August/September - Company Profile

SpecialTea Brew

SpecialTea Brew

Company profile: August/September 2011

Running a tea business is a full-time job, but for Ami Soleau, owner of SpecialTea Brew, her new venture is just one of her many hats.

            “I am a just do it type of girl,” Ami explained. “I had the idea, talked it over with a few people, wrote out my plans and ideas, read about a million books, blogs, etc and then just decided to give it a go.”

          While she works full-time in another sector, Seattle-based Ami was looking for a business that was more challenging – and more fulfilling.

            Tea ended up being the answer for her.

            And the company has a lot of meaning for her. “The name is after my auntie who passed away from Breast Cancer,” Ami said. “She loved tea, love the arts and her name was Brooke; [but] we called her Brew.”

        She donates three percent of all sales of her company towards research in finding a cure for breast cancer, in her aunt’s memory.

          Right now SpecialTea Brew only sells teas online – but Ami said she does eventually want to open a brick-and-mortar store, when the time is right. Since she works full-time elsewhere she doesn’t have a lot of extra time to put into her tea company – not yet.

          SpecialTea Brew is part of the Tea Etc wholesale program, which means Ami doesn’t necessarily blend her own teas, but she does have plans to do that someday.

          The wholesale program provides an opportunity for smaller, independent companies to sell tea under their own private labels. For Ami, this was a perfect match – especially since she had trouble locating a Seattle-based tea manufacturer.

          But just because SpecialTea Brew isn’t her only job, don’t think Ami doesn’t take her company seriously. Her motto is “Brew what you love and love what you brew,” and Ami takes this to heart. She strives to make her tea company a success for herself, and for her customers.

          “My mission is to satisfy customers, with good quality and fast response time,” Ami explained. So if you email her, she’ll get back to you promptly. “If you need something I will make it happen if I am able to do so.”

          In addition to teas, Ami’s crafty in other ways – she offers custom-made greeting cards on her site as well. SpecialTea Brew is a one-stop shop for presents for tea fans; get a gift for your tea friend and a custom-made card at the same time.

          Since starting her tea business a few months ago, Ami has been happy with the success so far – as well as the friendships she’s made through this tea venture. “I have learned a lot about tea and yet there is still so much to learn,” Ami explained. “I like to learn from customers as well; they know what they want and how they want it and I like to help them with that.”

Ami added that the world of tea is a continuing education experience. “I don’t think there will ever be a point where I know it all about tea, but I do hope to be an expert in the field at some point.”

In the meantime, Ami is happy learning about tea, celebrating tea, and meeting more tea friends through her business. “I hope to gain experience, and knowledge most of all,” she explained. “I love the challenge of running my own business.”

She has been on the hunt for a business partner as well, not an employee but a partner, Ami stressed, someone who will share the workload – and the fun – 50/50. “I am looking for someone that not only has the passion that I have but someone that compliments my strengths. I have the passion and idea, you have the knowledge.”

But even without a partner, SpecialTea Brew is open for business. Check out her store here: SpecialTea Brew. For more information, including finding out if you could be a business partner for her, visit her Web site or contact her below.

Quick Links:

Web site: http://www.specialteabrew.com

Email: specialteabrew@yahoo.com

Twitter: @specialteabrew

Facebook: search "specialtea brew"

CelebriTEA for Aug-Sept

CelebriTEA ©: August-September 2011

CelebriTEA ©: August-September 2011

Name/screenname: Lu Ann Pannunzio

Blog: www.theteacupoflife.blogspot.com

e-mail: theteacupoflife@gmail.com

Occupation: Advertising Student & PR Intern.

Location: Ontario Canada!

Lu Ann Pannunzio, author of The Tea Cup of Life, may have just started blogging about tea, but she’s been in love with tea for over a decade.

          “My journey with tea began when my sister brought home this adorable wooden box with strawberry flavored tea bags,” Lu Ann explained, adding that she was answering the questions with a cuppa tea in her hand. “At the time my mom was a bit skeptical of letting me drink a caffeinated beverage when I was seven but thought one cup wouldn't hurt. It obviously didn't but after that one cup I did not stop just there! Strawberries are my favorite fruit and having it in a unique tea blend was absolutely delicious. Afterwards, tea times have always been a great get together and catch up for my sister and me.”

          She’s no stranger to blogging, explaining that she has several scattered on the Web but didn’t consistently write in the blogs for lack of a theme. “Just this summer I realized I should probably talk about something I love and that's when I came across the idea for this tea blog. I'm slowly putting my dreams from five years ago into reality,” Lu Ann said.”It's been my dream to open up my own cafe one day with tea 24/7 and live jazz music - I guess that piece of inspiration came from my jazz musician boyfriend who is also a fun tea lover.”

          Lu Ann may have just gotten started but she already has a devoted following and plenty of posts. “I love doing interview posts because I always find the most inspiration through other peoples' thoughts and journeys,” Lu Ann said. “I would have to say that I also enjoy doing my "creativi-tea" segments which is basically on really neat tea stuff I find in stores or on the webs that I feel I really need to share to others.”

