Elias Tiong and his wife, Hailee Chong, started a bottled tea drink business after a trip to Japan in 2018.As risk-averse full-time lawyers with no business experience, they started the business on the side.They've since left their jobs to focus on building their brand, Crafti, full-time.This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Elias Tiong, 31, the founder of Crafti, a matcha business in Singapore. The following has been edited for length and clarity. Business Insider has verified their business earnings.After a year in corporate law, I realized it might not be my cup of tea.The law firm I was working at had offered newly qualified lawyers a monthlong break after a year of training. The break was timely. I had lost weight not in a good way and my acne had gotten worse. I began to reflect on whether being a lawyer was the right career choice.I decided to take a trip to Japan with my then-fiance, Hailee. On that trip, I discovered how dependent I had become on coffee. Since joining the firm, I started drinking two to four cups a day. While traveling through remote areas, I couldn't get coffee and struggled with severe migraines. I saw this as a wake-up call that I needed to live healthier and reduce my caffeine dependence.As it happened, we came across many bottled tea drinks at convenience stores in Japan. Unlike coffee, which I found had less variety outside the specialty coffee scene, there were so many different types of tea from hojicha and matcha to genmaicha.They turned out to be suitable alternatives to coffee. While teas like matcha contain caffeine, I found that they didn't cause jitters, in the way that coffee had.So Hailee and I thought: Why don't we try to create something similar back home in Singapore? Tiong conducted research and development to produce their bottled tea lattes. Elias Tiong In 2019, we started a side business selling bottled matcha. We used premium ingredients like ceremonial-grade matcha and fresh milk, so the drinks tasted more like caf-made drinks and less like what you'd typically find in a convenience store.As lawyers with no business experience, we were risk-averse. We invested a small amount upfront about $1,500 just to conduct research and development and come up with the first batch of inventory.We got questioned about the career changeAt first, some people asked, "Why would you be a lawyer and sell tea?"My parents also questioned me about the opportunity cost of starting a business. But I wasn't as worried about how much money I made. I was passionate about something, I believed that with that, I would be able to flourish.The business started off strong. The pandemic led to a surge in demand for e-commerce and our bottled drinks sold well. That was when I decided we were doing well enough for me to quit and focus on the tea business full-time.But when pandemic restrictions were lifted, demand fell, and we saw business tumble. It was scary. It was our first experience with volatility something we've since learned to live with.We decided to pivot from selling bottled tea lattes to selling matcha powder for consumers to make healthy tea lattes at home. Now called Crafti, our business grew 50% to 80% in revenue annually. At the end of 2024, we reached a low seven-figure revenue.Mixing business and marriageWhen we started, we decided to run the business on the side because we didn't want to take too much risk. We had a mortgage to pay and other expenses to consider. So, even when I left my job to do this full-time, my wife continued to work in law and helped run the business on the side.But in 2024, she left her job to work at Crafti full-time. And I'm happy that we're managing to make it work.We complement each other well. I take on a more managerial role and work on longer-term business strategy while she takes on a more creative role.I've seen many examples of successful businesses run by couples. The pros are that couples often have a shared vision, and that is so important when running a business.The bad thing is, of course, there are disagreements at times.Learning to manage disagreements has strengthened our relationship. We're not parents yet, but I believe there are certain similarities with parenthood in that it's a shared project between us. Many couples have told me that parenthood made them closer, and I view our business in the same way. To promote their matcha line-up, Tiong previously conducted matcha workshops for their customers. Elias Tiong Matcha as a long-term planWe are happy with our business and have no plans to return to law.The thing about running a business is that you can have profit on paper, but you may not have cash in the bank, because you need to invest back into your business. After five years, we now pay ourselves about the same as we got in our previous jobs.The biggest change is that I had someone to push me along at the law firm. But now, my wife and I are responsible for making sure things get done. Over the years, we've grown to a team of 10 and work out of a coworking space.Still, I feel a greater sense of fulfillment. I didn't used to look forward to work. But now, whenever my wife and I go on vacation, we can't wait to return and get work done.

Nature, Published online: 05 February 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-024-08511-9Two distinct patterns in the protective effect of natural infection against reinfection in the Omicron variant versus pre-Omicron eras show that SARS-CoV-2 immune protection is shaped by dynamic interaction between host immunity and viral evolution.

Nature, Published online: 05 February 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-024-08502-wChildren who learn maths working in markets and children who learn maths only from school were both unable to transfer their skills to new contexts, highlighting a need to reconsider how maths is taught in school.

