At All Things Earthly, we are privileged to collaborate with incredible women entrepreneurs who infuse their businesses with passion, values, and positive impact. Today, we introduce you to Elizabeth, the visionary founder of Tea of Life, a brand that brings the goodness of a healthy elixir to our community.
What inspired you to start your business, and how does it align with your passion and values? What inspired me to start Tea of Life was simply the fact that I fell in love with the taste and the effects of this healthy elixir of life. The idea of drinking something that tastes good, is naturally fizzy and healthy was inspiration enough! I have always been health conscious and very particular with what I eat and drink so making a health drink came naturally to me.
As a female entrepreneur/founder, what challenges have you faced, and how did you overcome them to create a successful brand? I have been very lucky in that the challenges I faced as a female entrepreneur are the same challenges that any entrepreneur would face that are trying to build a business from scratch. (Cashflow being the main challenge). Being a female, I automatically use my intuition to make most business decisions which has proven to be successful to me. I feel that women are more likely prone to using their gut. Trusting it also comes easier when you make a product that supports gut health!
How do you incorporate sustainability and ethical practices into your business model, and what impact do you hope to make on the community?
Choosing a glass versus a plastic bottle was an easy decision to make. The thought of putting a ‘live product’ in a plastic bottle that most likely ends up floating in the sea is incomprehensible to me. As is the negative impact that humans have on ocean health. I have been surfing for many years and have an utmost respect and adoration for the sea. I am so proud that our product is in glass and that the bottles can be recycled.
With regards to community, my main priority is my staff and their wellbeing. We are all very close and I would have never gotten this far without them. Our commitment to each other and to make the best tasting kombucha is interconnected.
When I wrote my business plan in 2015, I had always wanted to teach people who cannot afford to buy the ‘already made product’ to make their own. I have taught many people throughout the years but not nearly enough. We are also planning on supporting an NGO that protects and restores our oceans this year so watch the space.
What advice do you have for aspiring women entrepreneurs who want to start their own business and make a positive impact on the world? It takes tremendous determination, courage and bravery to start and run your own business. Find the thing that excites and motivates you and start a business around that.
Make sure that it is a product that has a low carbon footprint.
My advice to any entrepreneur would be to write a business plan, use all the financial help that you can as get as cash flow is often the greatest challenge.
Trust in yourself and the universe, she guides you along the way.
Another tip that I did not follow, is to outsource as much of what you are not good at to open time and space for the things that you are good at.
“It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation” – Herman Melville
Thanks Elizabeth, we adore working with you and stocking Tea of Life in our stores. We continue to learn from you
