FAQs

"Where can I get your teas?"

I get this question a lot! The answer is, "In my kitchen." I don't sell tea. I am a tea educator. I offer tea tours as well as tea classes, consultation, and training, and I write copy for tea sites.

"I'm a coffee drinker and want to drink tea instead. What do you recommend?"

Congrats on your decision to make the transition! I think you'll find that it is very beneficial to you. On to the answer! If you like the roasty flavor of coffee, try the Japanese roasted twig tea "houji-cha." If you like a robust flavor and more caffeine, try Indian Assam black teas. Is earthy and rich more your bag? Try a pu-erh (also spelled "pu'er") tea (unless you're on a tight budget!). If you want something really smoky and strong, opt for Chinese Lapsang Souchong, its more mellow sister Tarry Souchong, or its cousin Russian Caravan (also from China). If like spices and you drink your coffee with a lot of milk and sugar, try an Indian Masala Chai (commonly called "chai" in the US). If you want milk and sugar sans spices, try an Assam black, a "breakfast blend" (China Breakfast, English Breakfast, Irish Breakfast...), or one of the Ceylon (Sri Lankan) teas that says something like "takes milk and sugar well" on the packaging. If you don't want any caffeine, like the woody notes in coffee and don't mind a little sweetness, go with the African red "tea" (tisane) rooibos. If you usually drink flavored coffee, pick up a similarly flavored tea. Welcome to the world of tea!

"Does herbal tea have any caffeine in it?"

Generally speaking, no, herbal teas (a.k.a. "tisanes" or "infusions") do not contain any caffeine. However, yerba mate is VERY high in caffeine and any herbal teas with chocolate or kola but will have a little bit of caffeine. Blends with any "true tea" (white, green, oolong, black, pu-erh, or (rarely) yellow tea) will also have caffeine, even if they're labeled "herbal."

"How do you charge?"

Depending on the work I'm doing, I charge by the word, the hour or the project. Each of these rates vary. For example, I would charge more per word for a ghostwriting assignment where I get no exposure than I would for a newspaper or magazine article with lots of exposure, and I would charge more per hour for an hour-long teleconference with a one-time client than I would for a steady or long-term client. Feel free to contact me about rates with the form below. And if my hourly sounds high to you, I am glad to furnish references, and please remember -- Unlike a regular hourly employee, you are not paying for my lunch breaks, sick days, vacations, overtime, health insurance, taxes, office space, administrative tasks, training, etc. Freelance employees typically earn 25-100% per hour more than their W-2 counterparts, but those are only for billable hours, and not for playing around on the internet all day like so many 9-5 employees do.

Ask a Question

Feel free to ask a question. Please keep in mind that I answer simpler questions on my blog, but more involved questions fall into the category of tea classes and consultations, which are for businesses, small groups, or individuals and can be in-person or long-distance.