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Starting NUMI was a major decision beyond just starting a business; it was about lifestyle, place of living, the way the mind works, and many more intricacies that weren't even clear to me at that time. 

My sister and I had the idea in late 1998 on a trip our family took to the Grand Canyon, but I was still living on my farm in Europe and couldn't even imagine living in the US and running a business. I was torn by the idea for many reasons; living the Bohemian life in Europe was quite nice, and after 10 years, it was becoming my home. I had beautiful tea houses in Prague, an apartment in Paris and Prague, a farm in the countryside, a large communitea of friends and artists all across the European countries, and a sense that I was becoming a true artist, focused on developing these skills in my thirties… so why even consider putting my mind and heart into business??? In fact, I thought business was corrupt, capitalism was greedy, and everything that is needed to run a major business, not worth my time and energy.

On one of my rare trips to United States in late 1998 (the same time my sister and I discussed the idea of NUMI), I went to my father with lots of hesitation to ask him if he would sponsor me for 2 years. I wanted to live full time on my farm and become a full time artist. To that point I was mostly making a living from photography and film making as well as some small income from my tea houses, but my heart was pulling me towards painting, sculpting, building with natural materials and over all living in the countryside. I asked him if he would give me $1,500 a month for two years so I could live on my farm in Europe and pursue my creative endeavors so that I did not need to live in the day to day hustle of city life and the "rat race" of survival. He said YES…!!! I was really surprised, shocked; didn't even know what to say, but obviously thanked him and left our discussion more confused of my destiny. The idea of NUMI was also spinning in my head, but that was an unknown; Art was my calling and I really wanted to give it my 110%. I knew I would create beautiful work, given the opportunity to focus on it all the time… BUT I took a 180 degree turn, didn't want the free ride from my dad's kindness and told my sister I would work with her to create NUMI!

Business as Art

As an artist for the past 20 plus years, running a major business in the U.S. is not a Bohemian adventure, nor is it something that many artists can jump into with courage and motivation, especially if one is not trained or experienced in operating a business. Business works more off the conscious mind, with lots of decisions being made on a daily basis, including financial capital needs, intricacies with human resources and the legalities of operating a for-profit business. The creation of art for me is living more in the unconscious, and tapping into the spiritual powers of one's emotions, thoughts and the intangible world of dreams and fantasies, creating what "feels right" and feeds off the "senses". For about 10 years I lived in various cities across Europe & and another 5 years in NYC developing my skills in painting, writing, photography, film making, musical and getting my hands busy in many types of building projects; from mosaic making to stone work and the beauties of building houses and planting gardens. So in creating a business with my sister, who is also a trained artist, I remind myself every day, that we too are creating something different than just a business; an experience and lifestyle that has an effect on everything it touches, similar to an art piece.

The dream in this journey is born in every moment and lives strong in NUMI, from the passionate and dedicated tea'm that drive the business forward; our core values of creativity and innovation; our major initiatives with sustainability, saving the planet and the people that make our products; and much more. It gives us a profound purpose that business can have meaning when you do it with more intentions than just selling a product. It gives our internal tea'm and our external communitea a larger sense of connection by providing both the mysterious forms that is found in art and innovation as well as feeling like you are making a difference each day by giving back to the world around you… and of course, having an incredible product that is premium and tastes great! From the decisions made in our supply chain to the types of products we market, each step is done with such care and feeling, that it reminds me like we are creating a large masterpiece. Being the first to bring exotic organic herbs and teas from across the world with bountiful health benefits and deep roots in the history of origins allows us to share this culture and ceremony of how it sustained itself for hundreds of years and still praised for its affects and healing properties. This is the beauty and inspiration that keeps me going every day; fueling to continue to open the boundaries and create new experiences that have never existed before, or ones that have lived in deep tradition, but through NUMI are allowed to be shared and cared for by the greater public… this is so special!!!

Supporting a Global Communitea

Being a part of a vision that is manifested by creativity, strong values for nature and people and infused with love and turned into a product that is enjoyed by thousands of people across the world is something so special, that it's hard to find words to describe the feelings. It almost feels like a communitea of people that share in our values and the journey we take to bring these exotic premium organic herbs and teas across the planet to our local markets. It is incredible to watch how teas and herbs travel across the globe, starting in small remote villages that are so far from what we take for granted in our daily lives. These villagers with very little in their lives love to cultivate and produce the best quality organic teas and herbs, but the journey it takes to leave these villages to get across the world is almost like a miracle. Each time it happens, it is like we have been blessed by the powers of nature and the people who love what they do every day. Our commitment to organic and fair trade provides a greater reward, acting as stewards to mother earth and the farmers/villagers. Being a part of this global communitea is a rare feeling; one that I believe we are in need of more and more, especially as the world gets smaller through ease of travel, communication accessibility and internet technology.

Traveling across the world to remote villages in China, India, Africa, South America and other countries to source our organic herbs and teas reminds us to get even more intimate and committed to our core values of organic and fair trade. When you witness the way people live in these developing countries, you take ownership and responsibility to care for them, especially as we strive to grow our partnerships and find more ways to create stronger fair trade programs. I have learned so much during our travels about the local farming, the villages, their needs to live simple lives and how we can bring the ceremonial attributes of these teas and herbs to the US. On one trip to China, I met a man in the Yunnan Mountains who at the age of 31 was called a hero! The Chinese Gov't leased him hundreds of acres of land in the high mountains to grow tea, but there was no road access to these high mountainous regions, so he recruited a very poor community from Northern China where he grew up to pave the road. In doing so, they were all given housing, paid well beyond a fair wage and experienced many things in their lives that they may have never seen if they lived their entire lives in their poor village. I really wish everyone can see and experience the journey these herbs and teas take to get from one place to another as well as the lives of these farmers compared to how we live in the US. It is an experience and education that is life long, and reminds me that we can make a difference each and every day by making the decisions that help our communitea. The people we can touch and help every day if we really care is so inspiring and gives me a purpose to forge ahead with the business at NUMI.

These intentions have a ripple effect, and I personally hope that NUMI's business model has an impact beyond our customers, our farmers, the earth and other businesses, but will transcend time as a role model for others in years to come.  So it is thru this creation and mindfulness in NUMI that makes it beyond just the product; it allows everyone to learn and experience a life full of abundance for themselves and those that need it most, including the care for nature around us. It is what feeds us and keeps us strong every day. Sometimes, we miss the obvious and look through the forest without ever seeing the trees. If we stopped more often to smell the roses and watch the beauties right in front of us, we can give more love and create so many magical wonders that make all our moments matter so much more...