We were lucky to catch up with Tempest Woodford recently and have shared our conversation below.

Tempest, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?

The name My Tea Aura was inspired by the transformative experience tea brings to my life. Every tea blend I create evokes a unique feeling or energy—whether it’s a sense of healing, comfort, vitality, or balance. Each blend has the power to align with a different aura or chakra, reflecting the mood or energy I want to embrace in that moment. I wanted a name that captured this connection between tea and the way it can influence our inner state. My Tea Aura perfectly encapsulates the idea of tea as more than a beverage—it’s an experience that nurtures the mind, body, and spirit.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m Cali-born but Southern-raised, and I’ve lived throughout the South most of my life. Tea has always been a big part of my life—I’ve been drinking it and making blends for as long as I can remember. One of the pivotal moments that inspired me to start My Tea Aura was the closure of Teavana, a store I frequented as a true tea connoisseur. When it shut down, it left a void for those of us who loved high-quality loose-leaf teas and creating custom blends. That experience drove me to take matters into my own hands. I began building relationships with tea estates, researching the industry, and eventually turned my lifelong passion into a business.

At My Tea Aura, we offer a variety of premium loose-leaf tea blends. All of our teas are crafted with care—we dehydrate fresh, organic fruits and herbs ourselves and hand-blend everything in-house. What sets us apart is our commitment to quality. Many companies rely on bulk-purchased ingredients, which can affect the flavor and authenticity of the tea. By doing everything ourselves, we ensure a product that’s fresh, flavorful, and truly one-of-a-kind.

In addition to our teas, we also offer luxury tea presentation boxes. These boxes are beautifully designed with magnetic closures, velvet interiors, and come in different color schemes. They include a curated selection of teas, a tea infuser, a teaspoon, and a My Tea Aura novelty shot glass. Our boxes are perfect for gifting, whether it’s personal or corporate, and they’re refillable, so they double as a luxe centerpiece for your home.

One of the problems I solve for my customers is offering tea blends that provide natural healing. There are so many herbs with incredible health benefits, and I incorporate them into my teas to help with various ailments in a way that’s accessible and approachable. Whether you shop with us at a farmer’s market or online, you can trust that our teas are crafted with intention and care.

What I’m most proud of is the growth we’ve experienced in less than two years. My Tea Aura launched in May 2023, and while our first year was strong, our second year has been incredible. We’ve scaled in ways I couldn’t have imagined, and I’m excited to keep pushing forward. When you shop with My Tea Aura, you’re not just buying tea—you’re investing in a premium experience and supporting a brand that prioritizes quality, care, and community.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

Funding my business has been a journey of resilience and resourcefulness. When I started My Tea Aura, my husband and I used our own funds, drawing from my nine-to-five salary. I didn’t take out any loans or receive grants—it was entirely grassroots and self-funded. It wasn’t a large amount to start with, so we built the business piece by piece, starting small and scaling as we went.

Every sale we made was reinvested back into the business, allowing us to grow organically over time. While this approach has taught me the value of patience and strategic planning, it also highlighted the importance of having capital to scale more efficiently. Looking ahead, securing additional funding is a key goal for 2025, as I work to expand and take My Tea Aura to the next level.

This process has been both challenging and rewarding, and it’s taught me to appreciate every milestone, no matter how small, because it represents the hard work and dedication we’ve put into building something from the ground up

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

A lesson I had to unlearn was the idea that everything needed to be perfect before I could start or take the next step. When I first began My Tea Aura, I believed that my branding, product lineup, and operations all needed to be flawless before launching. I spent a lot of time overthinking details, which slowed me down.

The turning point came when I realized that progress is more important than perfection. Starting small and improving along the way was not only okay—it was necessary. My initial focus shifted to simply getting my teas out into the world, connecting with customers, and learning what worked through experience.

This mindset change has been freeing. It’s taught me to embrace imperfection as part of the growth process and to trust that I can adjust and refine as I go. By letting go of the need to be perfect, I’ve been able to scale my business in ways I wouldn’t have imagined when I first started.

Another important lesson I had to learn is that sometimes you just have to pay for things to get done. When I first started, I tried to do everything myself—branding, product design, marketing, you name it. But I realized that by doing so, I was setting myself back and slowing my progress.

Now, I’ve come to understand the value of outsourcing. If I don’t know how to do something and there’s someone who offers a service to make it happen, I invest in that expertise. Yes, it comes out of the revenue, but it ultimately supports the business’s growth in the long run. This shift in mindset has allowed me to focus on what I do best—creating high-quality teas—and let professionals handle areas where I need support. It’s been a game-changer for my productivity and the overall growth of My Tea Aura.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://myteaaura.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myteaaura?igsh=cmdodmkzbDU1c3pm&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/17b8o27JMb/?mibextid=wwXIfr
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/my-tea-aura/
• Twitter: https://x.com/supplych8nshawt?s=21&t=H7WU0TCe1eIE_ehokl5OZg
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@myteaaura?si=Uyak0EFUe2yMRJs3