We had the good fortune of connecting with Naquela Pack and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Naquela, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Naturally I am cautious with risks however, throughout my career and starting a business I have learned there is value in taking calculated risks. I truly would not be where I am if I had played it safe and sat on the sidelines. Now this doesn’t mean being reckless with decision making but it was the uncomfortable risks I took that got me here!

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I became really intrigued with herbal medicine and holistic ways of healing and maintaining wellness. I began blending my own herbal teas. At first I began to strategize and plan to open a tea shop. The time, money and amount of energy to see this through was overwhelming and through meeting with my business mentors I was able to see a way to take baby steps towards that. I began to use e-commerce, do pop-up shops, and put my teas in locations for purchase. It is great to be able to share information on the wellness benefits of teas and herbal infusions with Planted Tea Shop! It is not a new phenomenon we have been using plants as medicine for centuries, often times we just forget about the benefits and I am working to bring that back ingot the conversation while sharing delicious teas in fun ways!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would start at a yummy breakfast or brunch spot, Homegrown or The Beacon. We would stroll downtown and hit up a few shops like Lucindas, Moon Store, and Milk float. We would need to grab lunch at Willies Wings food truck which has some vegan options or Sol Food. We also would want to check out the new river rides and jump on some scooters downtown to take us to Jenny Dawn Cellars for some wine. If they have a sweet tooth we can stop at Wichita Cheesecake Factory. We could stop at P& P seed company to check out any plants we may want to grab. Naftzer park may have something fun going on or Festive ICT may be putting on a fun event we could check out. The selfie studio may be something to check out too!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I have learned It really takes a village to raise a baby and it also takes a village to cultivate a business. The mentorship I have received formally and informally from business leaders in the Wichita community has been so helpful. A price couldn’t be put on the wisdom and experience they’ve shared.

Website: www.plantedteashop.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=planted%20tea%20shop

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