How Orleatha Is Redefining Wellness With Sip Herbals—Without Chasing Store Shelves

Orleatha Smith likes to call it the 25,000-foot view.

Sip Herbals began at the height of the pandemic, but the seeds had been planted long before. Smith and her business partner had already spent over a decade collaborating on various ventures, including successfully exiting a SaaS company in 2019.

So when the world shifted dramatically in 2020, they were no strangers to starting over, just under very different circumstances.

At the time, Orleatha was struggling. “My anxiety was at an all-time high. My stomach was a mess. Everything was just... off,” she recalls.

When her business partner suggested that coffee might be the culprit, Smith’s immediate response was disbelief. “I was like, It is not my coffee. Do you know what’s going on in the world right now?” she laughs.

But when her therapist echoed the same concern, Orleatha had to pay attention. “Eventually, my body started screaming at me even more, and I knew I had to give it up.”

Still, giving up coffee didn’t mean giving up the ritual. She searched for a replacement—something warm, comforting, and grounding—but everything she found included caffeine, adaptogens, or mysterious “natural flavors.” As a former biology teacher and a trained master herbalist, Smith knew she could do better.

So she headed to the kitchen. “I put on my biology teacher hat, pulled out my herbs, and just started experimenting,” she says.

What emerged wasn’t just a drink. It was an experience. One she began sharing with friends, who soon started asking where they could buy it. That’s when it clicked. “We were like, hey... this sounds like a business to me.”

They launched a Kickstarter, which surpassed its goal, and just like that, Sip Herbals was born.

Fast forward to today. Sip Herbals has served over 600,000 cups, amassed a customer base of more than 22,000 people, and even made its way to Shark Tank. “That was huge,” Smith reflects. “It’s kind of like the Super Bowl of entrepreneurship.”

But what she’s most proud of isn’t just the national recognition or the buzz. It’s the impact. “We created something that helps people feel better in their bodies, that lets them exhale. That sip where your shoulders drop? That’s what Sip Herbals is all about.”

What has been your biggest risk that you’ve taken so far?

For Smith, entrepreneurship is a risk by definition. “Being an entrepreneur in and of itself is a huge risk,” she says. But one recent leap pushed Sip Herbals into completely new territory.

The company had just launched its own line of K-Cups—an innovative expansion that took their signature blends and repackaged them in a brand-new format. “It’s taking what we’ve already done and moving it into something we think will do really well,” Smith explains. “But who knows, right?”

The move required more than vision. It required investment. Orleatha and her team decided to funnel a significant portion of their pitch competition winnings into the launch. “We just said, okay. Go and grow and multiply. Go be something great.”

The risk was even greater because the herbal K-Cup market is still emerging. “There aren’t a lot of options like this out there. That’s why we were like... we might really be onto something.”

Whether or not it becomes a breakout success, Smith stands behind the decision. “It’s exciting. It’s scary. But that’s the nature of the work we do.”

Can you describe a significant setback you faced in building your business—and how you overcame it?

One of the earliest and most challenging setbacks for Sip Herbals came down to something unexpected: texture.

When the company first launched, Orleatha Smith and her team used powdered herbs in their blends. “Powdered herbs actually have a richer flavor,” she explains. “They sit on your palate in a really beautiful way, so we thought it would be perfect.”

But their customers had a different experience.

“We started hearing, ‘I don’t like that sludge at the bottom of my cup,’” Smith recalls. “People said no matter how much they strained it, the powder never fully dissolved. So we knew we had to pivot.”

That winter, the team made a strategic decision to switch from powdered to cut herbs. The plan was to sell through the remaining inventory during Black Friday, then use that revenue to purchase the new formulation in bulk. 

Not only would this solve the texture issue, it would also allow them to lower their prices. They communicated the change to customers, who responded with enthusiasm.

Then everything changed.

“Our co-packer, who also handled our logistics, saw how well we were doing,” Smith says. “He told us he was tripling his rates.”

For Orleatha, the timing couldn’t have been worse. “We had just told our customers we were lowering prices. We couldn’t go back on that. So we had to make a decision.”

