The Art Of Brewing Mission-Driven Tea With Sara Delaney Of Sarilla

Have you ever considered the power of a beverage business to transform lives and empower communities while providing a unique product? Imagine a brand combining personal health benefits with ethical global impact while serving delightful sips. How far can such a mission extend beyond the beverage itself?

Successful entrepreneur Sara Delaney delves into her journey from living in Rwanda and supporting women there to creating an alcohol-free beverage brand with a heart. She shares inspiring stories about her sobriety, her passion for community and ethical practices in sourcing ingredients, and the importance of maintaining personal health as a founder. With hands-on involvement in her company's details, from water sources to ingredients, Sara reveals the care and authenticity poured into Sarilla.

On this episode of the Firebelly Social Show, Duncan Alney talks with Sara Delaney, Founder and CEO of Sarilla, about building a socially impactful business through tea. Sara shares her inspirations for creating Sarilla, the impact of her time in Rwanda, the importance of prioritizing your health as a founder, and the value of ingredient quality and transparency in beverage production.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: 

• [3:28] Sara Delaney shares her inspirations for creating Sarilla 

• [7:43] The transformative nature of Sara's time in Rwanda and its impact on her

• [10:20] The importance of prioritizing your health as a founder and its importance for leadership

• [15:41] Sara's tip for a perfect cup of green tea

• [19:47] The value of ingredient quality and transparency in beverage production

• [26:13] Sarilla’s sustainable and ethical tea production with a focus on branding and growth

• [31:03] Sara talks about entrepreneurship, sustainable business practices, exit strategies, and social impact 

• [35:39] What’s next for Sarilla?

About Sara Delaney:

Sara Delaney is the Founder and CEO of Sarilla, a company that provides alcohol-free, clean tea spritzers. With over 18 years of sobriety, she has channeled her passion for recovery into creating a healthier, more inclusive beverage option. Her transformative work in Rwanda, where she collaborated with women and genocide survivors, deepened her commitment to social impact, leading to initiatives in entrepreneurship training and trauma healing. Sara intertwined these experiences to launch Sarilla, which partners with global tea farmers for ethical sourcing. She values authenticity and refuses to compromise on ingredients or relationships, leading to an ethical and sustainable brand that stands out in the food and beverage industry.

Resources Mentioned in this episode

• Duncan Alney on LinkedIn

• Arnelle Mitchell on LinkedIn

• Firebelly Marketing

• Sara Delaney on LinkedIn

• Drink Sarilla

• Arshad Bahl on LinkedIn

• SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL by E. F. Schumacher

• "Redefining Kombucha and Sparkling Tonic Through Science-Based Innovation" with Jamba Dunn on Firebelly Social Show

• "CPG: My Way" with Arshad Bahl on Firebelly Social Show

• Small Is Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered by E. F. Schumacher

Quotable Moments:

• "Seeing your product in the wild is awesome. It's like they finished it and crushed it, and then they took the time to recycle it."

• "I think it's incredibly important for all of us, if we're going to be parents, if we're going to be managing other people, to take responsibility for our own health, physical, mental."

• "Tea is very sensitive to steep time and temperature; you have to catch it before that tannin goes over."

• "I'm not going to compromise my ingredients. I'm not going to compromise my relationships with the farmers."

• "Tea culture tends to be a little bit slower, whether you're steeping tea or drinking ready-to-drink tea."

Action Steps:

1. Consider sourcing ingredients ethically and sustainably: It impacts product quality and supports global communities. Ethical sourcing creates a product that consumers can trust and fosters positive change in the world.

2. Create a branded product that tells a story and evokes emotion: It can generate a deeper connection with consumers and enhance the overall brand experience.

3. Take responsibility for your health, especially when in a leadership or founder role: Personal well-being is crucial to maintaining the strength needed to manage the pressures of entrepreneurship effectively.

4. Educate yourself on the details of the production process, including water and ingredient quality: Knowledge of every aspect ensures that the final product is of the highest standard.

5. Embrace a global approach to business, building relationships with international partners: This approach extends your brand's influence and allows for a richer company culture.