I’m Jon, the Founder of TEA23. Welcome to the TEA23 blog, which I hope you’ll enjoy. The plan is to keep it honest, real, insightful, hopefully light-hearted, and direct from the horse's mouth. This is how I envisage the blog unfolding over the coming weeks and months…
An Insight into the world of tea
Firstly, there will be a big focus on tea - I mean that’s a no-brainer right? I’ll look at all the amazing loose teas and fruit & herbal infusions and tea bags that TEA23 has to offer as well as other teas that have caught my attention. I’ll also be talking about what teas I'm currently developing / in the pipeline, as well as new product launches (I might even share some cheeky promo codes).
I’ll also look at the health benefits of tea and the ingredients that go into my blends. Hopefully I can get some help with this section from the professionals so I’m not overly reliant on Google searches and hearsay.
As well as talking about tea, I’ll also try to round up new and exciting things that are happening at TEA23 including creating new look packaging (and maybe some sneaky peaks) as well as where you can find the TEA23 pop-up shop throughout the summer and beyond.
I’m also going to talk about my journey up until this point, and how I ended up with a tea company, because believe me, this wasn’t on my radar when I was choosing my options at school. I’m going to talk honestly and openly about the pitfalls, perils, and joys of striving to be a kick a** entrepreneur, and how I frequently feel out of my depth and have major imposter issues.
Being your own boss and how it impacts your mental health
As you’ve probably guessed, I’m going to focus a lot on mental and emotional health, and how running your own business can affect it. I think I’m going to call this series TEA23 and ME. I’m not going to give too much away here, other than to say I want it to be as powerful and relatable as possible. This means I’m going to be brave and give an open and honest account about how the ups and downs of running a business seem to be inextricably linked to my headspace, which is great when things are going well, but not so good when things aren’t working out as planned.
Useful tips for improving your mood
Hopefully, I’ll have some useful insights into what I’m doing / can be done to uncouple them from each other, including how when I’m feeling overwhelmed one of the first things I try to do is simply to sit and breathe. I’ll share with you in a later blog how a cup of tea can be an active part of this.
One thing for sure, it certainly won’t all be doom and gloom. I want to share the times when I feel on top of the world with you (without sounding too smug), and ways to prolong these moments and boost your mood without getting carried away. But I do also want to explore and share my coping skills for when you're feeling overwhelmed and your head is consumed with dark clouds and bad weather. Back to the plan.
Must Read Blogs
Here’s a brief overview of blogs to look out for (all working titles) – don’t hold me to them:
- How did I end up running TEA23? The journey so far.
- Where did the name TEA23 come from? And other Frequently Asked Questions.
- TEA23 and ME part 1: Behind the Mask
Hopefully the blog will be a mix of inspiration, minor confirmation that you’re not alone with your struggles, and interesting insights from the world of tea and entrepreneurship, with a dash of humour thrown in, although I have a feeling the last bit might be wishful thinking.
Disclaimer: Thoughts and Opinions Are My Own
At this point it’s probably good to make it clear that I’m not a trained psychotherapist nor do I hold any qualifications in psychology or counselling, and that all thoughts are based on my own journey through life and lived experiences. Here’s the disclaimer: please please please take everything I say with a pinch of salt. At the end of the day, I’m just an ordinary bloke dealing with my own thoughts and feelings who happens to have an active interest in mental and emotional health.
And one last thing that I would like to make clear. Everything in the blog is written by me. All words, thoughts, feelings, advice (dare I call it that), and ramblings are my own - straight from my head and my heart. I assure you that none of this has been generated by ChatGPT or any other form of AI.
I hope you enjoy / find the blogs useful and please feel free to share if you think it might help someone else. Thanks for reading :)