Ricky, owner of Appalachian DiviniTEA, caught up with Voyage Raleigh in May 2023 for an inspiring conversation about being an entrepreneur and starting our small tea biz. Check out the full article – click here!
Inspiring Conversations with Ricky Van Warner of Appalachian DiviniTEA, May 2023.
“Today we’d like to introduce you to Ricky Van Warner.
Hi Ricky, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Tea has been a part of my life for as long as I remember. As a kid, I would sit at the table with my grandmother and sip various teas as she told me stories about her travels. This instilled two things in me from a young age; a love for tea and a wanderlust. Fast forward to 2019, when my partner, Nikki, and I took a one-way flight to Asia. Backpacking around the countryside, we explored many tea houses, and this deepened my passion for tea. We wandered through vast tea fields, learning about the cultivation and processing of the leaves. In these moments, my past and future collided – I could feel my passions coming to fruition. Upon returning to the States a few months later, I had the revelation to share this passion for tea with my community. I began seeking out the best quality ingredients, diving deep into herbalism to find which herbs resonated with my intention for each tea and perfecting my blends. I launched an online store soon after and became a vendor at local farmers’ markets across town. This connected me with the community and gave me an opportunity to talk about tea and share my blends. We currently sell our teas at 5 different markets each week as well as in select retail stores.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Although the vision for my business has always been clear, the road to get here has not always been easy. It’s been a lot of time, money, and sacrifice to get to the point I’m at today. Working 7 days a week between the markets, restocking products, and my “day” job has been quite a lot to juggle. I had some doubts in the beginning but continued to preserve to follow my dreams and make it happen. The hardships all pay off when I get to do what I love and share my creations with the world.
As you know, we’re big fans of Appalachian DiviniTEA. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about the brand?
We’re based in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains in Asheville, NC. The unique and biodiverse Appalachian region combined with our travels east to Asia has inspired us to share the everlasting tradition of tea with our community. We strive to help you nourish your mind, body, and soul with our organic tea blends.
Our teas are handcrafted with organic and sustainably sourced ingredients. By combining the highest quality teas and herbs in our small batch blends, we create magic in every cup.
Each tea is intentionally blended with ingredients that are traditionally believed to promote overall well-being. Our focus is herbal blends with holistic healing intentions, but we also source white teas, green teas, black teas, oolong teas, and more.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up.
My favorite childhood memory was walking to a meadow across from where I lived and laying down on the grass looking up to the sky. I always enjoyed watching the clouds pass by as the wind swirled through the trees. I remember all the flowers in spring coming up and how beautiful that was to witness. Nature has always been so inspiring to me, and I feel that this has lead me to the path I’m on today with my Tea business.”