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"

Joy's Teaspoon debuts summer teas

Joy's Teaspoon, a Las Vegas-based tea company, was the very first company profile on Keen Tea Thyme. The wonderful Naomi Rosen, owner, agreed to be interviewed for the company profile and even sent me some of her teas to sample - all while very, very pregnant! Now that's tea devotion. :)

She was also one of the first to respond to my call for help on a story about this year's World Tea Expo, which ended up not working out (my story, I mean; the expo went off without a hitch). Next year I'll try again, and see about getting in touch with the expo folks...

Anyhoo... I've always got a spot in my heart for Naomi & Joy's Teaspoon. This month she's debuting some new summer teas and helping out less fortunate children in Sri Lanka. How does she do it?!

Check out her story about meeting up with a woman named Kumari and her husband Sumedha, owners of the Morawaka Estate in Southern Province, Sri Lanka. Morawaka Estate is a tea manufacturing company which produces some of the world's finest tea while employing thousands of local workers.

In Naomi's article, she discusses her first impression with Kumari and the terrific goodwill work the Morkawaka Estate does, not only for mankind but the world at large.

So she's helping out too - Joy's Teaspoon is offering two Morkawaka teas exclusively: Ceylon Morawaka OP1 and BOP1! (Click on the links to purchase.)

Other new teas available at Joy's Teaspoon include:

• Blue Beauty Oolong: a blend of licorice root and ginger
• Se Chung Oolong: a "colorful variety" of green, black and oolong teas with long-lasting infusability (Joy's Teaspoon recommends at least four infusions!)

There are also some new accessories in the "What's New" section. AND she's updated her Sale Section too. One of my Joy's Teaspoon staples, Perfect World, is on sale so I'm gonna have to place an order soon. :)

For more information about Joy's Teaspoon, visit the web site here or check out her blog, Joy's Jabberings. Her blog includes a journal from her experiences at the World Tea Expo!

Mad Pots of Tea (company profile)

Mad Pots of Tea/logo used with permission.

"If Life is a Party, Make it a Tea Party."

There’s a mad tea party going on right now and you’re invited. Who is the host of this fun event? Madam Potts – of Mad Pots of Tea!

What is this madness, you ask? Just the genius behind the only tea seller (that I could find) who creates teas based on your PersonaliTEA.

Crazy fun, eh? Just log on to her site: http://www.madpotsoftea.com/ and click on the “PersonaliTEA” tab. Answer some questions about yourself and ta-da! Madam Potts, as she is known, offers a selection of teas that fit your personality. While she has crafted over 120  blends, not all of them are always in stock. About eight or nine of the blends are on display, to showcase her blending power.

And yes, she does blend her own tea.” I work with a number of vendors, though primarily I use a small organic wholesaler for 90% of my ingredients,” she explains. “I couldn’t own enough farm land to grow the variety of teas, herbs, roots and flowers that go into my blends!”

Formerly from the bustle of NYC and the theater community, Madam Potts settled into a slower-paced town to focus on her company. “There are a lot of websites out there selling tea, so I didn’t want to do that,” Madam Potts said. “Creating a custom tea using the PersonaliTEA process is very different because it can’t be taught or copied.  I take random clues about the things you like and turn those clues into a tea blend.  The focus of the website is the PersonaliTEA form where people engage in a series of fun questions that give me clues as to what kind of tea blend to make for them. “

Mad Pots of Tea isn’t just an online phenomenon. Her blends have been purchased by local tea houses, and she’s even created custom blends for musicians – music is another of her passions. “Some of the musicians I’ve blended for are beginning to sell tea at their shows. Mad Pots of Tea goes on tour with them!” she added.

How did this company get started? In this case, the name was created before the company. As part of her pre-tea life, Madam Potts directed theater, and included a now familiar phrase in her program bio. Madam Potts said the bio wrote, “when she’s not directing theater, she can be found frolicking about the city and brewing mad pots of tea.” Little did she  realize this phrase ‘mad pots of tea’ would usher her into the next phase of her life.

Tea has always been a passion for Madam Potts. “I insisted that anyone who came over to my house try whatever concoction I had just blended.  People would usually reply that they didn’t like tea, only to try it and like it. I realized that most people have a very narrow idea of what tea could be.  It then became a challenge to see if I could make a blend that someone would like every single time. So when I started my company, that became my focus.”

Madam Potts loves the friendships and experiences she's enjoyed over many cups of tea. "Tea has infused my life by connecting me with people around the world," she said. "I can’t begin to tell you the number of people I have met, sat with, sipped tea with, connected with, became friends with, and even traveled around the world to meet - all due to our shared love of the steeped leaf. "

You're invited to share in the mad tea party too. Log on to her site and check out her blends - personalized tea for a truly custom, one-of-a-kind blend. And when in doubt, just follow Madam Potts motto: “My mission and message is  ‘tea is Fun and it’s meant to be shared.’” Definitely words to live by.

Quick Notes - Mad Pots of Tea:
Web site: http://www.madpotsoftea.com/index.php/
Blog: http://www.teaguru.blogspot.com/
Steepster: http://steepster.com/companies/mad-pots-of-tea
Twitter: @madampotts
Facebook: /MadamPotts




Photo/Logo used with permission.

Page Info:
This page is dedicated to company profiles. The Page Tab will be the company's name. Please note, I receive no money - nor even free tea! - from highlighting these companies. These articles are based on interviews and e-mails with the owners/proprietors. Please note this marketing tool is meant for smaller, individual companies.


Every other month, Keen Tea Thyme will feature a tea company profile. March/April, May/June, July/August, Sept/Oct, Nov/Dec, Jan.Feb. After the company's profile changes to the next month(s), the profile will become a regular post and will stay in the archives.


If you'd like your tea company to be featured, or there's a company you'd like to see here e-mail me for terms, guidelines and more info: keenteathyme@gmail.com. 

Company Profile on Hold

Hey readers,
Since July is a busy month for me - vacations, volunteering, etc, I will actually not be featuring a company profile for July. Instead I will feature a profile for August/Sept., then Oct/Nov. I'll skip December as well, since it's usually a crazy time too. Then we'll be back on the regular schedule in January (Jan/Feb, March/April, May/June, etc).

A CelebriTEA will be featured in the next few days, however, and her profile will run through the beginning of August. Who is this month's CelebriTEA? HINT: she just started her own tea company and she loves cats. :)

If you're interested in being featured as a CelebriTEA - which features your tea-related blog and a little bit about yourself, including why you blog about tea - please give me a shout: email me or post below.

Happy Summer!
-KeenTeaThyme

Blog on Hold - Internet connection spotty

Thanks to a summer thunderstorm over the weekend, Keen Tea Thyme will be on hold for a couple days until the Internet connection is back. Thanks oodles, Comcast! *sarcasm* We're looking into other Internet options as I type this... (a true threat...)

Everything should be online by Friday, including a new CelebriTEA, a new company profile, info on my own tea blends to be for sale, June featured pollsters and much more. I've extended the poll through Friday since I won't be able to update as much. I'll have a new section on reviewing teas from Wegmans (just got a new store near me) and a new iced tea feature. I'm excited to get started!

Continue to send your ideas, emails and questions, especially if you have any iced tea recipes you'd like to share.

And keep drinking tea! :) Happy Brewing!

Summertime = Iced Tea Time