Exploring Life & Business with Emily Painter of Ultraviolet

Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Painter.

Hi Emily, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
It all started when I was 14 and found Instagram and was able to share my artwork on the app. I was so fascinated by the amount of people I could reach online! I then build several different pages with different themes until I was 18. I sold advertising to so many brands and businesses on my pages and started to take an interest in creating my own brand. I owned two successful cosmetic lines, but I wasn’t fulfilled – I wasn’t passionate about the brands, and I was certainly not changing lives – something was missing for me.

I launched Ultraviolet in 2017 because I wanted to share something that I loved and enjoyed creating and perfecting with the world. I didn’t build it based on what I thought others would want to see – I based it on what I loved and what I would want as a consumer.

Ultraviolet is founded on making a difference in the world of tea. We all know tea has so many benefits, but are they really changing our bodies on the inside and out? What if I told you, most tea bags are made of plastic waste and that plastic releases 11.6 billion microplastics in a single cup?

It gets worse. Inside of your tea bag is something called ‘Tea Dust’ which is scrapings from the floors in factories and heavily processed ingredients – yuck.

Unlike these cheap and poor quality brands, we use plant fiber biodegradable tea bags for our teas. The ingredients inside are full leaf and never processed. The ingredients are sourced carefully from premium farms around the world and they hold all their nutritious values.

Seeing how many lives are touched and how much our customers love our teas has made me so fulfilled, and I cannot wait for the future of Ultraviolet and how far it is going to go!

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I started Ultraviolet in 2017. By 2020, we had less than 200 sales. I had rebranded three times. I had tested so much and was so frustrated. I couldn’t find my customers, and I didn’t even know if they existed.

I didn’t give up because I loved my product and felt confident in what I had to offer.

When I launched Blueberry Butterfly Tea, I knew it would be my best chance to really bringing something eye-catching and special. And it did! Everyone loved it so much! We had TikTok’s going viral and cafes asking to order the tea bags for their menus.

A big obstacle was figuring out inventory. This is still something I sometimes struggle with, but always remind myself that it is better to have more than less. In May 2021, we had completely sold out of our Blueberry Butterfly Tea and had no inventory for three weeks!

We’ve been impressed with Ultraviolet, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I am the founder, and at Ultraviolet we specialize in biodegradable tea bags filled with loose leaf tea. Our mission is bringing a tea that is safe for your body, safe for the environment. Our teas are all Organic and each ingredient has so many benefits and serves a purpose in every tea bag. We are passionate about bringing unique flavors and insane tastes that no one has ever seen before!

Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I love LA because I grew up in a small town with not many friends or things to do, and I always dreamed of living in a place that was the opposite. I moved here when I was 18. I instantly felt like I fit in here. There are so many creative entrepreneurs and dream chasers. I truly believe the energy here is so special and that every day we are blessed with so much opportunity here and our dreams can come true. It’s inspiring to live in such a special place and motivating to look around and see so many people proving that anything is possible!

But, no city is perfect. The traffic here is terrible. It’s also an expensive city to be living in. I’ve felt really lonely here sometimes, but it’s all about who you surround yourself with. You can find good and not so good friends anywhere you go.

Contact Info:

• Email: emily@ultraviolet.la
• Website: https://www.ultraviolet.la
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ultraviolet