"Together Talks" feature # 82: Seven Teas presented by KLS, freight company
Some Background on Seven Teas
For today's edition of "Together Talks" campaign, KLS had the chance to interview Seven Teas and Co-Founder, Jeremy Issakharian. At Seven, they are much more than just a tea and lemonade company. They are committed to crafting with quality ingredients – the finest Fairtrade organic teas, hand-picked lemons – to create beverages that not only delight your taste buds but also contribute to lowering sugar in American diets. As the company continues to grow, they remain “Steeped in Tradition” and steadfast on purity throughout their adventure into the world of organic goodness, ensuring every sip also supports ethical practices.
Story
The beginning of the company was in 2018 when brothers Jeremy and Josh set out to change the way people enjoyed beverages and open them up to a world of possibilities.
Both had been in the CPG space for over 10 years and had tried a few other projects that ultimately didn't take off. Both learned a lot of lessons but as Jeremy told us the "breaking point" was realizing he needed to do something he actually cared about. Instead of chasing the dollar they chose to chase something of their passion. "We found that when things got rough, we just didn't have much staying power," Jeremy explained.
They started Seven Teas with a core line of glass bottled teas that were globally inspired. Jeremy and Josh come from an Iranian Father and a Southern belle Mother from texas. Their father's overseas culture mixed with their mother's homegrown roots helped carve and cultivate the overall idea for their company. Jeremy shared that their family was brought up with and exposed to many different cultures and world perspectives. This firsthand education and life experiences helped mold what they found incredibly interesting: so many countries they visited had tea traditions. The common thread was that from a single plant grew a sacred ritual that translated to everyday culture.
When they decided to pursue the CPG space again, this time in the tea category, they began to research the market and quickly noticed that there wasn't a lot of creativity. They felt the space lacked transparency, culture, experience, and story. They had a two goal mindset: honor real flavors with the highest quality ingredients and create authentic experiences that take customers on a global journey. Sharing cultures from across the world with their consumers was the link that they were passionate about. Ultimately the two brothers believed this passionate approach would be a recipe for successful entry into the tea category with the following messages:
We brew tea with mountain spring water and organic, Fair Trade ingredients.
We celebrate our collective diversity as a global community.
We use profits to reinvest in the health of planet Earth and all mankind.
Mission
The company starts by brewing every bottle using mountain spring water. They also real-brew every product. Jeremy likened it to actually making tea at your home on the stove, a similar process just at a massive scale. Seven Teas is all organic with more than 60% of their ingredients being Fairtrade. The teas are completely additive free. This focus and commitment to quality, Jeremy believes differentiates the product in a huge way. Consumers can understand the goal behind bringing a new and innovative product to the shelves with actual purpose behind it.
Seven Teas sets out to create experiences for their consumers with each product. They have two avenues, their glass products and their cans. Both create transportive experiences. With the Glass products it is globally exotic teas from around the world described as, "a voyage in every sip". The bottles are the "American Classics - a road trip in every sip". Jeremy said creating the brand and experience for their consumers is imperative and he believes they resonate not only with the story, but also the nostalgic feelings facilitated by the brand and their familiar flavors.
The motto of Seven Teas is "Brew Good Things. Do Good Things." As Jeremy explains, tea has entrenched their lives and they hope to provide the same for consumers as they continue to grow the brand. Their products are only part of their aspirations, so they hope their larger purpose and mission gets the same recognition.
Partner with KLS
KLS offers LTL and FTL for both dry and reefer transportation.
Our nationwide coverage provides companies a reliable, consistent, and dependable logistics partner to handle your trucking needs.
For more information on how we can help call our office today 708-980-0920 or reach us via our email quote request here!
