Blanket sponsors Andrews & Dunham share a mutual love and passion for tea. As they say “why keep all this knowledge penned up among our friends when instead we could start a risky, expensive, time-consuming entrepreneurial venture and share it with everyone?” Now that’s a business plan I can relate too! We talk to both Charles and Erik about their Damn Fine Tea!

What were your backgrounds before going into the tea business and why did you want to start your own business?
Charles: I was an anthropology professor at a private women’s college and also part-time explorer, mostly doing work for museums and secret government projects.
Erik: I built the Space Shuttle. I was looking for something more challenging, so I decided to launch a tea company.

Could you tell us a little about the concept of your brand?
Charles: There’s a lot of tea for sale on the internet these days, and while that in itself is a wonderful thing it can be a little overwhelming for people who are new to tea. Also, it’s pretty easy for regular tea drinkers to settle on a few favorites and get stuck in a rut — I have on many occasions. Our goal is to provide an entertaining way to connect people to some good teas, hopefully with as little angst as possible.
Erik: Everything about tea is interesting: the history, the growing, the variety, the brewing, the taste. Quite often, tea packaging doesn’t reflect the depth of complexity. We want your experience of our teas to begin online, continue through the packaging, the brewing, the drinking, and hopefully back to the site for more. Plus we get bored easily, so offering a new series of teas with their own design every so often keeps us frosty.

Working with designers who understand your ideas and what you would like to achieve is crucial. What was it about the guys at Aesthetic Apparatus that you knew it would be a good fit for your teas?
Charles: It was the firm handshakes that really sold me on those guys. And they treated us to a night in the Twin Cities that we’ll never forget! But seriously, they understand what we’re trying to do so well – possibly better than we do – that Erik and I considered hiring them an essential part of our business plan. Their design work always kicks ass (always!) but also they’re in business for many of the same reasons that we are so they’re perfect partners in this endeavor. BFF, guys!
Erik: Design is critical to a brand’s success. It’s also hell of a lot of fun. We needed a design team that did fantastic work but also had a great sense of humor. The fine gents at Aesthetic Apparatus made every effort to understand our idea and have done nothing but great work for us. We enjoy an enviable working relationship. Hugs!

Each tea label has it’s own look and personality – it this a conscious decision or does the flavour of the tea determine the way the labels look?
Charles: Yes and yes.
Erik: We make it up as we go.

What have you learned about yourselves and each other during the process of starting and now running your own business?
Charles: Don’t tell him I said this but Erik is almost always right about stuff. This can be somewhat (somewhat!) frustrating when we disagree but usually just gives me a whole lot of confidence having him as a business partner. Luckily for him, on the rare occasion that he’s wrong I’m right there with the correct answer! And while we still have a long, long way to go to meet our goals I can say without a doubt that running our own business is as immensely satisfying as I thought it would be. And nerve-wracking.
Erik: I have learned exactly how Charles likes his feet massaged. I’ve also learned that he is a fantastic writer. We’ve learned that running your own business is not easy. But every dime you earn is your own and not some cigar chomping, top hat wearing, private plane flying executive’s. The inverse is just as important: every dime you lose is right out of your own pocket.

You have just released your second series of teas and they are influenced by two imaginary boxers. Do you think it’s important to create a story about your teas – or is it just a bit of fun?
Charles: Not every tea needs a story – some will require songs or cartoons – but all our tea will be fun. Even if we do a “serious” series down the line I promise it will be the fun kind of serious.
Erik: We’re in it for the fun. Too often, tea is branded as serious and fuddy-duddy. If we had doilies, they would have horribly rude sayings laced into them.

What tea would you recommend to Blanket readers to promote their creativity?
Charles: Ours, of course!
Erik: Any green tea will take you to a tranquil place where the Idea Fairies will convey their dreams to you with a kiss to your forehead.

{BIG Thanks to Erik and Charles for letting us get to know them better and making tea cool again!}

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