Million Dollar Grind

A few years back it was my New Year’s resolution to stop drinking coffee and start drinking tea.  This resolution was a big deal, since I woke up every morning craving a cup of coffee.  It wasn’t until I discovered the Might Leaf tea line that my craving for coffee in the morning subsided.

With its pretty packaging and creative names, I forked over $9 for a box of Green Tea Tropical and instantly developed loyalty to the brand.  What set the tea line apart from its competitors was the rich flavor and freshness of the tea, which was made possible by the innovate Mighty Leaf tea pouch.  Unlike other tea bags that are made of paper and sealed with glue or staples, Mighty Leaf’s pouches are made from silk mesh stitched with natural cotton thread.  The tea pouch is also 100% biodegradable.

Founders Jill Portman and Gary Shinner didn’t automatically step into the luxury tea market.  They created it, after failing at their first attempt in the tea business. Their initial business idea was to create a Starbucks type retail outlet for tea.  Without any retail experience, Jill applied at a Starbucks and worked there for three months to gain the training required to run their tea cafe.   Armed with the knowledge from Starbucks and the passion for tea, the couple quit their day jobs and opened Tea & Co in 2000 with $200, 000 from their personal savings and $200, 000 from their family.

When Tea & Co shut its doors Gary and Jill did not give up, instead they pursued the tea business by pitching their tea line to high end hotels and fancy restaurants. This marketing strategy proved successful and branded Mighty Leaf as luxury tea. In 2006, Mighty Leaf’s sales reached $13.5 million.  The following year,  sales rose 27% to $16.5 million. Today 17,000 hotels and restaurants and 6,000 food stores carry Mighty Leaf teas.

I’m thankful that Jill and Gary did not give up on their mission to deliver high quality tea, because I would have never discovered the luxury of tea.  Failures can lead to success when you’ve got determination on your side.  How many failures could you take before giving up?