When our website was being developed, I was asked to put together a few paragraphs of biographical information.
I could have listed degrees, licenses, and other accomplishments, but decided, who cares about this information. Instead, I figured, why don’t I answer the #1 question people ask me. Why did you start a tea company?
The inspiration to start a tea company came to me on a long drive heading to Northern Michigan when I stopped in a gas station to get something to drink. I walked around looking for something other than water that was healthy and thirst quenching, but all the beverages were filled with sugar and artificial flavors. There were no healthy options. This was when the light bulb turned me on to the need for healthy beverage alternatives.
Tea has always been part of my life, always in the background, caffeinating me through college, and providing that occasional moment of peace and reflection during a challenging career as a Project Manager and entrepreneur. Coming from a large family where money was often nonexistent, my career decisions were based on paying the bills and not self-actualization ideals.
After many years of hard work, I had a financial security net in place which would allow me to take the risk to do something that I enjoy and create a product that would fill a need in the market. Organic Tea - A healthy beverage alternative.
I started studying everything about tea and became a tea sommelier and tea blender. Learning from English, Indian, and Chinese tea experts was such a dramatic career change from the often-combative contracting field.
The journey took me to all corners of the world, meeting friends, learning about different teas, the cultures, and different tea traditions. Meeting the dedicated tea workers from some of the poorest corners of the earth has been a truly humbling experience. It's these experiences that inspire us to work harder to create completely organic flavorful teas with a minimal impact on the environment.Working with people and customers helped me realize, we are all in this life journey together, and became a life changing experience.
I have been moved by the gratefulness of our customers when I hear their children no longer drink soda but instead drink our healthy fruity teas.
I’m humbled by the people with cancer who order our matcha, convinced its keeping their cancer at bay.
I‘m humbled by talking to people that stop by with cardiovascular disease, whose doctors told them to drink 5 cups of good organic tea per day and they choose Fraser Tea.
I’m moved by the hundreds of letters people send to us telling us how much they enjoy our tea and how it had an impact in their lives.
As my journey continues-
The next time someone asks me what is like to be the founder of a tea business.
I can honestly say, I didn’t find the company, the company found me.
- John
