“Meet The Collective Creatives”
Beth Hockley is the creator behind Tea for She, a small business full of beautiful handmade herbal teas and a range of inspiring self-care books, gorgeous tea pots and sweet tea accessories.
Beth was previously a case manager for children and young people in foster care. She has always wanted to have a positive and meaningful impact on the lives of others, and continues to do that through Tea For She. After the birth of her son, Henry, Beth felt a lack of purpose and started to miss the things she loved doing that make her who she is. “I felt a pull to start a business that would allow me to channel the things I'm passionate about, understanding that doing so would also re-energise me and actually make me a better mum,” she explains.
Beth lost her second baby boy halfway through pregnancy at the start of 2018. Her grief really put life into perspective and she made it her business mission to support mums to feel treasured, nurtured and worthy. Being a tea lover herself, she decided to use tea as her gateway for this idea. Tea For She was launched three months after this time at the end of May in 2018. “I’m a firm believer in the power of the tea ritual. It has the ability to connect people, soothe them, comfort them and nourish them. Tea can make great days even better and bad days a little less tough,” she says.
Mystic Earth, a delicious herbal rooibos blend including sweet pear and delectable vanilla cream flavours, has been one of her most popular blends so far. People who don’t normally drink tea have even complimented her on the taste of this tea! It’s also one of our favourites and is delicious hot and iced.
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The personal growth that Beth has experienced has been one of the best things to come out of the business. She’s learnt to look at failure in a new light and now loves things about herself that she use to see as only negatives. “I’ve surrounded myself with people that have had a life changing impact on my mindset that I wouldn’t have encountered if I wasn’t in business – that in itself has made the ride worthwhile.”
The best business advice Beth can give is to do things the way you want to instead of playing it safe and trying to target everyone and every audience. “It’s amazing how many doors open up for you when you start serving the way you actually want to,” she says. Her plan for the rest of 2020 is to really focus on her mission to support mums to feel treasured, nurtured and worthy. “I’ll be collaborating with other businesses to do this and am also planning to have a bunch of online self-care resources for mums.”
You can find Tea For She at The Collective Beat in Gerringong, which has given Beth the perfect platform to display her gorgeous collection. “The Collective Beat isn’t just a retail store. Sure, we’re all there to sell our products, but it’s equally a place where local businesses come together to support each other, offer advice and invest in the local community. The business philosophy is based on the fact that we’re better together and that community is far more valuable than competition…who wouldn’t want to be part of that?” she says with a smile.