Meaning
While traveling around the world together and learning, experiencing, and living different cultures, the two brothers kept being brought back to one common thread: Seven. Ultimately it is a metaphor Jeremy explained, "Seven Continents, Wonders of the World, Seas, Colors of the Rainbow, Chakras...So much meaning with the number Seven. In many cultures there is a link to luck, health, wealth, prosperity. We just felt it was all-encompassing and coincided with our goal. Thus, Seven Teas was born." The better-for-you brand had a better-for-you name with a better-for-you mission. The connection to cultures across the world and utilizing the universal symbolism of Seven felt like the perfect channel to share their experiences and people they had been inspired by on their path of life. Summed up incredibly well, "Many brands on shelf have a commoditized feel, but we wanted to tell the story of tea, to highlight the origins of the leaves and their cultural ties. and be able to share that with the rest of the world.", Jeremy mentioned.
Second Avenue
While the company launched with their core line of glass products, Jeremy told us that they did always envision there would be an opportunity for a second product line in cans. The Pandemic did slightly accelerate their timeline to debut their new product line, but Jeremy said that for over two years they were watching the market and studying it extensively so they would be prepared when the opportunity arose. Jeremy spoke to that moment, describing it as when they had the opportunity to pitch to Whole Foods and ultimately got in. He said that was the company’s first big win and felt like the holy grail at that point. It brought a level of exuberance to the company.
While Jeremy acknowledged the 10 years of experience he and his brother had before starting Seven Teas, it proved to be only a taste of what was to come. He explained it more in depth for us, "Our first couple of start-ups we had to deal with rejection, failure, being told no. We realized how difficult this would be and how you had to be prepared. We also learned that if you aren't passionate about your product, company, and mission, it is very hard to pick yourself back up after facing adversity. We knew when we came back into this space we had to check off those 3 boxes. Seven Teas was that for us."
Having spent some time in the CPG space provided Jeremy and Josh with firsthand guidance on how to navigate founding Seven Teas, but Jeremy elaborated more, "There is still a learning curve and there is so much complexity in this space. It’s like having a set of tools available to you and skills that you can utilize, but only to get to a certain level. Once you reach the summit, those same tools are not necessarily suitable for the next stage so you have to learn and adapt and discover the next set of tools to continue on your path. Our prior experience only helped so much." He highlighted the importance of constant growth and they both try to achieve this by learning and networking.
Challenge and Outlets
Jeremy sees Seven as both a challenge and an opportunity to tap into multiple outlets. He equates running the business to having a child, noting how has to be very attentive and hardworking to help it develop and having the incredibly rewarding opportunity to watch it grow. "Starting a company you almost need an oblivious optimism initially. If we all knew what it took to be successful on day one we might not even start. But once you're running your business you have to transition to being adaptable and have the humbleness to constantly learn.”
The ability to remain steadfast and stay the course is crucial in Jeremy's estimation. It is a constant evolution and knowing which skills, resources, and connections to apply is part of understanding each chapter of the journey. He also said that it can be a challenge, not only for himself but for many entrepreneurs, to have the time and mindset to celebrate the wins. Going back to that first big win with Whole Foods, Jeremy described it as similar to a first kiss, a first big sports victory, or an achievement at school. Now, he says, the company makes an effort to build the celebration of victories into a common practice on their journey.
The complexities of running a business in the CPG space means that every day there is a new challenge. That constant quest to find a solution, develop, and achieve results is an aspect that Jeremy enjoys the most. "I have all this energy and so many ideas. Having this professional outlet is an incredible opportunity to channel it somewhere meaningful and create something with real impact. It’s so fulfilling for me." He believes it’s important to see a process all the way through, being able to watch his decisions come to
Pieces of Advice
Our conversation with Jeremy ended with him sharing three pieces of advice.
1 – Aligning with passion:
I think the key for us was aligning with our passion. Of course, passion doesn't in any way guarantee success, but without passion it's almost inevitable that it's not going to work. There are just too many challenges founders have to face on their journeys. If they don't truly feel some sort of connection to what they're doing, I believe it’s more likely that one would give up.
2 – Yin and Yang:
Be like bamboo, strong but flexible – bend but don’t break. Be open to compromise but never compromise on your values or convictions. It’s often said that you're either learning or you're winning. If something works out for you, excellent. If it doesn't work out, it's a learning opportunity. I think it's also important to know yourself. We live in such a fast-paced world with so much noise, it’s easy to get lost in all of that, to lose sight of yourself and who you are. It’s important to spend time with yourself, to really learn yourself, what interests you, what’s important to you.
