better business blog

Tips and stories to add value to you and your organisation

The Mint Tea Story

2 September 2019

Many years ago, when I had fewer grey hairs and London was hosting the Olympics I was on a plane heading to Australia, for a fun piece of work. After the in-flight dinner you had a choice of coffee and mint tea. Not being a coffee drinker I opted for the tea, and wished I hadn’t.

It was like drinking boiled peppermints and instantly put me off mint tea.

Wind the clock forwards to a couple of weeks ago and a friend offered me mint tea. No no, I said, that’s revolting. No no, she replied, it’s fresh from the garden.

Reluctantly I tried some. It was delicious.

Lots of people don’t like green tea, because all they’ve had is the stuff in bags and that can be too strong and dries your throat. I carry loose leaf green tea with me everywhere and now have introduced several clients and friends to it. Mao Feng is my type of choice and half a dozen bits in your mug is all you need for green tea loveliness.

Mint tea, fresh from the garden is so refreshing and I was hooked. So, upon returning from my friend’s house I resolved to organise myself. I’m not a fan of gardening and know nothing about plants, but tea is tea and worth the effort.

A trip to the garden centre was called for and I purchased an earthenware pot and some earth and gloves and a trowel (get me, I sound like a pro now) and two pots of garden mint and chocolate mint.

Garden has a fresh flavour and chocolate has a darker flavour. Two or three leaves of either is all you need.

The pot on the terrace has been watered regularly and I’ve had an endless supply of fresh mint tea over the Summer. It’s my first ever pot, and I’m very proud of myself for creating and tending it. Instead of hating the whole garden centre experience (I’d usually avoid them like the plague) I found to my surprise I rather enjoyed it.

I may even go back and buy a second pot. Friends tell me there’s these things called flowers, which can look lovely on a patio. I must find out more about them!

The point of the story is about doing new things and getting over our childlike ‘I don’t do that’ attitude. We can spend our lives ignoring new experiences and avoiding newness, and for me my little pot represents a bit more adult growth.

And of course I have free, fresh mint tea whenever I need it.

What new things have you tried over the Summer? Or, what new things in business would you like to try in the Autumn?

Maybe it’s time to visit a customer, attend a conference, or explore a part of our business that we tend to shy away from.

Maybe Radio 4 will call and ask me to host a programme about mint. As long as they don’t want me to talk about flowers, I will be fine!

This week, think about newness. What is your ‘mint pot’?

Next week: How To Create Opportunity