Building a Brand by Building Something: How My Pandemic Tea Brand Shaped My Personal and Professional Identity

As someone who currently works in a corporate environment where branding is supported by large budgets, agencies, and dedicated teams, I understand how distant that model can feel from individual practitioners. But in reality, the most powerful brands are often built by individuals through intention, consistency, storytelling, and service. My journey into branding didn’t begin in a corporate boardroom. It started with tea. I chose tea as my medium because it was personal. During the pandemic, I wanted to experiment with branding and design, but tea already carried meaning for me. I grew up in a hot climate where coffee was never part of my life, and after moving to a colder place, I searched for a drink that felt comforting and grounding. A friend introduced me to tea, and it became both a ritual and, eventually, a canvas for creativity.

The Birth of Ki’teas

During the pandemic, I created a tea brand called Ki’teas. What began as a creative outlet quickly grew into a full branding experience. I designed everything myself the logo, packaging, social media presence, and website, not because I couldn’t hire someone else, but because, as a designer, creating is how I think and solve problems. Designers are always finding things to shape, and Ki’teas became a space to apply that instinct beyond buildings, crafting a brand with intention and care. I chose the name Ki’, a Mayan word meaning “delicious” and a tribute to my grandmother, connecting the brand to my roots. I wasn’t just selling tea; I was building a story, a feeling, and a connection.

I learned quickly that branding is not just visual. It’s emotional. It’s how people experience your product, your voice, your values, and your consistency. Every detail mattered, from color choices and typography to the tone of voice on social media. Ki’teas taught me how to think comprehensively about identity, perception, and trust. More importantly, it taught me confidence in making decisions, in presenting ideas publicly, and in believing that my vision had value.

From Brand Creation to Community Leadership

That experience became the foundation for something bigger. From building Ki’teas, I gained hands-on knowledge in brand strategy, storytelling, visual identity, and audience engagement. I applied these skills directly when I volunteered as Social Media Chair for the YAF Forum in Pittsburgh, creating content, managing platforms, and shaping a consistent voice, translating what I had learned about building a brand into building a community.

That role led me to my current volunteer position at the Immigrant Architect Coalition (IAC), where I serve as Director of Communications. There, I apply these lessons by leading the creation of social media content, designing campaigns that communicate our mission clearly, ensuring all visuals and messaging are consistent, and actively engaging members and partners to strengthen community trust and visibility.

At IAC, branding isn’t about selling a product, yet it’s about building trust, visibility, and community. But the core principles are the same. Clear messaging. Authentic voice. Strong visual identity. Consistent presence. Purpose-driven content.

Through these experiences, I realized something important: building brands and building yourself as a brand are parallel processes.

Building a Brand vs. Building Yourself

When I built Ki’teas, I had to define:

• What it stands for

• Who it serves

• What makes it different

• How it communicates

• How it looks and feels

The same applies to personal branding.

As a person and professional, I had to define:

• My values

• My voice

• My mission

• My strengths

• My impact

Defining these elements helped me understand who I am, what I want to project, and why it matters. For immigrant and emerging professionals, this parallel is key to navigating new contexts, gaining visibility, and shaping their professional identity.

Every project, role, and initiative became part of my personal brand story. Each experience added credibility, clarity, and confidence. Over time, people don’t just see what you did; they understand who you are.

What Branding Really Is

Branding is not just logos, colors, or websites. Branding is:

• Reputation

• Consistency

• Trust

• Experience

• Story

• Values

It’s what people think of when they hear your name or your organization’s name.

1. Start With a Project: You don’t need permission. Create a product, a blog, a social media platform, a community group, or a side project. Taking action and creating real work is how you show your skills, build credibility, and prove that you can make an impact, no matter where you’re starting from.

2. Volunteer Strategically: Choose roles that align with your interests and allow you to develop skills. Volunteering can become a powerful portfolio and networking tool.

3. Be Intentional With Online Presence: Treat your social media as a curated brand space. Use clear visuals, consistent tone, and professional storytelling.

Align Your Work With Your Values: Authenticity builds trust. When your brand reflects your values, opportunities feel more aligned and meaningful.

The Bigger Lesson

Building Ki’teas and working as Director of Communications taught me more than branding; it taught me leadership, confidence, and vision. It showed me that skills are transferable, creativity is scalable, and identity is intentional.

From a tea brand to nonprofit communications leadership, every step reinforced the same truth: You are always building a brand whether you’re intentional about it or not.

When you align your work, your values, your voice, and your actions, your brand becomes authentic, powerful, and lasting. Not because of how it looks but because of what it stands for.

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