair trade tea, at an affordable price that supported the laborers who harvested the product. Muzyka hosted tea parties early on to create a buzz around her product- including belly dancers- and it worked. [1]

Even the belly dancer talks about that party today. Zhena Muzyka paid the dancer in tea- having no money for the performer. What she had was an audience. Three hundred people showed up to the first party where Muzyka sold self-blended bags of tea. By 2004, Mukyza had created a business and her party in New York City included forty belly dancers of diverse “shapes, sizes, and backgrounds.” [2]

Zhena Muzyka’s business birthed from a need to pay medical bills. When Muzyka’s four week-old son was diagnosed with birth defects, the single mother had six dollars in her bank account. Faced with a seventeen thousand dollar medical bill, Muzyka had to act. When asked what she learned from her experience with Zhena’s Gypsy Tea, Muzyka said, “I learned that women are the answer to the world’s woes.” She continued to explain that when women have a voice in the fields and in the work place, both women and men can learn from each other. [3]

A single mother with unplayable medical expenses took a serious leap of faith when she started a business selling hand-blended teas at parties. With the help of friends, family, and a belly dancer willing to be paid in tea, Zhena Muzyka paid her son’s medical bills and founded a successful business. Since then, Muzyka has hosted parties, worked to improve the conditions of tea plantation laborers, and even authored a book on her successes. Muzkya is a hero and a role model because she was at the end of her proverbial rope and refused to give up on her child. The single mother worked her ass off to help her child, and expanded that heroism to help the people she built her business with. I have been buying Zhena’s Gypsy Tea since I was a sophomore in college four years ago and never regretted my investment. Zhena Muzyka is a mother, a businesswoman, an author, and most relevant- a superhero.

(Oh, and if you enjoy supporting strong, independent women as much as I do; head on over to the Zhena's Gypsy Tea website and get yourself some tea. I suggest the mint mojito tea. https://www.zhenas.com/)

Berk, Dr. Nancy. “Tea Entrepreneur and Author Zhena Muzyka Shares Thoughts on Life’s Challenges, Success, and Hollywood Opportunities.” 10 September 2014. Parade.com. Accessed 11 May 2016. http://parade.com/337641/nancyberk/tea-entrepreneur-and-author-zhena-muzyka-shares-her-thoughts-on-lifes-challenges-success-and-hollywood-opportunities/

Heyman, Marshall “Gypsy Tea Party Leaves Guests ‘Tea Drunk’.” 5 August 2014. Wall Street Journal. Accessed 11 May 2016. http://www.wsj.com/articles/zhena-muzyka-celebrates-life-by-the-cup-with-gypsy-tea-party-1407286455

Caprino, Kathy. “5 Lessons From Zhena’s Gypsy Tea Founder Zhena Muzyka For Building A Thriving Business That Uplifts The World.” 21 January 2015. Forbes Magazine. Accessed 11 May 2016. http://www.forbes.com/sites/kathycaprino/2015/01/21/5-lessons-from-zhenas-gypsy-tea-founder-zhena-muzyka-for-building-a-thriving-business-that-uplifts-the-world/4/#48579ee338de