06/08/2026
After 25 years in media and production, I found myself at a crossroads. My passion for being behind the camera started to fade, so, I needed a change, I packed up my life and moved to Australia.
Australia is an incredible place, but you still always miss the small the comforts of home. And for me, that meant a real glass of freshly brewed iced tea.
I looked everywhere, but all I found were mass-produced, overly sweet, artificial drinks pretending to be iced tea…but not even coming close. So like any American abroad, I complained about it. Until my girlfriend told me to buck up and make my own.
What began as a simple craving quickly turned into an obsession. I spent months experimenting with different teas, fruits, and florals, trying to create something that felt clean, refreshing, and honest. Somewhere along the way, Stripped Teas was born.
After returning to the Pacific Northwest with a suitcase full of iced tea recipes I couldn’t wait to share, I relocated to Vancouver, Washington, and decided it was time to turn Stripped Teas from an idea into a real business. As I started looking for resources and guidance to help get things off the ground, I found Fourth Plain Forward.
However, I had no idea where to even begin. Starting a tea company was a completely different world for me. I knew how to get film permits and organize productions, but health permits, commercial kitchens, and food regulations were all brand-new territory. There were so many things I never would have thought about.
I thankfully googled for who could help and Fourth Plain Forward came up. The team there has been incredible, I was able to better understand the permitting process, connect with resources, and gain the confidence to move forward. What once felt overwhelming became a series of manageable steps. Their support has played a huge role in helping turn this idea I had into a real business.
