Notes from Chris

Episode 914

Luciana Torous is a lover of all things tea. This mild obsession started during her high school days, where she often struggled with anxiety and OCD. She had trouble quieting her mind and found it difficult to switch off and become present in the moment.

That all changed the day she visited a tea house with some friends. It was the first time she’d experienced properly brewed tea, and she instantly adored it. The aromas, flavors and ritualistic process of properly brewed tea resonated with her. The experience calmed her down and helped alleviate the symptoms of her anxiety.

Shortly after the trip to the tea house, a childhood friend returned from a student exchange in Japan. As a souvenir, she brought Luciana some matcha tea. Matcha is a traditional Japanese green tea. Taken from tea leaves and ground into a fine powder; it’s commonly used in Japanese tea ceremonies.

For Luciana, it was a matcha-made in heaven, the beginning of a brew-tea-ful friendship. The tea became a part of her daily ritual. After drinking a cup, she felt calm, alert and mentally clear.

She became interested in the health benefits that matcha provided and felt like this relatively unknown tea from Japan needed to hit the mainstream. So, Luciana decided she’d start a business selling matcha tea.

The only issue was, Luciana had no business experience and no idea where to start. On top of that, she already had a full-time job. By now it was 2014, Luciana had graduated high school and was working as a manager at a local Mexican restaurant. Although she was busy working, it was also time to get busy learning.

She read articles and books on starting a business. She asked her mom for a loan of three thousand dollars to get started. The money was spent mostly on importing matcha tea from Japan—as well as other herbs and blends to mix in to create different flavors.

Because the money didn’t go far, Luciana took advantage of the kitchen at the restaurant after hours. There, she used her creativi-tea and ran experiments on different blends of teas, which tasted the best, worked to give clarity of mind and had the nicest aromas. When she was confident in her creations, she tried some of them on her co-workers.

After a few months of positive feedback, she decided to build a website and start selling online. She chose the name 3 Leaf Tea. Namely, because tea often grows in 3 leaf combinations along with the bud. Plus, 3LT incorporated her initials.

Now, a few years later, Luciana is not looking back. Her physical store is doing well, and sales from her online store continue to grow: so much so that she is now profiting thousands of dollars per month, all while only a few years out of high school.

So, when the path to success seems far away, remember that you can start small. With consistent work, your idea will eventually hit the boiling point!

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MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• 3 Leaf Tea: Drink up more about this side hustle over on Luciana's website!
• Shopify: Luciana used Shopify to set up her site for 3 Leaf Tea, and they're offering a 21-day trial and exclusive discount for all Side Hustle School listeners!

SEE ALSO:

• Money Grows on Moringa Trees: After recovering from a chronic illness through the power of plants, a woman trades in hedge funds by day and healing powders by night
• Tea Sommelier Turns Leaves Into Million-Dollar Business: A Canadian hospitality employee creates a line of tempting teas that grow to sell $30,000+ a month on Amazon.com
• Entrepreneur Reads Tea Leaves to Launch Subscription Hustle: A New York-based consultant brews his need for energy into a tea delivery service that offers customers a chance to discover new tea varieties each month

Inspiration is good; inspiration combined with action is better. Now get back to work!

Yours in the revolution,

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