Recently, I came upon a quote that says - "The things that you are passionate about are not random. They are your calling." Many people, including myself, have a hard time figuring out their calling, and even what they are truly passionate about. Truth of the matter is, with life moving so fast our interests can move from one thing to another just as quickly.
So how do we find out what we truly are passionate about, and is success as easy as knowing what that is? For Sashee Chandran, finding her passion and calling came to her by looking into what naturally centered her, something that she grew up with and reminded her of her upbringing. Her career journey started from understanding this, but grew with perseverance and discipline. She founded the company Tea Drops, which has not only given people a new way of enjoying their beloved tea time, it also helped her turn her passion into a business.
Read our interview below!All About Tea Drops!
What are Tea Drops? "Tea Drops are organic shaped teas that dissolve in your cup with boiling water (that's right, no tea bag!). Comprised of all organic tea, spices, and lightly sweetened with raw sugar -- our Tea Drops are a blissful, sustainable, and unique tea blend that you can enjoy anytime, anywhere with just hot water. We DO NOT add any additives or artificial flavorings to our teas. Did we mention, how cute and fun the Tea Drops shapes are too?!"
What sparked the inspiration to make Tea Drops? "Tea has always been a part of my family's culture and upbringing, so I grew a deep love for the ritual of tea from an early age. After college I held many positions in corporate environments, I always noticed how difficult it was to enjoy a high cup of loose leaf tea at work. First, I would have to get out my tea pot and strainer, boil the water, add the loose leaf tea, steep it for a certain amount of time --and I'd usually forget about the water after getting sidetracked with my work and end up over steeping my tea. I then tried premium tea bags, but I was never satisfied with the taste and would usually end up in a conference room without a means of disposing the tea bag easily. I felt there had to be an easier way to enjoy high quality tea! So for the next few years on my weekends and after work, I would mix tea and spices together to see if I could create and easy, all-encompassing loose leaf tea experience. After LOTS of trial and error, I eventually ended up with what we now call Tea Drops."
Tea Drops is an example of a simple need turning into a brilliant business idea. How many small problems and difficulties do we come upon our everyday lives that might spark a great "aha!" moment? Tea Drops is a great way for tea drinkers to enjoy a cup even when they are on the go. There are many flavors to choose from, and it comes in cute shapes. It's a great gift idea for tea enthusiasts and caffeine lovers alike.
Sashee's business continues to grow as it distributes to more and more channels. Currently available in over 120 retailers across the country, Tea Drops increases in following everyday. The secret? Not only are Tea Drops an innovative and delicious way to enjoy tea, it has lots of love in each of them, from developing the flavors to packaging. Read on to learn more about the business!
Tell us about your business.
Tell us more about your company. How long has it been in business and where do you operate/distribute? Over the past two years, we have grown from operating out of a home kitchen to a commercial kitchen facility in Northern California where we handcraft each and every Tea Drop. After we carefully source our teas from around the world (including China, Sri Lanka, and India), ensuring they are USDA organically certified, we hand grind the tea leaves and spices, and then hand blend each and every Tea Drop. From there, we work out of a converted warehouse to package and ship all orders. It is a humble 700 square foot room that has a wrapping station, and shelving for holding inventory. The Tea Drops experience is incredibly important to us. We take the time to gift-wrap each and every online tea order and include a thank you note. All online orders are packaged with love in Los Gatos, CA. We are available in over 120 retailers across the country, and will soon add Anthropologie as a new retail partner in 2016.
What about your work would you consider that most gratifying or fulfilling? Tea Drops is changing the way people think about and consume tea, and that is incredibly exciting! We are innovating in a space that hasn't seen much change for hundreds, if not thousands of years -- for centuries people have steeped their tea leaves or dunked their tea bags the exact same way. We introducing an exciting new tea experience that allows people to honor the tradition of loose leaf tea making, yet easily integrate it into their busy lives. Beyond tea, we embody a life philosophy grounded in simplicity and personal development. You may notice through our social touch points, that we champion posts and content that helps bring out the best out in our Tea Drops community by constantly sharing motivating advice, how-to's, and quotes. Our "Sunday Steeping" is a great example of this, where we share thought-provoking quotes or thoughts weekly to uplift our community or have them ponder over a cup of tea.
