(Boulder) Community Spotlight Series #5: The Tea Spot (Brought to you by Natascha Lee Studios)

Community Spotlight! We are continuing to book spring sessions, and with the gorgeous weather lately we are really feeling the itch to get back outdoors and shoot! This week we take a look at an exciting business in Boulder, The Tea Spot with CEO Maria Uspenski. Maria describes herself as a mechanical engineer by background as well as a Cancer survivor. Cancer is actually what helped her discover the amazing health benefits of tea while in recovery. Through this experience being able to provide quality tea products and make them accessible became the inspiration behind The Tea Spot. Maria’s story is truly so inspirational that I could go on for days but to learn more click here. [caption id="attachment_3071" align="aligncenter" width="263"]Tea-Spot-CEO-263x “Loose leaf tea became an integral part of my own recovery and continues to be a key component of my daily health regimen. The simple act of preparing loose tea is likely just as therapeutic as the tea itself. It gives me great joy to be able to share this with others and I am continually inspired by the people who courageously and actively fight to survive.”
-Maria[/caption]  

Can you tell me about The Tea Spot?

We are a for-profit philanthropic business whose mission is to foster wellness by making loose leaf tea an everyday luxury.  That said, we approach the solution from 2 directions – by offering healthy, antioxidant-rich teas that people will find so delicious that they can’t HELP but keep drinking them; and by designing and manufacturing a line of housewares that make loose leaf tea EASY – this excited line is called STEEPWARE.

How did you decide to get into this business? – Any inspirations?

My inspiration is the drive to change American drinking habits (esp. those of young girls). I want to get them off unhealthy sugared, preserved beverages and on to healthy, fresh brewed teas.

the-teaspot-logo

Curious to what this loose and whole leaf tea is all about? Check out this amazing starter kit that really includes all you need to brew and steep your own tea! You can also purchase their tea in many locations in the area.

How does your business/product positively affect the community?

We benefit the community in two key ways – by introducing better teas, and through our 10% Pledge! The Tea Spot pledges 10% of all sales as in-kind donations to cancer wellness and community programs – predicting to give back $250,000 this year!

What is your favorite product that you offer at The Tea Spot?

It’s always the latest one I’ve been working on!  The new NEW thing… but there are many really.  The Steep & Go  which debuted last year, is picking up lots of traction internationally, and we’re looking to get US distribution on it this year.

Also most recently, I’ve been working on a line of certified organic teas which we’re getting into tins this year, and they will be launching in Whole Foods in the Colorado region as well as in Canada this Spring.  I’ve just loved working on that project.

Wondering about the difference between bagged tea and loose-leaf tea? Check out the explanation here!

What makes your business unique?

THE PEOPLE .  Everything else is secondary.  I know that good business practice always puts the customer first, and all my team does – with the 10% Pledge in mind – but for me, it’s ALL about the employees.  Each of our amazing products, each of our wonderful customers – they are ALL a reflection of the people at The Tea Spot.

 Custom Tea and Yoga Coffee Mug by Natascha Lee Studios - Tea Art

Here at Natascha Lee Studios, we have tried their tea and it is truly wonderful! So tasty!  Our favorite is Boulder Blues!

To learn more about The Tea Spot you can visit them online!

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Broomfield Community Spotlight Series #4: Game Only Sports (Brought to you by Natascha Lee Studios)Game Only Sports

newborn and children sessions outside with our Broomfield Spring sessions starting to book now! While we all have a little cabin fever this week, let’s take a look at Game Only Sports. It’s the perfect spot to be active regardless of weather -which can be a challenge in our beautiful Colorado with the weather changing so much daily! Read on for the fourth installment in our Community Spotlight series.  🙂 Game Only Sports, located in Broomfield, Colorado is truly a one-of-a-kind place for children, parents, groups and parties to have an exciting and positive experience playing soccer and volleyball without any pressure. Taking practice and pressure out of the equation you are able to come together to play pick-up games- where the focus is having fun! [caption id="attachment_3027" align="aligncenter" width="277"]I remember an Age 12-13 Game with some really good players. There was one young girl that had never played before. Every time the other players would pass her the ball, she would lose it. Anywhere else I had played soccer, this would lead to her never getting the opportunity again. But the other kids continued to feed her the ball. Not only did they keep passing to her, but when she finally kicked the ball in the right direction, two of her teammates told her “Good Job!” As you can imagine, she got really excited and her confidence was boosted. She ended up scoring goals having the hour of her life. Picture provided  Ryan Aweida, Owner of GO Sports[/caption]

Q: How did you decide to open Game Only Sports? –Any inspirations?

A:  I was providing traditional training sessions for kids from the time I was 13 years old.  In March of 2010, I finished my last game of the winter with a deep breath.  I pledged to never run another drill.  I was sick of seeing kids get better, but see the body language screaming to me that they were going to be “burnt out” at way too young of an age.  My mom asked me, if you don’t do traditional sessions, what would you do?  The answer was simple.  I would give the kids a chance to play!  I wanted to give the kids a chance to scrimmage.  That is what they wanted to do anyway.  What was wrong with letting the kids enjoy playing the game in a controlled environment?  We spent a couple months preparing to organize the logistics for the Perfect Pick Up Game.

