Black History Month may have passed, but Black people are always making history all day, everyday. Here at Fashion Bomb Daily, we thrive on discovering new and diverse talents in fashion, hair and beauty. However, we also appreciate historical moments made by brands and talents in other industries as well like the spirits and wine. With that being said, we would like to introduce you to Tiffany Capri Hainesworth, founder and CEO of TCapri Tequila and the first Black woman to solely own a tequila brand.
Tiffany Capri Hainesworth is the Black woman behind the premier tequila brand known as TCapri Tequila. With the urge within the Black community to “buy black” this past year, Hainesworth’s brand has soared to imaginable heights. Her tequila has been featured on several news outlets, magazines and shows including Fox Soul’s Cocktails with Queens with Vivica A. Fox, Lisa Ray, Syleena Johnson and Claudia Jordan.
If you’re a business owner working from the ground up like Hainesworth, you know that success doesn’t come without hard work along with a few obstacles and struggles. We sat down with Tiffany Capri to discuss her life-changing journey from working with the federal government to owning won an award-winning premium tequila brand.
Before there was TCapri Tequila, Tiffany Capri worked with the federal government since the young age of 15 years old. Dedicating over 30 years of her life to her service with the government, Hainesworth gained experience in several areas and continues to work with them to this very day.
On December 12, 2012, Tiffany Capri was placed in a situation that ultimately changed her life physically, emotionally and spiritually. She was involved in a car accident that caused brain trauma which led her to suffer from seizures and migraine headaches that still occur in present day. Things became hard for Tiffany as this moment ultimately changed her life forever, but she expressed to us that “what happened to me in my past doesn’t define me.“
The accident matched with her new daily battles led Tiffany Capri to a spiritual awakening that changed her outlook on life itself. Through divine intervention, Tiffany discovered that she should be doing what makes her happy which would ultimately lead her to greatness in the end. Thus, her first business was born: TCapri Gourmet Treats.
TCapri Treats is a gourmet treats business founded by Tiffany Capri Hainesworth that features an array of sweets from bread pudding to handmade gummy bears. The twist? Treats like the gummy bears and cakes were made with cocktails crafted from spirits and wines. For awhile cocktails were made using spirits from other brands, then an epiphany hit Tiffany when she asked herself: “Why not use my own brand?”
From that moment, Tiffany Capri quickly dove into intense research about her favorite drink, tequila. She planned a trip to Mexico where she met with a broker who offered her 12 distilleries to choose from. Upon settling with one particular small distillery, she produced a small batch out of Jalisco, Mexico, the home of tequila, and also signed a contract for her very own brand, TCapri Tequila.
Of course, no business is a true business without a few obstacles. Tiffany Capri recalls a few adversities including language barriers, regulations of both the Mexican and American government, and having to hire a director of international affairs as well as a translator. She describes, “I don’t think anybody took me seriously. When you go into the spirit industry, you have partners to help and it was just me building a tequila brand from the ground up. Every time there was a miscommunication, I would just fly over there and speak to them in person.“
However, these complications only drove Tiffany Capri to work harder and smarter especially as she executed everything on her own. She works as TCapri Tequila’s distributor and importer in addition to handling the brand’s licensing. While still working her government job, Tiffany makes sure to make time for her business as well, coming to the warehouse and making deliveries herself. She expresses what keeps her motivated throughout her business journey: “There were people over there telling me I couldn’t do it. I had to prove them wrong through blood, sweat, and tears.“
On her first watershed moment, she details: “Sean Yancy from Channel 4 aired my story in January/February. From there, it took off. It was all the local channels. Everybody started picking it up. Black History Month and Women’s History Month was crazy for me.”
Now, TCapri Tequila has landed features on platforms such as BET, Blavity, NBC News along with a 2021 San Francisco World Spirits Bronze Award and stellar customer reviews raving about the tequila’s smoothness and flavor.
For upcoming female entrepreneurs, Tiffany Capri Hainesworth offers some words of wisdom: “”Learn your business from the ground up. Even though you may have a team as you grown, you want to be able to do things on your own.”
She adds and ends with: “You’re gonna hear ‘no’, that’s going to deter you. You only need one ‘yes’. That’s entrepreneurship 101. Tyra Banks heard ‘no’. Beyoncé heard ‘no’. Everybody has heard ‘no’. You cannot let that stop you. Once you hit that one ‘yes’, it’s going to catapult your destiny into something you could never imagine.“
Interested in discovering more or trying TCapri Tequila? Sip with them as it exclusively sold in Maryland and DC at select locations. Also, follow @TCapriTequila on Instagram and visit tcapritequila.com for updates and more!