Today we’d like to introduce you to Sashee Chandran.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Sashee. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I started Tea Drops in 2015 because I am a huge tea lover but found loose leaf tea preparation quite time consuming, especially while at a desk job or on-the-go. When I was working my marketing job in Silicon Valley, I was inspired to develop a fuss free, bagless tea experience. I wanted to create a premium, loose leaf tea experience that was simple and convenient. After a few years of experimentation in my apartment kitchen, I developed the notion of a Tea Drop. I started sharing my teas with friends and family, and soon, developed it into a business.
Tea Drops are organic, pressed teas that dissolve in your cup of hot water. Made with the highest quality certified organic teas and spices, we ethically source our teas all around the world and are proudly made in America.
Today, Tea Drops can be found on www.myteadrop.com, Amazon and over 1,500 specialty retailers such as Erewhon, Lassen’s and Wegman’s.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Anytime you are trying to build something, no matter how big or small, you should expect challenges along the way. What matters is your perspective about the challenges – trying not to allow obstacles to disturb your peace or outlook.
One surprising challenge to me is managing your mental health as an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurship is a marathon, not a sprint and so the balance of managing your energy and emotions consistently takes a lot of conscious effort. It’s also surprising how owning a business can feel like it alienates you from your friends and family because of the time commitment and energy it consumes — but it’s really important to take breaks, recharge and connect with the people you care about. It’s also important to ask for help when you need it. As cliche as it sounds, no man (or woman) is an island.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Tea Drops – what should we know?
Tea Drops is a Downtown LA-based, award winning, woman and minority owned organic tea company. We make innovative, bagless, dissolvable teas. Tea Drops are USDA organic, GMO free, gluten free and free of artificial/natural flavors. Pressed into whimsical shapes such as hearts, stars, and flowers — Tea Drops are eco-friendly by design and made in sunny California. Ditch the tea bag and rethink tea!
There hasn’t been much innovation in how we drink tea since the introduction of the tea bag since the early 1900’s. We are revolutionizing the tea experience by making it fun and approachable through Tea Drops, without sacrificing the loose leaf tea experience.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
I might be a solo-founder but I always feel like I have an extended leadership team because of the community created by my advisers, investors, employees and my collaborators of WomenMadeLA (www.womenmadela.com). My whole community is centered around empowering all of us to do and be the best we can be — through knowledge sharing, encouragement, shared resources and most importantly, having fun together! I also want to thank my incredible family, that is always there for me through this rollercoaster ride.I’m SO grateful to have such an awesome community.
Pricing:
- $10 – $34
Contact Info:
- Address: 600 Wilshire Blvd Floor 500
Los Angeles, CA 90017 - Website: www.myteadrop.com
- Phone: 1844 TEA DROP
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @myteadrop
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/myteadrop
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/myteadrop
Image Credit:
Michael Bezman Photography, Andrew Echeverria
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
