Behind The Brews: A Closer Look At Snarky Tea’s Mission

By Carrie Pinkard

We love brewing up flavorful tea and making you laugh with our curse words. But beneath our snarky persona is a deeper meaning and larger purpose: women’s empowerment. 

Empowering women is the heart and soul of Snarky Tea. We work hard to lift up and inspire not only our amazing female customers but our employees as well. One way we do this is through a partnership with our local Women’s Resource Center. 

The Women’s Resource Center is a non-profit that offers mentorship, counseling, and job placement to women of all backgrounds who need support. Our partnership with the Women’s Resource Center began when Chief Snark Officer Jenni-Lyn Williams hired Warehouse Operations Manager Kerri Sinotte. 

“The Women’s Resource Center has connected us with women who are starting over, who are looking to support their children, who are looking for the chance they haven’t previously gotten,” Jenni-Lyn said. “For us, at Snarky Tea, it’s a natural match to help these women find empowerment in who they are and what they’re able to do and they’re capabilities through working for us.”

Once Jenni-Lyn brought Kerri on board to manage the warehouse, Kerri was able to use her contacts at the Women’s Resource Center to hire more women looking for work. 

“The partnership between the Women’s Resource Center and Snarky Tea has really developed into something exciting for me,” Kerri said. “I was given the opportunity to manage at Snarky Tea, which sometimes surprises me so much, but I am so thrilled about it. I’ve brought three people from the Women’s Resource Center to Snarky Tea and they’re still with me today.” 

Jenni-Lyn and Kerri are both moms with three kids. Kerri’s have grown and left the nest, while Jenni-Lyn’s are five and under. But Jenni-Lyn says she believes being a mom gives Kerri many of the qualities that make her a good manager. 

“When I met Kerri she was looking for a part-time job, something to do to make a little money. But I saw so much more in her. She’s organized, she knows how to yell at people, she really gets things done. There are so many things about her that she didn’t realize she could use in a business setting because she had never been in one before. We’ve kind of helped each other grow into our roles as Chief Snark Officer and head of Operations from just being ‘Mom’ and ‘Mom’,” Jenni-Lyn said. 

Kerri participated in several programs with the Women’s Resource Center that helped prepare her for her job at Snarky Tea. When she first went to the center she was just looking for a job, but what she got were resources like therapy and mentorship that helped heal her from the inside out. 

“It is so fulfilling to be part of a circle of women that are helping women that are helping women. We help others with the help that we have received ourselves,” Kerri said. “That is how the Women’s Resource Center operates and that’s how they expand. The Women’s Resource Center has opportunities abound. I would recommend it to any woman of any age.” 

The partnership with the Women’s Resource Center has given Snarky Tea new purpose and meaning. We are passionate about helping women reach their potential, and hiring from the Women’s Resource Center helps fulfill that mission. 

“Owning a business can be really overwhelming when you’re focusing on profitability and the numbers side of things. It can feel really empty at times. It’s important to find some meaning that keeps you going every day,” Jenni-Lyn said. 

“For me, helping these women find their place helps me find mine.”