Steve Schwartz, the founder and CEO of Art of Tea, has a knack for mixing ingredients and a desire to make an impact on this planet. It’s a great thing he cultivated this gift, since he didn’t graduate college or know any entrepreneurs before launching his company.
“After learning from experts in the sector and becoming a master tea blender, Steve began a business to share his passion and pass on the craft to others. He’s trained tea sommeliers at Caesars Palace, in addition to chef and restaurateur Wolfgang Puck’s staff on an elevated tea experience.
“Our mission really is to affect as many lives as we will through tea,” Steve says.
Art of Tea just celebrated its twentieth anniversary, and thru the years, it has created bespoke teas for prestigious clients just like the White House and Slack. Here’s how Steve combined purpose and good people to construct a thriving company
Finding purpose after tragedy
Steve’s journey into the tea business was sparked by personal tragedy and a quest for meaning. After his mother’s battle with cancer and subsequent passing, he sought a holistic approach to health and eventually discovered his passion for tea. “I used to be enamored by how something that could possibly be grown in the bottom could have such power and potential behind it,” he says.
Presenting with honesty
Starting with minimal resources, the journey wasn’t easy. Steve’s early days involved packing teas by hand and counting on bank cards to fund the business. Despite his limited experience in business, he found being himself earned him each sales and precious advice from others. “I showed up as authentically and as vulnerable as possible,” Steve says. “And folks began to lean in.”
Educating himself on leadership and business
Steve says he didn’t have anyone in his immediate circle he could turn to for advice about starting a business, so he began downloading audiobooks from thought leaders and listening to them while he drove around. “I literally turned my iPod … right into a university.”
This mindset to pursue mentorship and “smart council” later helped him find production partners and employees.
Constructing a business rooted in connection
Steve attributes much of his success to the connections he made along the way in which. Whether through serendipitous meetings or intentional networking, these relationships have been pivotal. Steve says, “If I’m the neatest person within the room, there’s something flawed, right?”
His openness to learning, no matter where he was or who he was with, has at all times kept Steve moving forward. For instance, one time he met someone on a flight who had connections with growers in China. This connection later helped open the door to a further source for tea ingredients.
To learn more about Steve’s approach to partnerships and mentorships, take heed to the total interview on Shopify Masters.
