by Natascha | Mar 10, 2014 | Boulder, Boulder Colorado Senior Photography, Broomfield Community Spotlight, Broomfield Companies for Mothers, Colorado, Community, Community Spotlight, Denver, Local Broomfield Business, Resources for Mothers
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.
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“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.
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.
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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by Natascha | Mar 3, 2014 | Broomfield Colorado Family Photography, Broomfield Community Spotlight, Broomfield Companies for Mothers, Colorado, Community Spotlight, Resources for Children, Uncategorized
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!
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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.
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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by Natascha | Feb 24, 2014 | Broomfield colorado Baby Photography, Broomfield Colorado Family Photography, Broomfield Community Spotlight, Broomfield Companies for Mothers, Colorado, Community Spotlight, Local Broomfield Business
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.
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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.
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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