That decision meant walking away. The team had to find a new co-packer, a new logistics partner, and rebuild everything from the ground up—all during the week of Christmas.

“All of the money we thought would be profit was gone,” she says. “We poured it into signing new contracts, moving our ingredients, remaking our products, and transitioning our entire supply chain.”

To make matters worse, the former co-packer demanded full payment on the spot. “He told us that because we were leaving, our net-30 terms were void. We had to pay for everything immediately. It was a huge financial hit.”

Looking back, Smith is proud of how they handled it. “That moment almost took us out,” she admits. “But we kept our word. We told our customers what we were going to do, and we followed through.”

That commitment runs deep. “We use the best ingredients, and we try to give our customers our absolute best. If we say we’re going to do something, that’s what we’re going to do. That’s how we were raised.”

What is the most critical lesson you've learned as an entrepreneur?

One of the most important lessons Orleatha Smith has learned while building Sip Herbals is simple: talk to your customers.

“Ask them what they want. What you’re doing right. What you’re doing wrong. What you could do better. What they want to see next,” she says. “Not what you think they want—what they actually want.”

When a business is built with its customers, not just for them, something powerful happens.

“They feel like they’re part of something bigger than themselves. Like they helped build it. And that creates real commitment. They want to see it succeed because they see themselves in it.”

But when founders make assumptions without asking, the disconnect shows. Smith compares it to a relationship. 

“It’s like when your partner gives you a gift you never asked for. And then they’re mad you don’t use it. You’re thinking, ‘But I didn’t ask for that.’ It’s the same with customers. If they didn’t ask for it, why are you giving it to them?”

That’s why communication is at the core of everything Sip Herbals does. The team surveys customers regularly and invites feedback at every step. 

“What do you want to see next? What can we do better? What are we doing great?” she says. “We ask it all. We try to treat our customers like partners, not just buyers.”

Whenever they’ve skipped that step, it’s come at a cost. “That’s when we make our biggest mistakes,” Orleatha admits.

Listening isn’t always easy, especially when pride gets in the way. “As an entrepreneur, this is your business, your baby. You think, I know what’s great. But you have to remember who you’re serving.”

For her, entrepreneurship isn’t about control. It’s about service.

“You have to be a servant. If you’re building something for other people, then let them help you. You can’t just do your own thing and expect them to want it. Otherwise, you might as well buy it all yourself.”

Can you describe what it was like preparing for the pitch competition and also what it was like to create a crowdfunding campaign?

Preparing for the pitch competition was no small task. While Orleatha had pitched before, this one came with a unique challenge: a strict two-minute time limit.

“Trying to squeeze everything you want to say about something you love into just two minutes is really hard,” she says. “You could talk about your business forever. So I had to keep editing, trimming, and practicing. I went over it again and again until I got it just right.”

The support from the pitch prep panels made all the difference. Each round of feedback helped her refine the delivery and focus the message for that specific audience. 

“Every pitch competition is different. Even if you’ve done twenty of them, you can’t assume the same approach will work. You have to tailor it each time.”

Fortunately, she’s no stranger to feedback. “Maybe it’s the former biology teacher in me,” Orleatha adds. “Feedback just means you get better. It’s not good or bad—it’s just information. So I really appreciated that.”

Running the crowdfunding campaign brought a different kind of challenge. Sip Herbals had done a successful Kickstarter years earlier, but this time the timing was tricky.

“We launched during the holidays, which made it a little tougher,” she explains. 

“Our first campaign was at the end of summer when people were already spending on back-to-school stuff, so they were more open to contributing. But around the holidays, it’s like, ‘Hey cousin, I know you're buying gifts, but could you spare a dollar or two?’” she laughs.

Despite the challenge, the campaign was a success. The funds helped bring Sip Herbals’ new K-Cup line to life and supported some backend improvements as well. 

“We used a little bit of it to upgrade our newsletters,” Smith shares. “It helped us stay connected to our customers in a more intentional way.”

Support for women of color entrepreneurs, as you know, can be limited. Can you share an experience where this might have been a hurdle for you?

Orleatha laughs softly. “How much time you got?”

