Democrat and Chronicle:
A cup of Peace Potion starts with a teaspoon of the herbal mix in a filter or tea infuser, steeping in hot water for five to seven minutes.
The brown package of Peace Potion gets its start in the small production kitchen at Tealightful Treasures’ Gates headquarters, with scoops of dried raspberry leaf, peppermint and chamomile being mixed in a large bowl and then poured into individual bags.
From there, the bags are shipped across the nation to schools selling them as fundraisers and to a growing network of consultants who, like the Mary Kay or Tupperware sales force, put together tea parties to sell loose-leaf teas, scone mixes and tea equipment, such as pots, to a growing marketplace.
Tealightful Treasures CEO Charlene C. Phillips started the business in 2000 when, with one young child and another on the way, she started looking for a stay-at-home job.
“I’ve always loved scones and tea and grew up enamored with tea and tea time,” the Gates woman said. She started in her basement by manufacturing scone mixes for the gift shop market. Then she started hosting tea and scone tastings.
“Nobody knew what loose tea was,” Phillips said. “They were very intimidated by the whole experience.”
Phillips’ home business then began growing in 2003 into a direct-selling model, with her supplying materials to people who hosted their own tea parties.
Logo from Tealightful Treasures.