          She also loves writing her daily tea party segments for a week. “I was in a tea party crazy the weekend before so I thought it was a perfect time to share some of my items on my to do lists. If you want to check them out you can here.”

          While Lu Ann recognizes she’s one of many tea blogs, she hopes her readers enjoy the uniqueness. “I did not create mine [blog] to compete,” Lu Ann said. “I merely created mine to document my adventures with tea and keep all my ideas in one to reference back to when The Cup of Life becomes a real cafe. I encourage others to write blog posts for my blog as well! I really love hearing other people's stories and inspirations and they don't have to just be on tea. I'm a lover of many things. You can find more information on how to be a guest blogger here.”

She’s a lover of many tea varieties too, but enjoys quite a few oolong teas, explaining, “. I find them to be perfect for a great relaxing evening (or even a lazy morning!) and I love the smell of most of them as they brew. But as the season changes, so will my favorite tea at the moment.”

What’s on the agenda for future postings at The Tea Cup of Life?  “The Cup of Life is working on some really neat tea etiquette presentations that can be presented in person or online for events,” Lu Ann said. “If anyone may be interested in this they may contact us here.”

But to sum up Lu Ann’s take on tea, she refers to her favorite quote, which is also posted on her blog: You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me."~ C.S. Lewis. “The quote continues to inspire me with every idea I may have including some upcoming ones,” Lu Ann added.

What is a CelebriTEA? This Keen Tea Thyme post features popular tea bloggers and their histories, passions, stories. Why? The online tea community is a vast resource of knowledge, tips, experiences – a place of conversation and sharing of passion.

Wanna be featured or know of a great blogger? E-mail me at keenteathyme@gmail.com

Please note: all work is copyrighted by the author. Do not use without permission; just ask!

Keen Tea Thyme's shop - at Tea Trade!

I'm finally able to sell some of my teas online! YAY!

Thanks to Tea Trade, it's possible for lil ol' me - a non-tea company, just a teaist - to have her own shop. :)

Visit my shop here:
http://keenteathyme.teatra.de/store/products/

Pink Pearls is finally available for sale, and Summer Sunshine will be ready in a few weeks...

Got any questions? Just ask!

Special thanks to the folks at Tea Trade for making this possible. :) :)

Chai tea for Autumn; fave for October?

Chai tea mix

The results are in - over 70% of voters in September 2011 agree that chai tea is the best flavor to welcome autumn!

Other respondents:
40% prefer green
and 10% prefer either white, black or other

Be sure to vote in October's poll:

Hooray for October! What’s your favorite type of black tea this season?

Hazelnut/coffee flavor

Chocolate/dessert flavor

Chai/spicy

Pumpkin spice

Cranberry/fruity

Other

If you want to win free tea, submit an entry for this month's contest - Halloween Memories. Entries are due October 26, 2011. Send me a story about your favorite Halloween memory for a chance to win! All entries will be posted by October 26 and readers will have the chance to vote on the top five entries.

Each Top Five Entry will each receive a free sample of Pink Pearls, my new blend. The final winner will receive two pouches of my signature blends from Adagio:
-Liquid Candy Corn
-Vampire Lemonade

Happy October!

Please note: November and December's contest will be joined, so winners will have the chance to score four pouches of tea, plus a 2 oz sample of Pink Pearls. So if you miss out on this month's contest, mark your calendars for Nov. 1; details of the new contest will be posted then.

Back-to-school Jitters

Teazanne (Maryann) sent in the winning entry for the September 2011 Monthly Contest at Keen Tea Thyme and scored two pouches of free tea - Toasted Marshmallow and Autumn's Walk.

Her winning entry is below:

I always loved back-to-school time as a kid, shopping for school supplies (and new clothes!) and getting set for a new school year. It's no surprise, then, that I opted to become a teacher when I grew up. After earning a Masters in Early Childhood Education, I taught kindergarten for several years. I enjoyed the kids, and let's face it, kindergarten is pretty fun! But I decided to expand my horizon and teach "older" kids - fifth grade. I went back to college for a few "refresher" classes on teaching, and while I didn't earn another degree, I did feel confident I would be a terrific fifth grade teacher.

I made sure I had fresh supplies - lots of construction paper, stickers, posters, glue, crayons...and then I panicked. What was I doing?! Fifth graders are nothing like kindergarteners! I didn't even know how to dress; normally I wore pants and a shirt that I wouldn't mind getting fingerpaint on, or construction paper stuck to. But what to wear for the older kids? I opted for a nice pair of khakis and a button-down shirt - so I still looked like a "fun" teacher, but also one with authority.

The first kids started walking in and sitting down. "We have assigned seats? Man!" They said. I thought quickly, what's the harm? I could take away the name tags...but I stopped myself. I was a their teacher and I wanted assigned seats until I learned their names. I could do that. I was their teacher.

The rest of the class filed in, and once the bell rang I said hello to my new students and introduced myself. "I'm new to fifth grade, just like you guys, so let's take some time to introduce ourselves." I learned about summer vacations, family pets, favorite sports teams and players, and what these - no, my - fifth graders liked to do for fun.

