Steve Schwartz: Founder + Master Tea Blender, Art of Tea

The Art of Tea company, founded by Steve Schwartz, is perfectly named. Integrity, purpose, and deep care are steeped into everything they create and do. Visit the world of Art of Tea on the brand’s website, and there it is---art in all the products, art in all the storytelling, art in all the details: art is all around you. Steve’s educational journey in Ayurveda led to travel, and travel led to tea. What came next was Steve’s next-level approach to tea sourcing, blending, and drinking. He stepped up what we’d long come to accept from the tea market, and made a huge mark on the industry. After five years of creating and teaching sold out blending programs for the World Tea Convention, the industry deemed Steve a Master Tea Blender. Here on episode 94, we talk to Steve about being ahead of his time. He shares how tea borrows from wine appreciation, the specific way in which he taught himself how to be an entrepreneur, surrounding himself with sages, life shifts, being an explorer, and his opinion about a “one silver bullet approach” to wellness. We discuss how travel has shaped his experience and perspective, his love of learning, and some of the most interesting people he’s met along the way. He talks building his brand, how he turned his once underground brand into a big business, his brand mission, the keys to hiring, and his team and how they operate ---all with a dose or two of some very valuable advice. Steve talks about the communication secret. We of course get specific about his brand’s unique selections, sourcing and procuring the pristine ingredients that Art of Tea is known for, the details behind tea blending, and the story behind his decision to finally add wellness teas to the Art of Tea collection. We get the scoop on how to best prepare and enjoy tea. You’ll hear about the brand’s amazing collabs with people and companies from Slack and Google, to Wolfgang Puck and Vera Wang, to Penninsula Hotels, LACMA, and Huntington Gardens. Get ready to learn a little something about a little something special, hear all about the brand making an impact on people's lives through tea. Prepare to be inspired. A long time world traveler, Steve shares six serious travel hacks that are brilliant, that you can discover and shop here, along with other Steve recommendations, and all things Art of Tea:

• Follow @ArtofTeaLA on Instagram
• Art of Tea Earl Grey Crème Tea
• Art of Tea Big Sur Tea 
• Art of Tea Blue Pineapple Tea
• Art of Tea Matcha Cocoa
• The Doctor from India documentary 
• Comrad compression socks
• Cole Haan backpack for traveling
• Lypo-Spheric Vitamin C in liquid form
• Rad Roller peanut massage tool

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