Naman Shrestha
Believe it or not, an all-organic and herbal alternative to regular coffee is available. If you wish to cut caffeine but still want to experience the warm and satisfying texture of coffee, SIP Herbals is the answer to your cravings. By bringing the coffee brand to the attention of the sharks in ABC’s ‘Shark Tank’ season 15, hoping to get a deal with one of them, the founder also received exposure for their brand and attracted hundreds of other target consumers.
SIP Herbals: Who Are They And What Do They Do?
Before reaching the coveted stage of ‘Shark Tank,’ SIP Herbals and its founders — Orleatha and Kelly — have had a long journey. A Western Governors University graduate, Orleatha Smith started her professional career by working as an Organizational Development & Training Specialist at the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Early on in her career, she was a Biology teacher at different schools and academies, such as Los Angeles Unified School District, Millikan High School, and Excel Academy – Academy of Arts and Sciences.
In 2014, Orleatha co-founded her first company, 20 Dishes, before co-founding her second one, Inclusivepay. On the other hand, Kelly Raulerson, who earned a Bachelor’s degree in English Language and Literature/Letters from Northern Arizona University, has had previous working experience with Orleatha at InclusivePay, a company she co-founded with her. Next up, she even took the role of a Content Manager and co-founded 20 Dishes along with Orleatha. In November 2011, she got the opportunity to become a Content Director for ‘A Girl Worth Saving’ and she took it.
In 2020, Kelly and Orleatha were well aware that their routine morning coffee was causing some serious harm to their health and well-being. After that, they made a list of other limitations of coffee, such as caffeine, sustainability, and anxiety concerns. In an interview with Shoutoutla, Orleatha Smith revealed the journey of SIP Herbals. She stated, “We started Sip in the middle of the Pandemic using the money from a successful crowdfund. We started with 144 backer and just 9 months later, we have over 1600 happy customers – with no advertising! We bootstrapped the entire thing and growing is never easy.”
Working in the real food niche for more than a decade, both Kelly and Orleatha could understand the pain of losing their morning ritual of drinking coffee due to health issues. Having an autoimmune condition, Ortheana was advised to switch to an anti-inflammatory diet, which meant giving up coffee. But since she wasn’t ready to give up coffee, she made the most of her experience in biology and crafted a healthy, herbal blend that tasted like coffee — Faux Joe, and consequently, SIP Herbals.
SIP Herbals Update: Where Are They Now?
As mentioned above, SIP Herbals was bootstrapped in the beginning, without any funding from investors. After experimenting with herbs and coming up with the signature Roast Faux Joe, the founders also brought various other delicious flavors in order to cater to wider taste preferences. For instance, you can find products like Cinnamon Roll, Salted Maple Blondie, Royal Mocha, and ‘Dirty Chai’ on their website for sale. Moreover, the company also allows its customers to create personalized sample packs.
So, if you wish to get the taste and comfort of coffee, plus the health benefits of herbs, you can visit SIP Herbals’ official website and get your hands on your preferred coffee flavor. By signing up with your email address, you can also get 10% off on your first order. Although starting from $10 for a few flavors like Signature Roast, Royal Mocha, and Cinnamon Roll, there are several higher-priced products as well, including French Vanilla, which costs $29.99.
If you wish to try several flavors, there is a Starter Bundle priced at $75 that comprises 30 Signature Roast, 30 Salted Maple Blondie, and 30 Coconut Creamers, with a measuring spoon and a tea strainer. You can even subscribe to your favorite blend of herbal coffee and save 10%. Apart from the official website, these products are also available on Amazon. In early 2024, SIP Herbals was among the ten small businesses that received a $25,000 grant and mentorship, thanks to the Stacy’s Rise Project.
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