3 – Consistency:
There's no limits as an entrepreneur, so you have to remember or sometimes find ways to remind yourself to take breaks. Work-life balance builds resilience. Think about it… If you were to try climbing Mount Everest, along the way there are little stop off points and base camps to ensure you take the breaks you need to be successful. Without them you won't make it, right? Without them you can’t make it, and in business it’s the same thing. So create your own stop points to make sure you take the necessary brakes, to give your mind and body a rest, and to channel your energy into something else. Giving yourself those breaks builds a lot of resilience, helps you stay fresh, and gives you more of that staying power to really stick with it.
Interested in being featured with "Together Talks"?
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Contact us as we would love to learn your story and share it amongst our audience.
Weekly we provide 2 companies our platform to expand their reach courtesy of our campaign. Let's collaborate!!!
In Closing
KLS wants to thank Jeremy Issakharian, Co-Founder, of Seven Teas for today's "Together Talks" feature. Follow along for the Seven Teas journey with their social handles below!
Klimson Logistics Solutions - Together Talks with Seven Teas feature # 82
*Klimson Logistics Solutions is an Industry Leading Customer Service 3PL. Our focus and commitment to our clients has us striving to be the BEST customer service 3PL for LTL, FTL, Reefer, and Drayage in the country. KLS, freight company, is a 3PL providing nationwide logistics solutions. KLS shipping services include: LTL freight, FTL freight, Reefer LTL freight, Reefer FTL freight, and Drayage. Klimson Logistics Solutions thanks you for viewing our marketing campaign, "Together Talks". If you have any interest in being featured or questions regarding your freight operations please contact us today!
Why KLS?
Our precise and reliable effort.
We handle every shipment with the exact same process. It does not matter if you move one shipment a year or ten per day, you will receive the same level of customer service from us. When we started this company, we had one goal in mind, treat every shipment like it was our own. With our vast knowledge of the industry, we understood what a customer would want from a communication standpoint. We applied that process to be the standard here at KLS. Our reliability and being able to depend on our consistency is why we have such long-standing relationships with our clients.
Our Process?
Every shipment in our industry starts with a quote. We are firm believers that time is money, thus we strive to have quotes back in a 5-10 minute reply time for LTL and FTL, any FCL quotes are at the mercy of the carriers getting back to us. For LTL we have the flexibility to quote both off of NMFC and also Density depending on the carrier. Utilizing our services, you’re allowing us to use our expertise to class your freight accordingly to ensure we are providing the best rate we possibly can.
Once a quote has been submitted and a client chooses to proceed with KLS handling the arrangement of the shipment our full process begins. We create the BOL that will be used for the shipment. If it is a new location for our system, we will obtain all the important/special details (reference numbers, contact details, shipping hours, closed for lunch, dock/doors, etc.). We meticulously build every detail into our software for all future shipments involving that location. After we have both locations built and necessary reference numbers have been applied we will tender the shipment to the carrier. We use this method because it provides us a real time pickup number from the carrier to obtain updates prior to pickup. Our staff will either email the BOL directly to you or to the shipper (at your request) the minute after the tender has been accepted by the carrier. LTL carriers require a 2 hour window prior to close time in order to schedule it for a same-day pickup attempt.
The following morning you’ll receive an email from us. It will either provide the reason the pickup was missed (driver’s trailer filled up, driver missed the close time, truck broke down, shipper said no freight, etc.) or if the pickup was successful you will receive the PRO (tracking) number from us, along with the eta for delivery. Our staff will track it throughout the duration of transit and advise if anything happens that will alter the estimated delivery date. The day the shipment delivers we will email you with confirmation and the POD (Proof of Delivery), should you require it.
Your shipment has been quoted, scheduled, picked up, and delivered. The next step is waiting for the carrier to invoice us and make sure the rate matches up. If it does, we close out the invoice from the carrier in our system and automatically your invoice is created and sent to the requested party at your company. In the event the carrier has an additional charge on their invoice “Variance”, we will never send you an invoice with an additional charge without first identifying you of the charge.
