From Wheelchair to Wellness

Some businesses begin with a business plan. Others begin with a personal journey. For Shawn Snyder, founder of Simply Herbal Tea, her path started with a life-changing health diagnosis that forced her to rethink what her life and daily activities would look like.

Several years ago, Shawn was diagnosed with Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP), a rare autoimmune condition that affects the protective myelin sheath around peripheral nerves. In her case, her legs can move, but they cannot support her body weight, which means she now uses a wheelchair full time.

Instead of allowing the diagnosis to limit her world, Shawn chose to find something new that would inspire her.

And that something turned out to be herbal tea.

Discovering a New Passion

After her diagnosis, Shawn began searching for ways to stay engaged and keep learning. One day she came across an online class about creating herbal tea blends. Curious, she signed up. She quickly fell in love with the process.

Learning about herbs, flavors, and their traditional wellness uses opened up a whole new world. What began as a hobby soon became something much more meaningful.

Soon Shawn found herself surrounded by jars of herbs and experimenting with blends. At one point she realized she was running out of space.That was when the thought crossed her mind:
What if other people would enjoy these herbal teas too?

Selling the blends would allow her to continue doing the part she loved most: creating new teas. So Shawn reached out to local farmers markets and Simply Herbal Tea was born.

Gardening from a Wheelchair

Shawn had always loved gardening long before her diagnosis. One of her biggest fears after becoming a wheelchair user was that she might never garden again. Her husband helped make sure that didn't happen.

He built raised garden beds using metal water troughs, allowing Shawn to roll up alongside them in her wheelchair and continue growing herbs and plants.

Today about half of their garden is in raised beds, and herbs are an important part of what she grows. Some herbs are harvested right from her garden, while others are sourced from organic farms around the country, including farms in the Southwest and Utah.

The Art of Creating Herbal Tea

Ask Shawn what she loves most about her business and she doesn't hesitate. Creating new blends. She enjoys discovering the taste and properties of different herbs and how they work together.

Her very first herbal blend included peppermint, lemon balm, and tulsi, herbs she already had growing in her garden. The blend helped ease some of the chronic pain she experiences, which inspired her to continue experimenting.

Over time she learned about other herbs like willow bark, which has been used for centuries for pain relief and is historically connected to the development of aspirin.

For Shawn, the process is both science and creativity. And sometimes it involves a little trial and error. She laughs about her attempts to create a pumpkin spice tea. Despite several tries, she admits she simply doesn't like how it tastes or feels. But she says that experimentation is part of the joy of working with herbs.

What Makes Simply Herbal Tea Different

Unlike many tea companies, Simply Herbal Tea specializes exclusively in herbal teas. That means every tea is naturally caffeine free. Shawn does not use the Camellia sinensis plant that produces traditional black, green, or oolong teas. Instead she creates blends using herbs, spices, and fruits. Everything used in the teas is organic, either grown in her garden or sourced from trusted organic farms.

In addition to teas, the company has also begun creating herbal tinctures and glycerites, expanding the ways customers can enjoy the benefits of herbs.

Customer Favorites

Among the most popular blends are the fruit teas, including:

• Strawberry Hibiscus

• Peach Mango

• Plum Delicious
  
  

Classic herbal favorites like chamomile and peppermint are also customer favorites.

Seasonal blends help support wellness throughout the year, including teas designed for cold and cough season, allergies, and women's health.

The Tea Teaser Monthly Club

For people curious about herbal tea, Shawn created a special subscription called the Tea Teaser Monthly Club.

Each box includes:

• Three loose-leaf tea samples

• Enough tea for about four cups per blend

• Information cards explaining the herbs used

• Brewing instructions and steeping times

• A tea tracker to help customers observe how their body responds to each blend

• A fun tea sticker
  
  

The tea tracker is especially important to Shawn. She believes it helps people build a deeper awareness of how herbs affect their body and wellness.

The subscription is perfect for anyone interested in exploring herbal teas before committing to larger bags.

The Power of Community

Shawn discovered Connectors Business Network through Marian LaSalle and Becky Earle and quickly became an active member. She appreciates the variety of opportunities within the community.

From the weekly business book club to educational classes on marketing, writing, and technology, she says the group helps her stay connected and inspired.

Running an online business can sometimes feel isolating, but networking has introduced her to new friends, business connections, and opportunities to share her teas with other groups. She especially values the conversations that happen before and after meetings.

As she puts it, the people in the community are smart and always thinking outside the box.

A Cup of Tea That Means More

Despite creating many blends over the years, Shawn still has a special place in her heart for one particular tea...Peppermint Calm & Refresh.

It was the very first herbal blend she ever created, and she still drinks it regularly.

For Shawn, herbal tea is about much more than flavor. It is a moment of wellness and reflection. 

As she describes it:

"As you hold the warm cup in your hands and take that first sip, the aroma of the herbs rises up and fills your senses. The warmth travels down your throat and through your body. Knowing you are helping your body feel better makes the tea that much sweeter."

And that is exactly what she hopes to share with others.

A Final Thought from Shawn

"Herbal tea has healed and blessed me in so many ways mentally, emotionally, and physically. I simply want to share that healing with others."

To learn more about Shawn's teas or explore the Tea Teaser Monthly Club, visit:

https://simplyherbaltea.com