The challenges have been constant—and layered. “Being a woman of color in business already comes with obstacles. But being a Black woman in CPG? That adds a whole new level of complexity,” she says.

Consumer packaged goods, the category Sip Herbals belongs to, is a difficult space to fund.

“CPG is very cash-intensive upfront. You have to buy everything before you can sell anything,”

Smith explains. “That’s already hard. Then add the fact that many investors aren’t even interested in product-based businesses.”

She draws a clear contrast. “Investors want tech. They want AI. They want a rocket ship.

Something that takes off fast and becomes a unicorn.

But CPG doesn’t move like that. It’s more like a solid Toyota—it will go far, last a long time, and deliver consistent value. It’s like investing in bonds. It takes time, but you’ll get your return and then some.”

That long-game model often doesn’t attract quick-return investors. For Smith, the intersection of industry, race, and gender has made funding even more difficult. “You can have the vision, the product, the numbers. But those layers still matter.”

To keep Sip Herbals alive and growing, she’s had to get creative. “We’ve done all the things,” she says. “We asked grandma. We asked cousins. We asked friends of friends. ‘Can you give a thousand dollars?’ And if someone said yes, we took it.”

She grins at the memory. “Some companies might say, ‘That’s not enough.’ We say, ‘We’ll take it.’ Every bit counts.”

That mindset has shaped their approach from the beginning. “We enter every pitch competition. We apply for every grant. We search for any opportunity that might help us keep going.”

Over the years, that persistence has become a skill in itself. “We’ve gotten real savvy,” Smith says. “Because that’s what it takes.”

What do you think is an entrepreneur's most essential skill or quality to have to be successful in business?

The most powerful trait in business, Orleatha believes, is the willingness to be wrong.

“Not saying, ‘Yes, I’m wrong’ or ‘Yes, I’m right,’ but just being open to being wrong,” she explains. “That mindset keeps you curious. It keeps you open to new perspectives. And it helps you avoid those rigid, costly mistakes that come from needing to be right.”

That kind of openness goes beyond strategy, it shapes culture. “When you’re willing to be wrong, people around you feel safe offering feedback. They feel heard. They want to share insights with you,” she says. “But when you act like you always have the answer, people stop engaging. They just think, ‘Let them be right. I’m not wasting my energy.’”

Smith calls this her “find out season”—a time to stay curious and let new information in. “I’d rather learn than cling to being right,” she says.

She also sees entrepreneurship as a mirror. “Business magnifies everything,” she explains. “If something’s off in your personal life, it usually shows up in your business too.”

Being open, especially in the face of uncertainty, allows her to lead with humility and adaptability. “It’s not about perfection. It’s about staying available to growth.”

How do you define success for yourself and your business?

To Orleatha , success isn’t one-dimensional, it’s about both reach and resonance.

“Of course, money matters. Everybody likes money. I love money,” she says with a smile. “But for me, success is really about impact. How many people can I help? How many spaces can I touch and leave better than I found them?”

She focuses less on recognition and more on how people feel after an interaction with her.

“I want them to remember that they felt heard. That they walked away thinking, ‘I can do the thing I didn’t think I could do.’ If someone feels more capable, more encouraged, more seen because of something I said or did—that’s success.”

While financial resources can create opportunities, she believes true transformation also comes through presence and intention. “Yes, you can change lives with money. But there are so many other ways to change lives.”

At the heart of it, her definition of success is simple: “My life goal is to keep finding ways to change people’s lives for the better.”

You've been working with your cofounder for quite some time. What makes a successful cofounder relationship? Any tips?

A strong cofounder relationship starts with mutual humility and trust.

“Sometimes Kelly will suggest a campaign and I’ll think, ‘That sounds kind of wild... but okay, let’s try it,’”

Orleatha says with a laugh. “I might not be convinced, but I’m open. And she does the same for me. I pitched something totally new the other day, and she said, ‘Let’s spend a hundred dollars and see what happens.’ That openness is everything.”

Their collaboration thrives on flexibility—but also on balance.

“We both know our strengths and weaknesses,” Smith explains. “Kelly is meticulous about visuals. She notices every detail—colors, layout, spacing. I’m more like, ‘Just post the thing.’ But I trust her eyes completely.”

