April Sheris is the CEO of Upland Tea House. She is based in Santa Fe, N.M.. She started the company during the COVID-19 pandemic. She launched the business in April of 2021 after a successful nine-year career in book publishing that left her feeling like she was burning the candle at both ends. At that time, she was looking to realign her lifestyle so that it wouldn’t be a detriment to her health.
What inspired you to develop your idea?
I began book publishing and fell in love with the industry quickly. I was in a position to meet new creatives, work with them closely on bringing their dream to fruition, and watch the results of our labour play out at retailers. For nine years, I was excelling but was also burning the candle on both ends. At this time, I knew I needed to slow down and figure out how to realign my lifestyle so that it wouldn’t cause detriment to my health, peace of mind, and business. I used to rely on coffee to get me through my long days or when I felt moody at the day’s end. Coffee seemed like a great option until I experienced adrenal fatigue. I often heard about the benefits of herbal tea. It wasn’t until I ran across rooibos and discovered how healing it was to my body that I fell in love and wanted to share it with the world. Upland Tea House was born shortly after.
Knowing what you know now, is there anything you would have done differently when you were first starting out?
We launched eagerly in April of 2021. After getting logistics underway, our storefront prepared for sales, and marketing campaigns running our biggest hurdle was inventory. We put so much preparation into smooth sales processes that we didn’t take into consideration having enough supply to meet the demand. Especially with shipping still being impacted by the pandemic. While America began to slowly open up India was still under lockdown. This affected our friends and partners’ ability to work but also their way of living. We should have taken all of this into consideration to not overwhelm them during such a critical time.
What is unique about your business? How did you decide where to establish your company?
I believe our focus on building a community around the Rooibos bush is our uniqueness. We have built a tribe that serves as a haven for education, accountability to using tea as self-care, and gathering in real life for fellowship. As with many things in life, having support from like-minded people carries weight in our lives. To fully recognize tea as self-care, you need that consistent reminder and influence from people just like you. We see the value in and love all our tea cousins, lol, but personally have found pleasure and healing through Rooibos. It’s definitely not spoken about as often as the others.
Currently, we offer natural rooibos and rooibos tea blends. Western Cape is what I consider our ‘OG’ flavor. It is rooibos in its natural sweet essence without florals or fruits. This is particularly my favorite offering. Then we have Passion Fruit – our ‘High Vibes’ flavor. It has a citrusy aroma with a pinch of mango and passion fruit. It feels like summer. A favorite among teenagers is Strawberry Hibiscus – our ‘Young and Free’ flavor. It is pure strawberry, sweet rooibos, currant berries, blueberries, and elderberries that are refreshing to your palate. The flavor is very alluring. Last but not least, is our Chamomile Mint. This is what we consider to be a ‘Nourishing’ flavor. The sweet flavor of rooibos with a true mint essence is full of flowery Chamomile and decadent creamy notes. It’s soothing, flavorful, and perfect to wind down the day with or ease into sleep after. We love them all!
What challenges did you have to overcome at the beginning of your journey?
The biggest challenge was not fully understanding the process to harvest, process, and care for my tea. It’s truly an honorable thing to witness – the craft to produce quality tea and taste the difference on the side of the consumer. When I began, I over-steeped the leaves, didn’t conceal the tea properly after use, and didn’t realize the type of pot or presses could yield a different flavor. After learning from some of the best in the field, I have much respect for the harvesters as well as the experience overall. Tea consumption is more than just an alternative to coffee. It’s a time-honored lifestyle for some cultures and a ritual for others.
What advice would you give to someone who is trying to become an entrepreneur?
My main tip is: ‘slow down to catapult faster’. In business, it seems we are so quick to set the trend or move the needle to be recognized that we often miss the details in the journey. When you slow down you give way to learn more as a business person, build sustainable relationships, carve out a niche in your industry, and serve your community better. The sum of all these steps catapults you even further than rushing ever could. Also, if I could save someone a lot of frustration then I would add:
- The key to success is consistency. So don’t think what you’re about to do is any easier than a 9 to 5.
- We are all just trying to find our way. Don’t let anyone make you believe they have excelled at that. And as a bonus: No matter what happens, keep going anyway.
