Texas Tech student operates 3 businesses in Lubbock. Here's her inspiring story

"What is embedded in your DNA?"

That is the first question Natalie Snow, a full-time first-generation Texas Tech student, asks her employees at Lubbock's HTeaO stores.

"What is in my DNA is taking care of people, and having a passion to serve something greater than me," Snow said. "Putting a smile on people’s faces has always been something that I’ve been, probably, an advocate for, for so long."

Snow manages to serve her passion for people as the head of operations for HTeaO in Lubbock, and recently opened the third location. Her job description consists of payroll and back-end business, but she also trains her managers and helps in every aspect from cleaning to making tea alongside her team.

"I’m never going to ask (my team) to do something if I can’t do it myself," Snow said. "I think there’s not many managers nowadays who have that mindset."

Snow, who graduated from Monterey High School in 2020, has become an inspiration to her team, and both her current and former educators. She started working when she was 15, became an HTeaO manager at 19, then took over as head of operations at 21, all while attending classes.

"If you were to ask me when I was in high school, I would have never thought that I’d be doing this," Snow said.

Snow's success is not unexpected, according to one of her Texas Tech instructors and her Monterey orchestra director.

"She's just like her grades in my class - straight A's," said Jazmine Brantley, a lecturer at Texas Tech. "Hustling to take notes, Natalie shows an eagerness to learn, but it's not to just pass the course. It's to perfect her own skillsets so she's an unstoppable leader as she embarks on her journey."

Brett Berridge, Monterey orchestra director, felt that even in high school, Snow would become an inspiring leader.

"Whether it was in class or in small ensembles, she showed she wasn’t going to ever give less than her best - so she proved every day how she had the will to never give up," Berridge said. "To see the way Natalie has stepped back in to help support Lubbock ISD at every turn has been something pretty special. Any time I’ve asked for help, she not only says, “YES!”, but she asks about the next step and how we can go even bigger to get even more bang from her support."

From groceries to leading operations: Here's how Snow's path to leadership began at age 15

Snow started working when she was 15 years old, first at Market Street, then Chick-Fil-A, while also attending Monterey High School.

“I got exposed to tons of leaders and managers, and that’s where my leadership grew,” Snow said. “I loved (HTeaO) as a customer. I looked around and thought, ‘I could work here.’ At the time, I never imagined this is what it would come to in a short two-and-a-half years.”

By 19, she interviewed for the assistant manager position at HTeaO on Milwaukee Avenue. Two weeks later, the general manager quit, and her superior asked Snow if she wanted to move up.

"It put me in a really difficult spot, but I'm always up for a challenge," Snow said. "I was kind of nervous, but I took it on and excelled up. It kind of came to luck for me, but it was the hard work that I put in to get where I’m at now."

She continued to take the initiative, creating her own position as the marketing director for Lubbock's operations. When her superior stepped down, Snow moved up once more to become the area's head of operations.

"He said 'the only person I trust is you with this business,'" Snow said. "I was 21 when I took it on, so it's been a wild ride."

Part of that wild ride caused her to change her former STEM major to business in her junior year of college.

“After getting the marketing director position, I found a niche for digital marketing, community involvement, donation, everything that goes into marketing,” Snow said. “It took a couple tears to have to switch my major as a junior out of the blue, but I’ve loved it. It was probably one of the best decisions I’ve made.”

The decision also continues to improve her HTeaO team, as she can take what she learns at Tech and share it with her employees.

"When we have our management meetings, I’m able to tell them about what we’re learning," Snow said. "And I use it in what we’re talking about, and what we’re going through. It provides a knowledge base, and adds more of that education to people who wouldn’t normally get it."

Trailblazing a path for women leaders

Her experience as a young leader has encouraged her to give other women the same opportunities. All of her managers are women under the age of 25, and Snow trains them by using information she continues to learn at Texas Tech.

“Some people will say (19-year-olds), they’re not ready to handle a business,” Snow said. “We like to break those standards and say any 19-year-old can do it. I’m a believer in growing the future of young female leaders and business leaders.”

Customers often see these leaders-in-training behind the counter at Lubbock’s HTeaO locations – 6704 Milwaukee Ave., 2616 50th St., and 5105 98th Street. Two of those leaders include General Manager Kayden Crawford, who has been friends with Snow since middle school, and Assistant Manager Jadyn Morris.

"She really is inspiring, and she showed us that it is possible for women to get up there in business," Crawford said. "She’s actually the reason I transferred to the business major as well."

Morris agreed that Snow is an inspiration, and attributed Snow with helping her come out of her shell.

"I started building those relationships with my coworkers, and I feel like it was really because she got me out of my shell, make me more susceptible to seeing myself in a management position," Morris said. "I want to be a good manager and leader like her."

Snow's advice for upcoming leaders and managers: 'Go for it.'

"My advice, especially management majors that I’ve met along my way, is to go out there and get the experience," Snow said. "Make sure you know how to treat people, how to talk to people, and what’s in the best interest for (your employees), not just yourself or your business."

Snow's advice also included:

• Have confidence.

• Prove why you are the one for the position.

• Do the not-so-fun things.

• Treat people right.

• Network.

• Go for the big position.

• Follow your passion.

• Find a company that aligns with your values.

• Be ethical.

"If you’re feeling the same way that I did when I was younger and you want to make an impact but don’t know where to start, start with what’s embedded in your DNA," Snow said. "We need more leaders in this world, especially strong female leaders."

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech student operates 3 Lubbock HTeaOs, encourages young leaders