She brings the same focus to operations. “I’ll read every word of a contract and pull out the key points. Kelly doesn’t want to go through all that—she wants the summary. So I give her the bullet points, and we keep moving.”

Self-awareness, she says, is essential. “You have to know where you’re strong and where you need support. If you don’t know your own weaknesses, it’s almost impossible to find someone who complements you.”

What makes their partnership work isn’t sameness—it’s alignment. 

“If you both have the same strengths, you’re not covering enough ground. If you both have the same weaknesses, you’ll struggle. The key is finding someone who fits where you need support—and being willing to do the same for them.”

What excites you most about the future of Sip Herbals?

Orleatha isn’t just thinking about retail shelves. She’s thinking bigger—and more intentionally.

“Everyone wants to get into Whole Foods or Target, and that’s fine,” she says. “Those stores are great, but they’re expensive to enter, and they’re not the only way to grow a successful business.”

What excites her most is expanding Sip Herbals into spaces where caffeine simply doesn’t fit, but comfort and ritual still matter. 

“We’re looking at hotels, maternity centers, fertility clinics—places where people want a warm, grounding drink but need to avoid caffeine because of how it affects hormones, pregnancy, or breastfeeding,” she explains.

These aren’t just alternative markets. They’re ideal environments for what Sip was created to offer. “Nobody’s really serving these spaces,” Smith says. “And Sip fits perfectly.”

She’s also eyeing retreats, spas, boutique hotels—settings where guests are seeking restoration, not stimulation. “Sometimes people want the ritual of coffee without the crash. Or they want something gentle on their body. That’s where we come in.”

This vision is exactly why Sip Herbals launched compostable K-Cups. “If we’re entering hospitality, we have to meet those businesses where they are,” she says. 

“Our K-Cups are fully compostable, our tea bags are compostable, and our packaging is either post-consumer recycled or recyclable. We’ve made sure we’re ready to move into these spaces with integrity.”

And while mainstream retail isn’t off the table, it’s not the finish line. “I don’t need to be in Whole Foods,” Smith says. “But if we’re in 150,000 birthing centers, maternity clinics, retreats, and boutique hotels—that’s real reach. That's a meaningful impact.”

She also points out the practical advantage for wholesale partners. “They can buy from us directly at a discount. It’s good for them, and it’s good for us.”

What excites her most isn’t just growth. It’s purpose. “We’re not chasing shelves,” she says.

“We’re building something that belongs where it can actually make a difference.”

What do you envision for the future of Black and Brown women entrepreneurs and small business owners?

Even in uncertain times, Orleatha remains grounded in optimism and truth.

“I know we always come out on top,” she says. “Right now, it might feel rough. It might look chaotic. But we’re resilient.”

That belief isn’t blind hope—it’s rooted in experience, both personal and collective. “We’re not just going to survive. We’re going to thrive,” she says.

For Smith, the hardest seasons often hold the most promise. “When it’s darkest, that’s when you can see the most stars. And right now? It’s almost time to shine.”

She’s clear-eyed about the current moment. “It doesn’t look good. It’s ugly. It’s scary. But that’s what makes what’s coming even more powerful,” she says. “We’ve been through worse—and we’ve always found a way.”

Looking ahead three years, if I asked, “How are things going?” What would you consider a successful outcome for Sip Herbals?

Orleatha has no hesitation in her vision.

“In three years, I want Sip Herbals to be in every maternity and fertility clinic in the United States,” she says. “I want every expectant and trying-to-conceive family to know who we are.”

Her goal isn’t mass-market recognition for the sake of scale. It’s about becoming essential to a specific, deeply underserved community. 

“Folgers is great. You hear the name and know exactly what it is. I want that same kind of recognition—but in this space. I want to own that demographic.”

For Smith, success means showing up where people need the most care. “Every postpartum mother. Every fertility journey. Every family navigating those seasons—I want Sip to be part of that,” she says.

And she’s speaking it into existence. “That’s the vision. That’s what I’m building. I’m putting it out there.”

