A Cup of Honest Tea

Debbie Lemonte

Ever wish you could sit down with someone who gets it—the messy middle of building a business, the pivots that change everything, and the systems that actually work? Welcome to A Cup of Honest Tea, where we're spilling the real talk on what it takes to build and scale a creative business. Expect unfiltered conversations about systems that don't suck, mindset shifts that move the needle, and the honest truth about what's working (and what's not). Think of it as catching up with your neighbor's best friend who's got the tea and the receipts. Pull up a chair. We're figuring it out together.

  1. Feb 9

    The Triwizard Tournament: A Project Management Nightmare

    What if I told you that a prestigious international competition that ended with a student's death and Voldemort's return could have been prevented with basic project management? The Triwizard Tournament is one of the most spectacular project management failures in the Harry Potter series. It had everything: high stakes, international collaboration, media attention, a binding deadline and absolutely zero proper planning. No risk assessment. No security protocols. No contingency plans. No communication strategy. Just vibes and hope. In this deep-dive episode, I'm breaking down exactly what went wrong with the Triwizard Tournament and what it teaches us about managing complex projects in our businesses. Because if you've ever launched something without proper planning and watched it spiral into chaos, this episode is going to hit different. In this episode: The 5 catastrophic project management failures of the Triwizard Tournament (and they're all preventable)Why Hogwarts brought back a deadly competition with no risk assessment and what happened because of itHow a compromised selection process should have stopped the entire tournament (but didn't)The complete absence of a communication plan and how it damaged trust with all stakeholdersWhat a proper project management approach would have looked like (and how Cedric might still be alive)How to apply crisis contingency planning to your own business launches and projectsContent note: This series uses Harry Potter as a case study for business operations failures. Familiarity with the Triwizard Tournament storyline enhances the experience but isn't required to get the business lessons.

    22 min
  2. Jan 28

    What Dumbledore Actually Needed Was an OBM

    What if I told you that one of the most brilliant wizards in literary history was actually a terrible operations manager? And that his mistakes are probably the same ones you're making in your business right now? I'm kicking off a new series where we dissect the operational disasters at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and extract real business lessons you can actually use. No magic required. In this inaugural episode, I'm breaking down why Albus Dumbledore, visionary leader, strategic genius, beloved headmaster, desperately needed an Online Business Manager. He was juggling four major leadership roles, keeping critical information siloed in his own head, and running an entire resistance movement with zero documentation. When he died? Organizational collapse. In this episode: Why Dumbledore's death caused complete organizational chaos (and what that reveals about single points of failure in your business)The 4 core things an OBM would have done for Dumbledore and how they apply to your business operationsHow to identify if you're the Dumbledore of your business (spoiler: if nothing is documented and you can't take a vacation, you are)The difference between being a doer and being a leader and why you can't scale while doing everything yourselfReal examples of Hogwarts operational disasters: the Triwizard Tournament, the Horcrux plan, and succession planning failuresWhat strategic operations management actually looks like (hint: it's not just task management)Content note: This series uses Harry Potter references and examples to illustrate business operations concepts. You don't need to be a superfan to get the lessons, but it definitely makes it more fun if you are.

    15 min
  3. Jan 26

    Business Lessons from a Masked Stalker Romance - Part 3 (The Finale)

    Welcome to the FINAL part of the series where I've somehow turned a book about masked stalkers and body disposal into a legitimate business masterclass. (My life is wild, y'all.) In Part 3, we're wrapping up with Lessons 7-9: why humor is your secret weapon when shit hits the fan, how transparency builds trust faster than any sales tactic, and crisis management when you definitely weren't prepared for the mess you're in. This is for every business owner who's dealt with tech crashes, client emergencies, team members ghosting, or just the general chaos of entrepreneurship. Because the truth is, you can't prepare for EVERY crisis. But you CAN be resourceful, calm under pressure, and willing to handle the uncomfortable stuff without completely spiraling. In this episode: Why bringing personality and humor into your business isn't unprofessional. It's very much strategicThe "dual POV" approach to client transparency that builds trustHow to create a simple crisis protocol so you don't freeze when chaos hits Content note: This series references themes from an adult dark romance novel, including violence and morally gray situations, but focuses on business strategy lessons—not explicit content. Ready for more? Screenshot this episode, tag me @its.debbiej on Instagram, and tell me the weirdest place YOU'VE gotten business inspiration from. I wanna hear your stories. Find me at itsdebbiej.com or slide into my DMs and let's build the systems that'll keep your business running even when life gets chaotic.

    17 min
5
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

Ever wish you could sit down with someone who gets it—the messy middle of building a business, the pivots that change everything, and the systems that actually work? Welcome to A Cup of Honest Tea, where we're spilling the real talk on what it takes to build and scale a creative business. Expect unfiltered conversations about systems that don't suck, mindset shifts that move the needle, and the honest truth about what's working (and what's not). Think of it as catching up with your neighbor's best friend who's got the tea and the receipts. Pull up a chair. We're figuring it out together.