Cup of Te makes Oprah's Favourite Things List
December 9, 2020
Some days are just harder than others for Taylor Lindsay-Noel.
July 15, however, is by far the most difficult.
On that day 12 years ago, she broke her neck while attempting to dismount the parallel bars during a training session.
Now in a wheelchair, Lindsay-Noel – who was 14 at the time – was understandably having a bad day on the accident anniversary this year when she stumbled on an email from an editor at ‘O, The Oprah Magazine’.
The message requested a sampling of her high-end organic teas for testing to compete with myriad products vying for inclusion on Oprah Winfrey’s 2020 Favourite Things List
Thinking it was spam, she deleted it.
“As you can understand, it came on a really, really difficult day for me,” Lindsay-Noel said.
With the email still on her mind an hour later, she goggled the sender’s name and checked their LinkedIn homepage.
“Then is when I realized this person was employed with ‘O, The Oprah Magazine’,” noted Lindsay-Noel. “I made a phone call and the next thing you know I was shipping products that would eventually get to Oprah.”
A tea lover, she launched a podcast, ‘Tea Time with Tay’ four years ago that in 2018 morphed into Cup of Te -- an online retailer of loose-leaf organic teas and tea ware.
The specialty curated set of six ethically sourced teas – Noms Berry Delight, Zesty Lemon Ginger, Peppermint Devotion, Cream of Earl Grey, Cha Cha Chai and English Breakfast – made the list of 72 products that are featured in the December issue of ‘O, The Oprah Magazine’.
Taylor Lindsay-Noel displays the sourced teas that caught Oprah Winfrey’s attention (Photo contributed)
A total of 50 of the products selected, including Rihanna’s million-dollar brand, were created by Black-owned or-led businesses.
To have Oprah reach out is a huge deal for Lindsay-Noel who broke a leg while training 13 years ago.
“I remember racing home from gymnastics to watch her shows and me and my mom still subscribe to her magazine,” she pointed out. “We have been doing that for nearly 15 years. The magazines are all over our residence. I haven’t had the opportunity to speak to her, but what I have gathered is that she reaches out to everyone on the list. I can’t wait for that to happen.”
The publicity generated by Cup of Te making Oprah’s list will certainly boost the company’s sales at a time when the pandemic poses an existential threat to small businesses.
Many are, however, thriving because of their online presence.
“More people are shopping online because of COVID and the Black Lives Matter Movement surge has paved a way for shoppers to seek out Black-owned companies,” she said. “People who might not have taken a chance on supporting our business has because of that and they have stayed with us because they recognize we have quality products and packaging that rivals other luxury brands.”
Sourced from around the world, the teas are batched and blended in Canada and the United States and shipped out of Toronto.
The teas are sourced from around the world (Photo contributed)
“We have made a conscious decision to buy only organic which makes our inventory and our selection smaller,” said the business owner. “However, we provide teas that are a high quality.”
Lindsay-Noel starts her day with a cup of tea.
“During the day, I would drink a few more cups,” she said. “I travelled a lot when I was into gymnastics and when I got back home, one of the first things I did was drink a cup of tea. It just made me feel comfortable. Whenever we had people over at our home, my mother offered her guests tea. It made me feel at home and provided a sense of community.”
Peppermint used to be Lindsay-Noel’s favourite tea.
Since starting the business, that has changed to Rooibos and the Noms Berry Delight that are part of her company’s product line.
A dollar from every starter tea kit will go to the Centre for Addiction & Mental Health (CAMH).
There’s a very good reason for that.
“There are still so many stigmas around mental health along with a lack of information,” she said. “Considering that one in four people are affected either directly or indirectly and the Black community isn’t excluded, I feel that anything I can do to change the narrative and bring awareness isn’t too much for me.”
Considering becoming a neurosurgeon before the accident, Lindsay-Noel pivoted and pursued Media Production studies at Ryerson University. She was on the Dean’s List every year.
The goal then was to become an Entertainment reporter.
During internships with Global News and ET Canada, Lindsay-Noel realized she might be sitting at a desk for several years before getting the opportunity to be in front of the camera.
“Also, the physical strain of being in a working environment daily without the opportunity to make my own hours just didn’t seem feasible,” she pointed out.
Enrolled in Sport Seneca Club gymnastics program where she trained and attended classes, Lindsay-Noel – like all of the program participants who reach high school level – transitioned to Northview Heights Collegiate Institute for Grade Nine in the fall of 2007.
Though the London Olympics was five years away, the elite athlete was a leading prospect to make the Canadian team before the horrific accident.
“That was definitely the worst of day of my life,” said Lindsay-Noel who spent 19 months in rehab at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital before returning to high school and becoming an Ontario scholar. “I have had a lot of time to process past that day. It was definitely a pivotal moment in my life. It’s something that I look back on now and am happy and proud with the way I handled things. I feel like if I was older, it would have been harder because I would have been more knowledgeable about that fall meant in that moment.”
On top of the world, she intends to keep soaring.
Lindsay-Noel aspires to be the first person in a wheelchair to be on the cover of Vogue.
“I know it will happen because I have put it out there in the universe,” said the avid writer and motivational speaker who is an online subscriber to the American monthly fashion and lifestyle magazine. “I think that will be monumental for the physical disability community to be represented in such a positive way.”
Rowena Lindsay, who quit her City of Toronto Human Resources consultant job to take care of her daughter, isn’t surprised she has rebounded so well.
“I have always had high expectations of this kid,” she said. “She’s brilliant and smart and like I said to her after the accident, there’s nothing wrong with your brain and the expectations are the same. She has really put in the work to reach this stage. It has been sweat, tears and frustration and sometimes going to a dark place in order to get to a bright spot.”
Lindsay-Noel’s website is www.cupofte.ca.