Let us repeat, NEVER WILL WE JUST BILL OUT AN EXTRA CHARGE WITHOUT YOU BEING NOTIFIED.
You are our customer, we represent you. Should the carrier provide an extra charge on an invoice, “Lift gate, additional weight, reclass, detention, etc.) We notify you of the charge via email first. Second, within that email we identify what is required should you choose to dispute the charge. Again our goal is to honor your request, if you want to dispute, we will dispute. During a dispute we will provide you updates every step along the way. Once a dispute is closed out, whether it is approved or rejected, then we will invoice you as the invoice has been resolved.
For reference, our company only had 6.2% of all shipments go to dispute in 2022 and we successfully won 91% of those disputes on behalf of our customers.
This is our process for every single shipment you move with us. We don’t cut corners, we don’t hide from difficult situations. We believe in being available, honest, and transparent. We don’t ever want to tell you that a shipment is lost, damaged, misrouted, but it is our duty to notify you the second we find out something has gone wrong. We hate to present bad news, but it is part of the job. What you can guarantee is that we will work a shipment all the way through and turn over every stone until we get a resolution for our clients.
Services offered?
Our core business is LTL and FTL. Within these options we have options for both dry and refrigerated/frozen. We also offer FCL/Drayage options. Our company as a 3PL has nationwide options and services clients across the US.
Let’s breakdown our services more in-depth
LTL:
Standard and Guaranteed
CFS (Imports & Exports)
Tradeshows
Hazmat
Anything that is on a pallet can be moved LTL. Typically LTL is up to 10 pallets, but the sweet spot for a carrier is 6-8 pallets at most for an individual shipment. LTL quotes are good between 5-30 days depending on the carrier. LTL can be quoted either via NMFC or density to determine the class (we do this for you).
Volume:
Anything over 10-12’ of space in the truck is the technical rule for a volume shipment. When we run a quote for you we will determine if it qualifies for volume and provide you a rate if available. Volume moves allow you to get a reduced rate for larger shipments. The caveat to volume shipments it the quotes are only valid for 3-7 days and they move on capacity between terminals. If a terminal is backed up they will move their LTL freight first before the volume freight, which can lead to longer transit times for volume moves.
FTL/Dedicated/Expedited: 53’ Dry and Reefer 26’ Box trucks with lift gate Sprinter Van The main difference for FTL vs LTL is space and transit time. For standard pallets you can fit either 26 or 30 pallets in a 53’ dry van. The other main difference is transit time, for FTL each day counts in the transit time, whereas LTL does not count the day of pickup, weekends, or holidays in their transit time.
Reefer/Frozen:
LTL and FTL
We specialize working in the CPG space with food manufacturers. We regularly deliver to
the following locations:
Kehe
UNFI
Core Mark
DPI
Wegmans
Cugini
H.T. Hackney
Netrition
HEB
ALDI
Chambers and Owens
EBY Brown
Nassau Candy
Harris Teeter
Wakefern
NU INC
Long Distribution
What makes KLS different?
There are thousands of freight brokers and 3PL in our industry. Barrier to entry is rather easy and agents or owners will often hire sales people without any intention of properly training them. It results in high turnover for many freight companies and a forgettable experience for the client. We choose to operate differently through our consistency. We truly care about doing right by our clients and prospects too. While we would love to help provide our services to every company we speak with, that just isn’t realistic. We won’t always be the right fit for every company that moves freight and that is ok. Our authenticity as a shipping company sets us apart from the competition and that is backed up by our testimonials. We also run a marketing campaign bi-weekly called “Together Talks”. We interview, highlight, and promote two businesses every week. Our goal is to grow our network, make new connections, and learn something new with each collaboration. Check it out on our website and if you’re interested in being featured reach out.
Our company also runs a year long charity promotion. Book your first shipment through KLS and we donate to the charity of your choice in your name. Our way of thanking you for giving us an opportunity to show you the KLS way and what makes us one of a kind. This entire package is what we offer to every prospect and every client. Our goal is to help provide answers that customers may have when it comes to shipping. We want to always be available as a resource and will always offer a lending hand whenever we can.
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