Today we’d like to introduce you to Maggie Gallant
Hi Maggie, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in a small countryside village in the south east of England, where I drank a lot of tea and complained about being bored. Looking back it was beautiful but of course it was wasted on teenage Margaret. I escaped to London as soon as I could, became Maggie, and fell into a career in PR.
I ended up at AOL Europe where I met and married my husband Erik, an American living in London. In December 2000 we left England for good and moved to Maryland, where Erik’s family lived.
East coast blizzards and a vague plan to check out this place we’d heard of – Austin, Texas – put us on the road in a silver VW bug. We arrived in Austin on Valentine’s Day 2000 and knew we were home.
But we had no jobs, and no contacts, and I had no idea of what I really wanted to do. I was so busy trying to fit in that I didn’t even think about embracing my ‘Britishness’. I actually took accent reduction lessons at the State Theater to try and blend in!
I’ve had a lot of different careers over the past 24 years. I was a stand-up comedian for a while. I started playwriting and wrote and performed my own shows. I trained as an Activity Director and worked in a nursing home. I studied at ACC and became a corporate Event Producer. In more recent years I’ve been a speaker/presenter at senior living communities.
It was requests from these communities that led to my first afternoon tea events. I loved sharing my vintage and contemporary china and introducing different tea blends. Word started to spread beyond the senior communities, and in 2023 I formally launched the Truly Terrific Tea Co. I’ve held afternoon tea parties and events in wonderful homes, offices, and stunning outdoor spaces.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It’s been neither particularly smooth nor linear. But there is a clear thread running through my life that’s led me to this point. It’s fascinating to look back and to see the origins of so many things that I do today.
I downplay it now but it was hard coming to a new country and starting over. Back then I didn’t know just how many incredible opportunities the US and Austin, Texas in particular would give me. For a long time I was embarrassed to be such an obvious fish out of water. When I spoke people would either tell me how cute my accent was, or get that glazed over look because they couldn’t understand me.
This sense of duality goes beyond my dual citizenship. Am I more American, or more British? When I go back to England I’m teased for sounding so American. Which of course makes no sense to Texans! Do I fit in neither place, or both places?
There are still some language difficulties. A lot of people here incorrectly refer to afternoon tea as ‘high tea’. High tea is an entirely different meal and it has nothing to do with elevated quality or superiority. It’s all about the height of the table you’re using. But no one wants to go out for ‘low tea’. I’m on a mission to stop places advertising high tea, but it may be a losing battle.
Reinventing yourself takes work. I’d always based my status in England on my job title and when I didn’t have that anymore I felt lost. Fortunately I had (and still have) an incredible and supportive husband and 25 years of marriage have gone by in a flash.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I help people celebrate life’s joyful moments big and small with customized afternoon tea experiences. Perfect for brides, birthdays, besties or any occasion, I bring everything you need to your home, office, or event venue. I set up, serve, and clear away so you can actually relax and enjoy your own party.
You can choose an authentic English afternoon tea, modeled on the London hotel experience, or a special themed package. Options include a Regency/Bridgerton theme, a Parisian Tea, even an ‘RIP to Single Life’ Bachelorette tea. You can also select a color theme and we’ll work to that.
I am also an etiquette coach, trained in modern and historic etiquette. I give talks on afternoon tea etiquette so you’ll always look like you know what you’re doing (even if you don’t!). I also teach dining etiquette to students, and etiquette for businesses wanting to create a more cohesive culture.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
I used to focus so much on making the right career move, and winning the bonus, or getting the pay increase. But when I left the corporate world things shifted. There’s still a material aspect of course, but I also define my success by the friendships I’ve built here, from so many different spheres of my life.
I measure how many new things I try or learn in a year. So far this year it’s been embracing Instagram, and learning to appreciate iced tea.
And I gauge success by how much time I can carve out for non-profit work – I work with a group of activity professionals to bring life enriching events to residents in long term care. Our signature events – The Games for Life, and A Dance to Remember – are the highlight of my year.
Pricing:
- Tea Packages start at $20 per person
Contact Info:
- Website: https://trulyterrifictea.co
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trulyterrifictea/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebritishwoman
Image Credits
Credits are in the captions
