Today we’d like to introduce you to Jimmy Hall.
Hi Jimmy, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I’m originally from Hazleton, Pennsylvania. Growing up and wanting more out of life, I knew I had to leave my home and experience this wild ride. Shortly after high school, I joined the US Air Force and had the opportunity to travel the world while working on F-15 and F-16 fighter jets. The mechanics were interesting, but the countries, cultures, and perspectives of the people I met were where my passions were focused. After nine years, I took my leave to find a new start in a new city; Austin, Texas.
Falling into civilian life, I got a start in banking and stayed in the field for almost two years until realizing the 9 to 5 wasn’t the right path for me. I knew I wanted to help people, I just had to figure out how. Because of my love of food and cooking, I entered the food-industry at a local pizzeria making dough for 10-12 hours a day. To make ends meet, I did some side gigs, too. A military friend I worked with hired me as his company’s Digital Content Manager and another hired me to do keyword research and edit her company’s products according to my findings. This is where I got my feet wet into the marketing, branding, & social media side of things…and I loved all of it, and I was good at it. After a year of making pizza dough, I moved into a new kitchen and paved the way for a local brewery to open their pizza kitchen’s doors to the public. Shortly after everything was set up and running smoothly, I was let go, my services were no longer needed.
While I was thinking about what was next for me, I was introduced to blended teas using dried herbs. I started off rudimentary, just eyeballing amounts according to the potency of the smell. I made some decent blends, but after learning that different herbs have different effects on the body, I took it to a new level. In my research of the effects of different herbs, I found that many are used as flavorful, no nicotine alternatives to smoking cigarettes. Being a “cigarette quitter,” this fact hit close to home. With a *gentle* shove from a great human, it hit me, this is how I can help. By combining a passion for creating curated Herbal Blends with the knowledge I’ve learned about e-commerce, I’m now able to provide folks with a beneficial, herbal alternative to tobacco that is also a tasty herbal tea.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It certainly has not been a smooth road, struggles are bound to happen. When you come to a locked door, you either find the key to get through it or turn around and go back. Certainly, there were times when I wanted to quit and I fell into basically every trap along the way. The growth of my personal self and my company came from getting out of those traps and finding the keys to the doors that stood locked in front of me.
Being “The One” was, and still is tough. I created all of Tree Fifty Four, from packaging & design to setting up social media and E-Shops. I launched products, created the brand, and filed my own Trademark paperwork. Along with a sense of pride in creating a helpful product, when you’re driven by passion, it’s hard to be stopped.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I make hand-crafted Herbal Blends & Herbal Singles using Organic & Wildcrafted herbs sourced from around the world. From the “Siamese Dream” Blue Lotus & caffeinated Yerba Maté to Mugwort, Mullein, and Marshmallow Leaf. There’s minty fresh blends, fragrant calming blends, and caffeinated creations to give to a natural, subtle boost with no crash. To name a few: ‘G’Day Maté’ is a floral morning blend with a subtle caffeine kick, ‘Lucid Dreamz’, is a non-caffeinated nighttime blend aiding in sleep, lucid dreaming, and dream retention, & ‘Peace O’ Mind’ is a calming, anytime, anti-anxiety blend to relax the nerves and bring peace into your space.
What sets me apart from the rest is the care I take to find the right herbs that will work in tandem to bring only their most vibrant qualities and benefits to you. All blends are sifted prior to packaging and can be used as tea or smoked as an herbal alternative or filler. The Herbal Singles can be used to create your own Blends, DIY herbal sugar scrubs, infused body oils, and much more. The sustainable, repurposable, washable cotton pouch your blends come in are great, too. Even after the herbs are gone, you’ll have a stash pouch you can keep all of your necessities in.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
TONS of love and credit to Isabella Duvall, owner of Better Shea Butter, a local business based in Cedar Park. Her tales of hardships, success stories, and mentorship were paramount to my success. I am forever grateful to have had the opportunity to pick her brain on issues I was having and getting to see up close the development of a product from inception to market, along with all the love that goes into each and every one of her products.
A big shout out to John Cunningham of Cunningham Painting for presenting me with the opportunity to learn and work in the social media and web-design areas of a business.
Pricing:
- Loose Leaf: (10g-60g) $8-$18
- Pre-filled Infusers: (10-50) $10-$21
- Singles: (10-60g) $7-$17
Contact Info:
- Email: james@treefiftyfour.com
- Website: www.treefiftyfour.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/treefiftyfour
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/treefiftyfour/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/treefiftyfour/
- Youtube: https://Treefiftyfour.faire.com
- Other: www.etsy.com/shop/treefiftyfour