Let’s talk a little bit about mental health. Being an entrepreneur is extremely demanding. How do you prioritize self-care and maintain work-life balance? Any specific routines or practices?

For Orleatha, self-care starts with one non-negotiable: rest.

“When I’m tired, I rest. I don’t push through it,” she says. “And I remind myself—my work is not my worth.”

That mindset didn’t come easily. Smith describes herself as a recovering perfectionist. “I used to be super Type A. I was raised by a tiger mom. If I got an A, the question was, ‘Was it a 100? Was there extra credit? Did you do that too?’ It was always about doing more, achieving more, being more.”

That pressure eventually caught up with her. “It led to burnout, anxiety, and depression,” she shares. “I’d look back at something I didn’t get perfect and spiral. And one day I just said—no more. I’m not doing that to myself anymore.”

Now, her days are grounded in joy and balance. “I prioritize play. I laugh every day. I find something that makes me smile. I don’t take everything so seriously anymore.”

One of her favorite self-care tools is something she calls a “thought on deck”—a mental image that helps disrupt spiraling or rumination. “I was teaching this to my daughter too,” she says.

“You need something you can access right away that snaps you out of that loop.”

For Smith, that thought is her rescue dog, Chips.

“He’s the least graceful dog you’ve ever seen. Most dogs ease onto their bed—Chips just drops,” she laughs. “You hear this loud thud. Every time I’m spiraling, I think of Chips and it instantly pulls me back. Even if just for a second, it shifts something.”

That small, joyful interruption helps her return to the present. “You need something that grounds you. Something that reminds you there’s more to life than whatever’s playing on repeat in your mind.”

And Chips is never far. “He’s my shadow. We rescued him from a kill shelter during the pandemic, and now he follows me everywhere,” she smiles. “He saved me as much as I saved him.”

Do you have a favorite quote or mantra?

There are many that Orleatha returns to, but one lives permanently on her wall.

“It says, ‘Beauty has so many forms, and I think the most beautiful thing is confidence and loving yourself,’” she shares. “That’s the one I see every day.”

For Smith, it’s more than a quote—it’s a grounding truth. “Love can sound so fluffy, but when you really lean into it, it’s powerful. Especially self-love. That’s hard in a world that constantly tells you not to.”

Confidence and self-love, she believes, are foundational. “You have to love yourself. And you have to have confidence in that love.”

She smiles, then adds a mantra she often shares, even if it starts as a joke. “I always say—have the confidence of a mediocre white man. That kind of confidence will take you far.”

Too often, she’s walked into rooms where she was the most prepared, the most qualified—and still felt the need to shrink. “I’ve done it. I’ve said, ‘Thanks for having me,’ instead of realizing, I worked hard to be here. I earned this.”

That shift matters. “You have to carry self-love and confidence with you,” she says. “Because without them, it’s hard to build anything lasting. They’re the springboard for everything.”

Are there any particular books or podcasts that you would recommend?

Books: Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself by Nedra Glover Tawwab, Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection by Charles Duhigg

Podcasts: Black Girl Mental Health, Therapy for Black Girls & Mel Robbins

What is a must have tool or app that you need to have for your business?

Calendly

What is one food item you have a hard time saying no to?

Pizza.

So what’s next for Sip Herbals? Is it the K-Cups, or is there something else in the works?

Expanding the K-Cup line is a key priority—but it’s only part of what’s ahead for Sip Herbals.

“We just launched our most popular flavor, Signature Roast, in K-Cup form,” says Orleatha Smith. “Now we’d love to bring our other top flavors into that format. Getting the top three or four out there would be incredible.”

Beyond product development, the next major focus is funding.

“Fundraising is what’s really next,” she explains. “It feels like it’s always ongoing, but it’s essential. We need capital to move into the sectors we’re most excited about.”

Those sectors—maternity and fertility clinics, retreat centers, boutique hotels—require strategic growth and the right team behind it.

“We want to hire people who can help us step into those spaces in a thoughtful, intentional way,” Smith says. “That’s the next chapter for Sip.”

Any last words?

“This has actually been a really great experience,” Orleatha Smith says with warmth. “I realized I hadn’t said that yet—but I’ve really enjoyed this.”

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