Founder Notes #7 -

A lot of people think the hardest part of running a big festival is the physical work.

It’s not.

The hardest part is managing people’s emotions.

As a founder, every day I’m balancing different expectations —sponsors, vendors, volunteers, the team, and even the attendees.

Everyone has their own vision of what the festival should be.And of course, not everyone is happy all the time.

When the event is over, yeah, I’m physically exhausted.But the work isn’t actually done.

There are still messages to reply to, feedback to go through, problems to solve, emotions to manage.Making sure people feel heard. Respected.

Sometimes I joke that being a founder means becoming an emotional dumping ground.

People’s stress, frustration, anxiety —somehow it all ends up with you.

So after every festival, I always have that thought:

“Maybe next year… I won’t do it again.”

But after some time, things start to feel different.

Sometimes I’m just walking around, and someone recognizes me and asks:“Are you doing the Bubble Tea Festival again this year? We’re really looking forward to it.”

And I think about those moments —people raising their bubble tea together, laughing, enjoying the festival.

That’s when I remember why I started this in the first place.

And in that moment, it hits me—

Running a festival is never easy.But somehow… it’s all worth it.A lot of people think the hardest part of running a big festival is the physical work.

It’s not.

The hardest part is managing people’s emotions.

As a founder, every day I’m balancing different expectations —sponsors, vendors, volunteers, the team, and even the attendees.

Everyone has their own vision of what the festival should be.And of course, not everyone is happy all the time.

When the event is over, yeah, I’m physically exhausted.But the work isn’t actually done.

There are still messages to reply to, feedback to go through, problems to solve, emotions to manage.Making sure people feel heard. Respected.

Sometimes I joke that being a founder means becoming an emotional dumping ground.

People’s stress, frustration, anxiety —somehow it all ends up with you.

So after every festival, I always have that thought:

“Maybe next year… I won’t do it again.”

But after some time, things start to feel different.

Sometimes I’m just walking around, and someone recognizes me and asks:“Are you doing the Bubble Tea Festival again this year? We’re really looking forward to it.”

And I think about those moments —people raising their bubble tea together, laughing, enjoying the festival.

That’s when I remember why I started this in the first place.

And in that moment, it hits me—

Running a festival is never easy.But somehow… it’s all worth it.

—— Eric Yang

Founder of Canada Bubble Tea Festival