Q: What is the most challenging thing about owning/running Game Only Sports?

A: The most challenging part about owning and running Game Only Sports is helping our customers understand why we do things in our unique manner.  We are different from the norm since we don’t allow any coaching.  It can be hard for parents to watch their kids make their own decisions.  It is common for parents to want to prevent their kids from failing, but we create an environment where the kids can play without the fear of failure.

Q: What is the mission of Game Only Sports?

A: Game Only Sports is creating a new way to play sports. We give players the chance to play for FUN!

Q: What makes Game Only Sports standout?

A:  Game Only Sports stands out because there are no other places in the country that does what we do.  There are pick up games, but when you combine our flexible scheduling with our positive environment, we are truly one of a kind.  We give our players a chance to play games when they want to without the big commitments and we put a staff member on the field to run the game from a player’s perspective.

 gosl

Ryan commenting on his favorite moment at GO so far:

“I remember an Age 12-13 Game with some really good players. There was one young girl that had never played before. Every time the other players would pass her the ball, she would lose it. Anywhere else I had played soccer, this would lead to her never getting the opportunity again. But the other kids continued to feed her the ball. Not only did they keep passing to her, but when she finally kicked the ball in the right direction, two of her teammates told her “Good Job!” As you can imagine, she got really excited and her confidence was boosted. She ended up scoring goals having the hour of her life.”

What an inspirational story!

 

Q: Who can participate in Game Only Sports? Do you need to be a skilled player?

A: We believe it is important to have three characteristics to achieve our mission of FUN – Inclusiveness, empowerment and healthy competition.  To achieve inclusion, we want to give anyone the chance to play sports.  No skills or experience is necessary.  We have the ability to make this happen because we pick the teams.  Even though there will be players of different levels, we get to spread them out into relatively even teams.  We have all ages and levels from Age 6-7 to Adults.
How fun would it be to participate in these pick-up games, host a party or a team-building event? Such a perfect place for an active and fun birthday party for your sports lover!

Q: Who is your average participant? Do they compete in sports outside of GO?

A: Our average participant is a soccer player with some experience coming from outside training like a local soccer club. However, we are looking for more players who don’t have that experience. We are the perfect environment and format for kids that play other sports or even no organized sports!  We truly believe in our mission to give everyone a chance to have fun playing sports. GO also has an awesome mentoring program for kids 10 and over to take on and help a younger players by motivating them and supporting them in their playing!

Q: How does Game Only Sports positively affect the community?

A: Game Only Sports has a GO Give Back Program.  The goal of this program is to give back to the community in any way we can.  We have a program to give any player a chance to play, regardless of their ability to pay.  We also participate in a variety of community service projects, including adopt-an-area and helping a variety of non-profit organizations. Looking to learn more about Game Only Sports? Visit them online, Save your spot for a pick-up game, or Email Ryan at ryan@gameonlysports.com

Do you have or know any small businesses that would like to be featured here?  Email us at CommunitySpotlight @ NataschaLeeStudios.com

We offer newborn, children and family photography to families in Lafayette, Westminster, Highland, Denver, Golden, Louisville, Broomfield, and Boulder.
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Broomfield Community Spotlight Series #3: Legacy for Health (Brought to you by Natascha Lee Studios)

Brittany here with the third installment of Community Spotlight, brought to you by Natascha Lee Studios.

We are having a great time interviewing local businesses (Broomfield, Boulder, Lousiville, Lafayette) who offer wonderful products and services for local parents and their families. We have so many more great local Boulder County companies that we can’t wait to introduce you to – we’ll plan/hope/try 😉  to publish a new one each Monday. If you or someone you know runs a local business that would like to be featured, have them contact us today!

Today we will be chatting with Jessica Wurtsbaurg who owns Legacy for Health in Broomfield, Colorado.

[caption id="attachment_2967" align="aligncenter" width="240"]Jessica of Legacy for Health in Broomfield Colorado Jessica of Legacy for Health in Broomfield Colorado – Photo provided by Jessica[/caption] Jessica, who was driven to provide the safest and healthiest environment for her family, started Legacy for Health featuring Shaklee products.  Shaklee is most known for their natural and chemical free cleaning supplies;  they also offerthe #1 Natural Nutrition Products in the nation. Did you know Opera uses Shaklee products? They are actually on of Oprah’s favorite things. Shaklee is also used in the White House. And…if Oprah and White House endorsements aren’t enough ;-), here @ Natascha Lee Studios, we use their cleaning products in our studio. So your newborns aren’t exposed to harsh chemicals during their portrait session. Shaklee Cleaning Products in Broomfield Colorado - Community Spotlight Series by Natascha Lee Studios  

 Q:  Jessica, tell us about Legacy for Health?

A: We are a health and wellness business, from top to bottom!  We love to help families learn how to live in toxin-free homes, achieve a healthy weight in a healthy way, help others build a solid path to a healthier life with nutrition!

