I recently attended the World Tea Expo in Las Vegas. It’s been close to 3 years since I last attended an expo (my son was too young and traveling with him was restrictive before, and then the pandemic began and trade shows were cancelled!)
It was a great experience, but not in the expected sense! Let me explain!
Firstly, it was the VERY FIRST TIME I left both my kids with my husband and traveled by myself for an overnight (2 nights!) trip. As a mom I’m sure you can relate to the 100,000 things that goes through the mind when leaving your babies home! On some level there is a feeling of guilt, but just as strong is a feeling of Freedom! Not just physically (no hanging kids or diaper bags!) but also mentally! Like you can actually hear the thoughts in your head!! There is silence! Amen!
Also, I shed my overbearing role as that of a mother and wife and was 100 per cent tuned back in to being a small business owner. The ambition was palpable! I missed that feeling! As most things in life, roles are a constant juggle! It’s your mood, the environment and most importantly, which task at hand has an immediate need for your attention. As a mother, wife, business owner, it’s a constant juggling of multiple roles through the day! It’s exhausting!
Trade Shows usually have a calendar of events, talks and a show floor. Chai Diaries was not exhibiting at this show, but I wanted to attend the educational workshops and meet other business owners in the tea space! As an entrepreneur and just generally, I’ve always loved learning and hearing about others experiences. It’s a great educational tool!
There was a lot of learning, a lot of great meetings and overall inspiration. It’s really important, I think, to take a break from all the different roles that you play in your life and just step back momentarily to reevaluate where you are. Success after all isn’t how you compare to someone else’s journey. It’s how you compare to yourself from where you started.
The concept of Chai Diaries was built on this idea. A reminder to create a daily ritual that gave you permission to pause and reset. I didn’t want it to be an overwhelming or elaborate activity where the thought often causes more anxiety for prep than the peace the ritual is meant to bring! It could be something as simple as looking at the Little Black Tin in your pantry, or pouring out a cup for your loved ones. Chai Diaries was meant to be your daily reminder to self-nurture. We make it simple to carve out time from your busy schedule to take a breather.
For me, this “break” reminded me of my journey and how far I’ve really come. The unexpected twists and turns, the blessings and little surprises, the “failures” and Divine Timing…
This brand and everything it stands for is me sharing my experience with all of you… encouraging you to do the same with this community we are building. Let’s celebrate the calm our chai brings to our daily chaos. Whether you enjoy your tea time once or multiple times in the day, know that you’ve taken a little time for yourself, guilt free, and that you are indulging in a fantastic experience of high quality teas that are propelling you forward toward the life of your dreams. Make time to #chaiandchill The world can wait.