We laughed. We learned. (Hopefully!) My students learned about new experiences; I sure did.

Now I've taught fifth grade for almost a decade and I can't believe I was ever scared. Don't let my students know that! :) I just calmly brew a pot of tea in the morning and carry on.

Congrats to Teazanne (Sept. 2011 Contest Winner)

With just one entry in this month's contest, I'm pleased to announce the winner of the September 2011 Keen Tea Thyme Contest - Teazanne (Maryann)!

Her story about back-to-school jitters will be posted in a separate entry later today.

Her prize? A pouch of Toasted Marshmallow customized blend from Adagio, and a second pouch of Autumn's Walk, another of my signature blends from Adagio. And as a special treat, a 2 oz sample of my new blend Pink Pearls!

Want free tea? Then submit an entry for my October contest by emailing me a memory about your favorite Halloween. Winners will receive two pouches of tea from my Adagio signature blend collection:

-Liquid Candy Corn
-Vampire Lemonade

The top five entries will be posted for readers to vote on by October 26, 2011. All top five winners will receive a sample of Pink Pearls.

Happy Brewing! :)

"I Love NY" - Madam Potts delivers

My blend from Madam Potts

I had a rough week so imagine my surprise - and happiness! - to find a package from Madam Potts containing my PersonaliTEA!

A few months ago I featured Madam Potts in a company profile, showcasing her talents as a tea blender. The way her site works is this: fill out a form about yourself and she'll blend up a batch of your very own PersonaliTEA based on your preferences.

Well I'm happy to report not only is Madam Potts one of my favorite people to interview and talk tea with, she is also amazingly on target when it comes to a person's, well,  PersonaliTEA!

My tea blend is called "I Love NY." Immediately I gave her one point for the name. I do love NY. Not the city, but the state. I was born in Rochester and while I grew up in San Diego (CA) and Mount Airy, MD, Rochester always has a place in my heart. My grandparents - the wonderful Oma and PaPa my readers have heard about! - still live there. And many of my short stories take place in towns and villages similar to locales in Monroe County.

Anyway, back to my tea. I pulled out the little card which says, "Enjoy!" Inside Madam Potts describes the tea. I immediately put the card down, opting to smell and taste the tea first, then ask questions later.

It didn't matter whether I read the card or not! I opened the bag and immediately was transported to upstate New York - apples, spices, mints. I grinned happily and giggled like a crazy person. Then I got back to reality and brewed a cuppa, following her careful directions.

First sip and this became an instant favorite. You can taste the apples, the mints, the spices. And there's a bit of home in the tea. I have no idea how she did it, but she did. My husband even said it smelled good - and since he's not really a fan of tea, that says a lot. Gulped down one cuppa, brewed a second. I thought about bringing it to work, but decided to be selfish and keep it for myself at home.

On my third cup, I read the card she enclosed, which described the inspiration for the tea. "New York State, Orchard, summer, autumn, apples, Spicy, Minty, Intense, Tranquil, Aromatic, Meditative, Seasonal." On my fourth cup (second infusion), I remembered when I was answering the questions on the form I wondered how the Great and Powerful Madam Potts would use these words to create my blend. Doesn't matter to me how, the point is she did and she got everything right. THANK YOU! :)

I'm going to order a blend for my mom and my sister-in-law for the holidays. And I'm going to bring some of my blend to my grandmother when I visit her next month. She might like my blend as much as I do!

Trivia fact: the placemat underneath my tea blend is one of six in a set that my grandmother quilted for me a few years ago. Notice the bright colors of autumn and the apples? :)

The Buzz...

What's the buzz about this month? Well, glad you asked because September is National Honey Month!

How sweet, eh? (Sorry but you know me and my puns.)

Honey is a favorite sweetener in many recipes, including tea and especially when there is a sore throat involved. I remember drinking a cup of chamomile tea with honey. Yum! I never stirred the honey in - being the sugar freak I am - so that last gulp was a satisfying sugar rush...that, now that I think about it, probably counter-acted any sleep-inducing qualities of the cold meds I was taking. (Sorry Mom/Dad.)

Did you know that there is a honey tea as well? Culinary Teas - home of many of my favorite teas, including Cinnamon and their to-die-for Long Island Strawberry Sencha - offers a Honey Tea. It tastes just as sweet as plain black tea with a dollop of honey. You can add sweetener if you want, but for those of us - again, sugar freak, right here - who love the taste of honey, that's good enough for me.

They also offer a Raspberry Honey Tea and a Chamomile Honey Tea which I have not yet tried. Guess I'll have to place another order! Oh darn. ;)

Get even more in the spirit of National Honey Month by trying Strawberry Honey Lip Balms and soaps from my new favorite soap and sundries shop: SCENTSational Soaps! (Check out the story first, and then head over to their shop to try out their products. 100% wonderful!)

So what about you, dear readers? How will you celebrate National Honey Month? Got a favorite tea to add honey to, or a favorite honey-flavored tea?

Any tea & honey recipes you'd like to share as well?

Happy Buzzing...I mean Brewing! :)