Q. Tell us a little about yourself?

I was a stay at home mom with a medical background who wanted to talk with adults!  I LOVE being home and involved with my kids in their schools and other activities.  I love to bake, cook and garden!  I would say that soups are my specialty!

Q: How does your Legacy for Health and Shaklee positively affect the community?

A: In many ways!  We help support Bal-Swan Children’s Center each and every month by giving back to them a percentage of their sales and by offering a toxin-free environment for the students!  We help remove toxins from every home within the community that uses Shaklee products.   We donated close to $100,000 worth of cleaning and nutritional products to flood victims in Boulder, Estes Park and their surrounding areas.  The company that we partner with has a commitment to being 100% carbon neutral – so they are helping to protect the planet in which our community thrives!  These are just a few!

If you are interested in contacting Jessica or purchasing Shaklee products you can contact her online, or at jessica@legacy4health.com.

 
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Broomfield Community Spotlight Series #1 : Usborne Books

Hello! This is Brittany, Natascha’s assistant, and we are so excited to introduce Broomfield Community Spotlight, a new series showcasing small, local businesses in our Broomfield, Colorado community. Driven by passion, small business owners fearlessly take on the risks associated with working for themselves. In this series we’ll take an intimate look into the lives of these small business owners to see why they are doing what they are – and the impact that they hope to have (and have already had) on our local Broomfield community. We are thrilled to introduce Lost Lagoon Books, owned by Gail Sawchuk in Broomfield. Boomfield Colorado Lost Lagoon Books Logo - books and activities for Children Lost Lagoon Books is based out of Broomfield, CO and specializes in selling Usborne Publishing Books. Usborne’s are known for their ability to both educate and entertain young readers- winning the Children’s Publisher of the Year 2012-2013.  Usborne has a strong mission of providing education to our children, while embracing family values to have a positive impact on their lives. As an advocate for childhood literacy, Gail started a non-profit, Heroes and Dragon Slayers. Heroes and Dragon Slayers partners with many local community agencies to provide free books and literacy training to those who are at-risk to encourage a love of reading and education at an early age.

[caption id="attachment_2811" align="aligncenter" width="113"]Broomfield Community Spotlight - Usborne and Lost Lagoon Books for children Gail Sawchuk of Lost Lagoon Books in Broomfield, Colorado[/caption]

“Lost Lagoon is dedicated to providing books, tools and resources to parents, teachers, schools, nonprofits, mentors, counselors etc.
 It is our goal that all children develop into resilient and independent adults with strong characters”

-Gail Sawchuk

Q:         Tell me about Lost Lagoon Books.

A:         I sell children’s books and promote literacy as an independent consultant with a publishing company called Usborne Books & More.

Q:         How did you decide to get into this business?

A:         I was looking for an opportunity where I could be my own boss. Set my own hours so I could spend time with my boys who are 5 ½ and 4. Make my own decisions and be able to be creative.  All of my career has been focused on children and families. I know how vital it is for children to learn to read so they can be successful in school and life but unfortunately, too many do not. Plus, I love children’s books and find so much value in the time I spend reading with my children. Usborne provides a connection of all of this for me.

Q:         What is your favorite part of owning Lost Lagoon Books?

A:         The flexibility and creativity. I love being able to schedule my time so that I can be with my kids. I enjoy exploring all the possibilities and finding the ones that best meet my skills and passions.

Q:         What prepared you to take on the challenge of owning a small business?

A:         Prior to this, I was Executive Director of a non-profit called Parenting Place. That experience provided me with a lot of the skills I needed. However, there I had an amazing staff to help run the day to day operations and programs. Doing this on my own does present challenges. I think the most important lessons I have learned is to start simple with what has been proven to work for others and then when those pieces are working smoothly you can add some creativity and personal flair. It is a constant evaluation of what is working and finding ways to build confidence rather than be discouraged by setbacks.

Q:         How do Lost Lagoon Books and Usborne positively affect the community?

A:         Illiteracy is a huge problem in our country. Nearly 2/3 of fourth graders cannot read at grade level. By providing free books to schools and children I am providing access to books they may not have had. The books are interactive and educational. They inspire a love of reading and learning and give parents tools to engage with their children in that process. Through Home Shows I can talk with parents about the importance of reading to their children and share some of the ways they can get involved with fighting illiteracy with their own children and in the community.

Q:         In the New Year, where do you see your business heading?

A:         I see my business growing. I am looking for enthusiastic people to join my team. There are so many things I want to do bring more books to the schools and children who need them the most but I can only do so much on my own. One piece I plan to focus on more is partnering with local businesses to support their community schools. I would also like to work with local literacy programs to support the amazing work they are doing. Contact Gail via:   Lost Lagoon website, or Facebook  or her blog with tips and tricks for nurturing a love of books in your family!   Every online order helps to support and provide books to a young mothers club in Longmont to spread the knowledge of the importance of reading to children and the impact of literacy can have on children’s futures.

Do you have or know any small businesses that would like to be featured here?

Email us at CommunitySpotlight @ NataschaLeeStudios.com

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