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The release date, along with a new trailer, of Konamis Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, appeared briefly on the games PlayStation Store page.Although the information is now gone from the store page, the saved screenshot shows that the highly anticipated remake of MGS3 will be released on August 28. It will also be enhanced for PS5 Pro.KonamiThe new trailer can still be accessed from the link shared by a sharp-eyed ResetEra user, NateDog. Besides giving fans a look at more details about the game, like key characters and The Boss, the last part of the video teases the return of the Snake vs. Monkey mini-game in the original title, with a monkey from Ape Escape greeting and running away. It also reads, and more. So, there might be some other unexpected crossovers or Easter Eggs to be discovered later.KonamiThere are rumors that Sony is planning to hold a State of Play presentation in February, likely within the next week, according to reliable leaker NateTheHate. Its possible that the trailer and the official release date announcement are prepared for this event.The graphics and operability of the remake would change to embrace a modern style, according to Producer Noriaki Okamura, while the games core elements, such as sounds, scenarios, and game design, would remain untouched to define the iconic franchise. Meanwhile, there will be two difficulty modes, the New Style and the Legacy Style, depending on the playing perspective.Join our 80 Level Talent platformand ournew Discord server, follow us onInstagram,Twitter,LinkedIn,Telegram,TikTok, andThreads,where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.Source link The post Release Date & A New Trailer Of Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater Leaked appeared first on CG SHARES.

Microsoft's next big game, the RPG Avowed from The Outer Worlds developer Obsidian, is capable of running at up to 60fps on Xbox Series X, game director Carrie Patel has confirmed.Patel said on the MinnMax podcast, "You can get up to 60[fps]" on Xbox Series X. The use of "can" here might indicate an alternative graphics mode that prioritizes image quality over frame rate, but we don't know for sure as of yet. See on Amazon Continue Reading at GameSpot

A new gameplay trailer for Apex Legends' upcoming Season 24: Takeover has been released, and it features a major surprise: Respawn is kicking off Apex's sixth anniversary by letting content creators step into the shoes of the (fictional) Apex Games Commissioner, Kuben Blisk.Four different "Content Commissioners" will take the stage from February 25 to April 28 (two weeks per content creator), introducing special challenges for players to overcome, exclusive cosmetic rewards, and fan-favorite limited-time modes for the duration of their two-week takeover.For the first week of each Content Commissioner takeover, players will "chase glory together to complete Community challenges and ultimately determine how many Apex Packs will be up for grabs the following week," according to a new blog post on the official Apex Legends website.Continue Reading at GameSpot

Citizen Sleeper 2 improves on the first installment by offering varying levels of challenge to players. Now, you can choose how hardcore your adventure should be, thanks to the new stress and death mechanics. However, this added complexity might leave some players wondering about the three difficulty settings in Citizen Sleeper 2 and how they affect gameplay. To help clear things up, we've put together this guide.

When we talk aboutOne Piece, the first thing that comes to mind has to be Devil Fruit powers. After all, from turning every object into food to manipulating tectonic plates to cause earthquakes and tsunamis, the Devil Fruits can conjure up many different kinds of strange and dangerous powers.

Event Stamina is a resource that determines the pace at which you compete in the time-limited events in Pokmon TCG Pocket. If you want to participate in the single-player drop events and get neat promo cards, youll definitely need to know how Event Stamina and the related Event Hourglasses work.This Pokmon TCG Pocket guide will explain what Event Stamina is and how to get more Event Hourglasses.What is Event Stamina in Pokmon TCG Pocket?Event Stamina is a kind of resource that you need to participate in and collect rewards (like promo cards) from the drop events. There have been several such events since launch and each one typically focuses on a particular Pokmon, like Cresselia ex or Lapras ex.The Event Stamina bar appears in the top right-hand corner of your phone screen when you enter the page for a time-restricted drop event. (Note: There has to be an active live event to see the gauge and the event drop page.)As of this writing, one battle costs one unit of Event Stamina, regardless of the difficulty or rewards you earn from each battle. If you want to battle more than five times in single sitting, then you will have to replenish your Event Stamina.How to get more Event Stamina in Pokmon TCG PocketSimilar to other systems in Pokmon TCG Pocket, the Event Stamina will replenish itself passively over time. It takes 12 hours for one Event Stamina to recharge.If you dont want to wait, you can use Event Hourglasses to recharge Event Stamina. One Event Hourglass recharges one token of Event Stamina. You can get more Event Hourglasses by participating in the challenges for each drop event. If you get Event Hourglasses from one event, like the Lapras ex drop event or the Cresselia ex drop event, they will work in future events. As of this writing, these hourglasses dont expire and can be used in any event.