We had the good fortune of connecting with Jason Triglia and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jason, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I have always wanted to run my own business and I’ve always enjoyed the more techy/digital side of business. In 2008, I worked for a larger business and started working with consultants from Argentina. That’s when I first learned about yerba mate. They pulled out a funky looking gourd, a funky looking straw with a filter on the end of it, and some funky looking tea leaves. They then started drinking it. I was intrigued… Yerba mate eventually became part of my daily routine for the next 12 years. I began traveling to Argentina for work and eventually for vacations. I fell in love with the culture and natural settings throughout Argentina. Yerba mate is not just a tea, it’s a medium people use to connect with each other and to the traditions passed down over generations. When I drink yerba mate, I get this sense of focus, calm, and happiness that I haven’t had with any other drink. In the US, yerba mate is still fairly unknown and I always wanted more people to be exposed to its benefits.
It wasn’t until the first month of the pandemic lockdown in March 2020 that I decided to take the leap into starting a business. My girlfriend had just broken up with me, I couldn’t travel, the gyms were closed, and isolation was here. I shaved my head Britney Spears style, prepared some yerba mate, and then boom, I realized this was my opportunity to actually start a yerba mate business in the US. Yerba Crew was born!
I didn’t really have a business plan. I had heard about e-commerce businesses using Shopify to sell products online so I just opened a Shopify account and started playing. I started an Instagram account and found a community online with fellow passionate yerba mate fans. I watched hundreds of hours of youtube videos about starting and running an e-commerce business. It just felt right to me. I loved drinking yerba mate, I loved trying to run a business, and I had the time to dig into the details.
Between 2020 and now, I have learned so much and failed so many times, learning more and more each time. One of the biggest things I have learned is to just take a small step forward into the unknown and you’ll figure out what to do next. My friends, family, and local Philadelphia community have been there to help me take the next steps along the way.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
“Flow” is a major art form for me. I grew up playing sports and loved the moments of flow between teammates playing sports like hockey and soccer. There was a connection between the players where you just knew what your teammate was thinking or where they would go next because of the hours and hours of time spent together. In my work life, I find flow in setting up automated processes that feed each other to accomplish a goal. Since I come from an IT background, the “flow” of data is a major piece of art. With my current business, I see the same flow in the relationships I’ve built. If someone I know runs into an issue, I’m there to support them. I run into an issue, they are there to support me. From a more technical perspective, running an online business is all about flow. Most people are only interacting with your website or social media account so you need to guide them through the process while also giving them a personalized experience.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If I have a friend visiting Philadelphia, then they should be ready to walk a lot! I think the best experiences come while you are walking between locations. You get to absorb the sights, sounds, and smells of the different parts of the city. I would make sure they get to experience the typical tourist locations like the Art Museum steps, the Rocky Statue, the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, and then some cheesesteaks at Pat’s and Geno’s. To get more of the Philadelphia vibe, I would take them to a tailgating event at one of the sporting events. We’d also walk through some streets like Passyunk Ave, Delancey St, and of course South Street. We would also go to a few of the more chilled-out places like Rittenhouse Square, Washington square park, Kelly Drive, and Race street pier to relax a bit.
The nice part about walking is you get to see all of the murals and street art. Philadelphia has the most murals in the US. The creativity and passion of the city can be seen everywhere.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Pretty much everyone around me has been supportive beyond what I could imagine. My parents, sisters, and extended family members have let me ship products to their houses, taken pictures for me, and given me advice along the way. My friends have supported me by coming to my events, connecting me with people that could help me, and just listening to me talk about yerba mate for hours and hours. Some specific examples in the Philadelphia community were Joe Longo and Joe Polizzi. Joe Longo was the photographer for my initial lifestyle photos in 2020 and he connected me to multiple local Philadelphia business owners who I have collaborated with multiple times since. Joe Polizzi has been a friend since 2004 and proposed an idea for a youtube series called “Connect with Philly” where we would interview local Philadelphia business owners and artists to hear how they find inspiration in what they do and in the Philadelphia community.
A specific youtube series called “Million Dollar Case Study” was incredibly helpful in getting my business up and running. The series explained exactly how to find a product idea, source it, package it, and launch it. I used Season 2 as my bible for getting my business started. Regarding books, multiple Malcolm Gladwell books like “Blink”, “Outliers”, and “Tipping Point” were huge inspirations.

Website: https://yerbacrew.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yerbacrew/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yerbacrew

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/yerbacrew

Other: Email: info@yerbacrew.com

Image Credits
Joe Longo, Joe Polizzi, Amy Perez

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