Stories
Roma Patel
Welcome Roma. It’s such a pleasure to meet you….can you introduce yourself, and tell everyone who you are, and what you do.
I’m a mom of two boys, Ari (6) and Tej (3).My background is in marketing and public relations and recently turned my passion , which lies in nutrition, into a wellness brand called Tejari. The inspiration behind Tejari was honestly a mix of my own childhood and how I wanted to raise my boys. Nutrition and wellness have always been incredibly important to both me and my husband, so we wanted to make it a priority for our family. However, with a hectic lifestyle, traveling often and limited time for self-care, I desperately needed healthy to be easier. So, I looked for convenient options that didn’t include empty calories, tons of added sugar or cheap ingredients. Easy, right? Not so much. Unfortunately, this pursuit failed miserably. So, just like that, I decided to partner with the most incredible nutritionists and food scientists I know with the intention of pushing all the boundaries.
Keeping a small business afloat right now can be very stressful and demanding. Did you do anything early on in the pandemic that helped your business pivot or detour to adjust to this new normal? How have you been able to sustain it? Do you see big changes ahead?
We focused on digital and our online experience. People are prioritizing health now more than ever and we wanted to take the opportunity to bridge the connection and understanding on nutrition through our partnerships with Registered Dietitians and partner with Chefs on creating recipes and ease of use for people to incorporate Tejari into their daily lives. Customer expectations are high for brands and we’re doing our best to offer a full end-to-end experience that is up to our standards and surprise and delights our customers.
Which of your products do you find essential for yourself and your family to use right now and why?
Smoothies are a household favorite, hands down. My five-year-old, Ari, grabs his go-to ingredients while Tej, my two-year-old, always finds some way to participate. It’s an undeniably easy way for us to get our nutrition for the day. Plus, it’s so filling! I also love incorporating Tejari into energy bites and even our favorite baked goods. As we’re spending more time at home, we’ve been able to experiment with vegan cheesecakes and protein-filled energy balls. So yummy yet satisfying!
Much talk is about what we are missing and losing out on during this time….but are there surprises for what the pandemic has actually brought to your life (perhaps things you never thought would be of importance, or you never had the time or attention for?)
I absolutely love our bedtime routine and story time together, for more reasons than one. Aside from the snuggle sessions, my oldest, Ari, is now learning how to read, so he’s beginning to read short stories to his younger brother, Tej. As you can imagine, it’s so heartwarming to see their bond grow as they get older.
In what ways are you finding kindness and generosity toward the world, the community, your children, and yourself at this moment in time.
Embrace change and be present. The pandemic has been challenging - physically and mentally, not only on adults but for children. One of my main priorities is to teach our children how to be agile and adapt; to be patient and make the most of each day.