A chat with Kate Dalton

When it comes to wellness, Mayde Tea’s Founder, Kate Dalton knows a thing or two.

Having founded Mayde Tea in 2013 as a 23-year old (whilst completing her double degree and holding down a full-time job at a café), Kate has forged an impressive niche in the Australian wellbeing industry.

Speaking from her Byron Bay studio, Kate let us in on what wellness means to her, what inspired her professional journey and what advice she would give to someone hoping to work in the flourishing wellness industry.

• What does ‘wellness’ mean to you?

Wellness to me covers physical, emotional and spiritual health. During my own health journey, I’ve found that wellness requires a holistic approach. It means keeping physically active, eating a diet of nutritious whole foods and living as close to how nature intended as possible.

• Which wellness rituals do you incorporate into your day?

Start well.

I start every day with a 20-minute meditation, exercise and a healthy breakfast. I also make sure to get outdoors before I start my day of work.

Take a break.

Throughout the day I always take scheduled breaks. I also try to make sure I am sitting mindfully with my meals as this is so important for my nervous and digestive systems.

I’ll also pull back from work throughout the day and sit consciously with a cup of tea (naturally!) especially in moments work feels overwhelming.

The blend I choose depends on how I’m feeling that day- if it’s a busy day I’ll have Serenity to support my nervous system, Energise if I’m needing some natural energy maintenance, or I’ll sip on our Digest blend if my digestion is needing support.

Be still.

I meditate for another 20 minutes in the afternoon once I’ve finished work and this is when I wind down.

Get outside.

We usually jump in the ocean to wash away the day, then have an early dinner, turn off any artificial lighting and instead light candles, followed by another tea (usually Serenity) before bed.

 

• What inspired you to start Mayde Tea?
  

Mayde Tea was created 5 years ago. I was creating herbal blends for myself for digestive problems and anxiety whilst studying herbal medicine at uni. I was so excited about how much these herbal blends improved my health that I wanted to share it with everyone!

I had people asking to try them and they all came back to me with really amazing feedback. From there, it then slowly became a business. Although I started with a whole heap of knowledge about herbal medicine, I had very little knowledge on actually running a business.

It’s been a huge learning curve, and the most fulfilling five years of my life. I really couldn’t be happier with where it is now.

 

• How does Mayde Tea support overall physical and mental health?
  

I use knowledge gained throughout my naturopathy degree to create blends for specific ailments. For example, our Digest Blend uses four high quality, organic herbs to support the digestive system, reduce cramping and inflammation and repair the digestive tract. Our Serenity Blend calms the nervous system, reduces stress and reduces systemic inflammation to ensure a restful night’s sleep.

In total, we offer 13 blends in our range.

 

• What advice would you give to someone wishing to work in the wellness industry?

I think it’s the most rewarding and fulfilling industry to be in (possibly biased!) There’s so much to learn, I guess my advice is not to feel overwhelmed by this and have fun with it- always remembering that you are working towards improved health for the community, which is the most fulfilling thing you could do, and every bit counts!

For more information on Mayde Tea, click here.