Meet Orleatha Smith | Co-Founder

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

Hi Orleatha, other than deciding to work for yourself, what was the single most important decision you made that contributed to your success?
I made the decision to be open to being wrong. This single decision helped me to remain curious and explore ideas that were different than the ideas that I was holding so strongly. Every day, I wake up and chose curiosity so that I don’t miss any opportunities that “being right” will certainly make me miss!

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?
Created by two Black moms, Sip Herbals is an all-natural organic herbal coffee substitute brand that gives people who don’t tolerate coffee or who are looking to cut caffeine, the enjoyment of a warm, satisfying, grain-free, prebiotic beverage with the taste, body, and texture of coffee. It gives all of the coffee feels without the coffee flaws.

We started Sip in the middle of the Pandemic using the money from a successful crowdfund. We started with 144 backers and just 9 months later, we have over 1600 happy customers – with no advertising! We bootstrapped the entire thing and growing is never easy.

I think the ignorance of inexperience is the biggest challenge any entrepreneur faces. We made our share of mistakes because we simply didn’t know what we didn’t know. We are fast learners though and didn’t make the same mistake twice! We invested in learning and paid for some courses and groups in our niche. They helped with not only knowledge but with connecting us with people who had experience in our field.

We have learned a lot from courses and groups. The biggest lesson is that there is no shame in asking for help. Society (and the hustle culture) has taught us that we need to have all of the answers all of the time and that we must never be wrong. When we read those words, we immediately go “that’s impossible” but we still try to achieve all of them. Ask for help. Be willing to be wrong. Stay curious.

Kelly and I have been working in the real-food niche for over 10 years. We have a unique understanding of the pain of losing our morning ritual because we both dealt with health issues that made us ditch coffee in search of a suitable alternative. We both know, first hand, what it is like to give up coffee and miss that morning cup – it’s why we created the Sip Herbals line of coffee substitutes. As mothers, we want the world to know that our goal is to help others while giving ourselves the freedom of being entrepreneurs.

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 live in and love the South Bay because of its small-town feel while being a stone’s throw from fast-paced Los Angeles. Our itinerary would include:

Day 1 Enjoying breakfast at The Kettle in Manhattan Beach then biking Manhattan Beach Pier to El Porto where we would take surf classes at El Porto Surfboards
Definitely head to Gardena to enjoy the best sandwiches from Yo-Way

Day 2 play a few rounds at The Links at Victoria Golf Course in Carson then devour some karaage chicken at Tenkatori USA in Gardena

Day 3: Whale watching in Redondo Beach is the most scenic because the tours navigate next to the Palos Verdes Peninsula then make a bonfire at Dockweiller and enjoy s’mores

Day 4: Drive a Porsche at the Porsche Experience Center in Carson then visit the Goodyear Blimp

Day 5: Relax touring the South Coast Botanical Garden then visit a few lighthouses – Point Vicente Lighthouse and Angels Gate

Day 6: Visit the Long Beach Aquarium then some retail therapy at Del Amo mall

Day 7: Road trip Palos Verdes Peninsula because in my humble opinion, the coastal views beat Malibu by miles! Finish the day with wine tasting in Downtown Manhattan Beach

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My husband Chris deserves a LOT of credit and recognition. He was the one who told me to quit the job that paid very well but stole every ounce of joy. He was the one who encouraged me to keep going when I wanted to turn and run. He worked jobs that he did not love so that I could run after my dream. He invested his time, expertise, wisdom and, when the going got tough, he put his money where his mouth was. More than all of that, his unconditional love is what keeps me going every day.

Website: https://www.sipherbals.com

Instagram: @drinksipherbals

Twitter: @drinksipherbals

Facebook: @drinksipherbals