What would you say is the most important milestone of your company so far? Last month, we crossed our "100,000 Tea Drops served" milestone! When I started this business two years ago, I wanted to connect people through the ritual of tea. It has been an amazing journey to watch this vision unfold, and see individuals across the country and even the world connect over cups of Tea Drops
With a business that continues to grow, there are also many brave decisions and sacrifices that had to be done. Just as any business that was started from the ground up, Sashee Chandra had many challenges throughout her career journey that she had to overcome. In the next section she speaks of how she had to quit her corporate job to devote her time to her business. Despite the uncertainty of drawing her own career path, she forged on and in return, her hard work paid off both in terms of revenue and great business relationships. Below she shares her personal career journey, as well as some great advice for people who are looking to start their own business.
Sashee, A Real Career Girl
What was the toughest part about your career journey so far? How did you overcome it? The hardest decision was quitting my full-time corporate job to pursue Tea Drops. When Tea Drops first started gaining momentum, I was essentially working two full-time jobs (my corporate job by day, and managing Tea Drops by night). I was exhausted but incredibly fulfilled. In less than a year I came to a critical juncture -- whether to keep Tea Drops as a side-business or to make it my life's work. In order to grow, I realized I would need to quit my full-time job. Abandoning that safety net and a job I enjoyed to dive into a tea business that I really didn't know much about was the hardest decision of them all. I felt that I lacked some of the qualifications needed to run a business and that was really daunting. But in the end, I had to see where this path would lead and walk in faith. After months of contemplation, Tea Drops became my full-time job.
I can say with 100% certainty that it has been one of the best decisions I've made! I have never been challenged or grown as much as I have this past year both personally and professionally. Through Tea Drops, I've had some incredible opportunities and met some amazing people. Witnessing how much we've grown and seeing that our teas are now available in over 120 retailers across the country makes me realize that often the answers/paths in our lives are not initially clear, it's only as you trust your gut and walk in faith that the path becomes clear.
Do you have a personal mantra or motto you live by? Yes, I do! Here are a few of them:
"As you walk, the way appears." - Rumi, Persian poet and Sufi master
Fear is obviously a huge factor that can hold you back. I always love being reminded that I do not need to have all of the answers when I continue on my journey. I have to have faith that guidance will appear the more entrenched I become in my path/work.
"Nothing in the world will take the place of persistence. Talent will not. Genius will not. Education will not. Persistence and dedication alone are omnipotent."
There is so much talent in the world, but I find there is one distinction that separates hobby artists from creative entrepreneurs - and that is "grit." Persistence is key. Especially when I feel intimidated, I always have to remember that.
What particular advice would you give to someone who wants to start a business? " Focus is paramount. I listened to a podcast earlier this year that stated that on a good day, business owners spend only about 23 minutes of their day on work that is actually important. That statistic was eye-opening for me! The rest of our day is often spent tackling urgent, but non-important work -- or worse, irrelevant tasks. It is hard to do, but key that we map out and think about how we spend our time each day. Time is one of the few commodities that cannot be replenished."
Sashee Chandra reminds us all of a great lesson in pursuing success. Sure, passion can lead us to our calling, but success can only be attained by taking the courage and discipline to follow it through.
Check out Tea Drops at www.myteadrop.com! For updates, you could also follow Tea Drops on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Abbi Gabasa is the Managing Editor of MsCareerGirl.com and owner of UpraisedLiving.com. Having the background of a Marketing and Public Relations Manager with years of professional experience in various industries has given her an insightful perspective on careers, lifestyles, relationships, and attitudes which she humorously applies in helping people through her writing. Abbi is a training life coach, and an advocate of children's charities, women empowerment, optimistic thinking, and slow Sundays. A self-confessed Jane of all trades, she hopes to help girls all over the world find their calling and pursue their passions.
