Recently, I did a survey of our Tea Party Girl readers. One of your requests was a bit more information on me. So here’s my full bio. Hope you enjoy it.
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Dawnya Sasse was raised on the road, the child of musicians and quickly gained from a young age, a unique and creative perspective on entertaining. In 1988 Dawnya began traveling to Great Britain, leading tours throughout the United Kingdom. Her passion for Britain and her love of all things theatrical, led
her to the creation of Tea Events in the 1990’s.
In 1997, Dawnya traveled to Cape Cod, Massachusetts for extensive tea consulting. She enjoyed personal training with Donna and Ron Lasko (New England’s Tea Couple). Ms. Sasse went on to study with Pearl Dexter – publisher of Tea – A Magazine and nationally acclaimed tea author James Norwood Pratt, Edward Brahma of the London Brahma Tea Museum among a variety of other tea authorities.
Dawnya opened her first tearoom in 1998 and her second tearoom in 2000 in Bend, Oregon. The local media dubbed her “Lady” Dawnya and the title has stuck to this day.
In 2003 Dawnya launched www.Startateabusiness.com. (the worlds first online tea training program) allowing students from all over the world to receive tea training from the comfort of their own home. (currently she has taught students in almost every state in the union and 25 foreign countries.) Start A Tea Business 4.0 was recently launced at the beginning of 2011.
In 2004 she authored the first complete children’s tea party training program entitled Start A Children’s Tea Party Business , www.VictorianDays.com and launched the first internet radio station devoted solely to tea. (www.TeaRadio.com) She also producing a series of exciting tea seminars on CD.
In 2006 Dawnya hosted the first Tea Cruise for tea busines owners (hosting a total of 4 so far.)
2007-2011 have been busy writing and teaching various courses online such as:
Build A Tea Dream From The Comfort Of Your Own Home
Start A Childrens Tea Party Business 2.0
Tea Business Network.com (recently sold to a fantastic student!)
Tea Business Dreams Blog
Tea Party Girl Blog
Tea Talks Volume 1
Build A Successful Web Presence
My Club Etiquette
Tea Party Girl Blog
Lady Dawnya spent the first 7 years of her tea career working full time as the owner and manager of Tea Events teahouse in Bend, Oregon. In the summer of 2004 she sold the teahouse in order to provide tea related education full-time.
She is a past president of The Ladies Tea Guild – Bend, Oregon Chapter (www.Glily.com) and a regular contributing tea author to such periodicals as Bustle, The Gilded Lily ,The Country Register, The Tea House Times and TeaDigest.org.www.VictorianDays.com) and a regular speaker on a variety of tea, etiquette and historical topics.
Her picture and tea house have been featured in various tea related guides such as Teatime in the Northwest and Tea Journal for Teatime Enthusiasts. She is the Artistic Director and creator of Victorian Days – A Girl’s Camp.
Dawnya has taught people from around the world. Corporate CEO’s from companies like Harley Davidson and Shell Oil and professors from Ivy League Colleges like Purdue, Stanford and Georgetown. She has worked with Senator’s families, stationed military troops and housewives from around the world. If someone has an interest in tea Dawnya is the “go to gal!” She hosts a live training event in Kansas City each year in August.
Lady Dawnya continues to pursue advanced tea education in order to bring her clients “extraordinary tea business training.”
Hmmm.. what wonders will this year bring?
In her spare time Dawnya enjoys pouring tea for good friends, traveling, chasing her cats (Mister, Tea’ and Keeper) and relaxing with her husband of 21 years. (no kids just cats 🙂
But- a business owner’s work is never done. Who knows that this year holds….
More on Dawnya: