Currently Updating the Blog

To the wonderful person who is currently visiting my blog,

Drinktheearth is currently undergoing several updates and will be properly functioning in a short amount of time.

However, you may enjoy the most recent posts that follow this announcement.

Have a "tea" kind of day! (not sure what that means, just felt like saying it)

Kayla

Grow Your Own Chamomile: Phase One

So I basically have one of the greatest friends in the world.

Last weekend, my friend Brettley came through Tulsa on her way back to Oklahoma City and gave me a little gift:  a grow-your-own-chamomile kit she found at Target.

Since I started experimenting with tea, I've wondered if there was a way I could grow my own, so I'm super excited to try this out.  Not only that, but chamomile is one of my favorite kinds of tea.  I always tell people I love the taste so much I could just chew on the bag.  Chamomile is a "sleepy-time" tea, which means it has no caffeine and has a calming effect on the body.  If you know me, you're probably thinking in the back of your head that this is the worst thing I could drink (people call me a half-narc).  Chamomile has been known to help reduce stress and anxiety.  It may also help with muscle twitches, skin conditions, and stomach problems.  It is also said to help with blemishes.  

So this starts the first blog post on my journey to grow this tea that I take such a liking to.  I'm calling it "phase whatever" because I'm not going to bore you with a post every day telling you "Today, I watered the soil."  I will just write in phases (when noticeable differences take place).  

So this is phase one:  planting the chamomile.    

Luckily, this little guy came with an instruction sheet. 

The first thing I did was pour the soil into the tin about 3/4ths of the way.  I then sprinkled the chamomile seeds on top of the soil.

After sprinkling the seeds onto the soil, I covered them with the rest of the soil that was left until the tin was almost full.

I then lightly watered the soil, put the lid on the tin, and set it by my dorm window so it can get some heat from the sun.  The soil is supposed to remain moist and covered with the lid until the seeds begin to sprout.

If you have a small pot or herb garden, I encourage you to join me on this journey.  You may be able to get the seeds at Target, Walmart or a garden center of some sort.  Or you can order them online!

Let's grow our own tea together.

Kayla

     

Hot Tea @ Will Retherford's Album Release

Last week I was given the awesome opportunity of serving hot tea at my friend Will Retherford's album release.  Will was releasing his second album called "Walk" at Sactuary Church in Jenks.  I highly encourage all of you to get his new album off iTunes!

This experience was was a joy to me, since I absolutely love any time I get the opportunity to serve tea to anyone.  I get to talk about which kinds I like, answer questions, let people know the health benefits of what they're drinking, and watch to see if they enjoy it in the same way.  However, serving tea to almost a hundred people was a first for me.  My main concern was how I would heat up the water and get it to the people.

Luckily, my roommate Courtney Jones tagged along with me to the event and helped me out the whole time.  We had a good little setup and system going and got a lot of great feedback.

Thank the Lord I knew a couple of people who had good sized pots (thanks Laura Cooke & Charis Key).  Will gave me some money to get the supplies I needed (tea, cups, etc.) and I picked out different box teas that either I liked or thought people would enjoy.

My choices for the night were:

Green 

Chai

Lemon Ginger

Peppermint

Raspberry

Cinnamon Apple Spice

I thought the majority of people would either choose chai or green tea.  But to my surprise, Cinnamon Apple Spice was a complete hit.  I personally had not tried it until the night of the event.  If you want a good herbal tea with a great flavor, this is the one for you.  This tea tastes almost exactly like hot apple cider and it's much better for you.  You can most likely get it at Wal-Mart.  That's where I got it.

So we set up the table with a personal card for each kind of tea and emptied the boxes in front of them. We placed honey and stir sticks on the table and then carted out the cups of hot water, so people could pick which kind they wanted and make it to their own suitable taste.  

I personally enjoyed getting to see each person walk up to the table to make their own cup, and chatting with them about why I have a fascination with tea and how I got interested in it.  
 

This is something I would definitely love to do again.  Thanks to Will Retherford for the invite and Courtney Jones for the help!

So how about you?  Are you a tea lover and looking for something that will bring a chill atmosphere to something you're hosting?  I'd love to come and serve hot tea for you.  Just let me know!

Kayla

 

SA Concert at ORU @ 9:00pm with Mark Niemeyer

Tulsa!

Come join my friend Mark Niemeyer and myself tonight at 9:00pm outside at ORU.  We will be singing and playing a mixture of originals songs as well as a couple covers.  We would love to see you there!

Address:  7777 S. Lewis Avenue, Tulsa, OK, 74171 in between EMR and Claudius dorms.

Click to hear Mark's song "There is a Sound" that we will be playing tonight

Click to hear my song "Orphaned One" that we will be playing tonight

Music Recommendation: Brian Nhira's "Hope" EP

Something I love about Tulsa, Oklahoma is the artsy community and talented musicians that my school, Oral Roberts University, attracts.  It's ridiculous.  I have never met so many talented musicians and writers who have the passion to create high-quality music for the Kingdom and who want to use it to penetrate into the secular industry.  

Side note:  for those of you who don't live in Oklahoma and have never visited, I'm sorry to break it to you, but we don't just ride around in wagons through fields.  

Nope.. that's not how it is guys.  The community is actually very artsy and full of coffee shops.  By the way, I wonder how claustrophobic people felt riding in those?

Anyway, I have made incredible connections with people who have the same heart as me when it comes to music, and one in particular is a guy named Brian Nhira, who just recently released and EP called "Hope".  

Brian is an independent artist with a sound that is similar to the styles by Israel Houghton, Lecrae, Smokie Norful, Jimmy Needham, and Matisyahu.  Brian is a ridiculously good vocalist and I love the pop style of his music.   

This guys heart is gold.  I know Brian personally and he is a man who is truly seeking to bring the hope of Jesus to mankind through his music.  Not only that, but his character backs up his music.  Here is what Brian says about his vision:

"My hearts desire is not fame. My only aspiration is that the message that God has placed within me, and continually places within me through song and through the word-to be an ambassador bringing hope, healing, and restoration to my generation-will be heard by every nation on earth."

Brian's EP "Hope" is just that.  It reflects the desire of his heart to see people receive hope, healing, and restoration.  

I highly encourage you to get his EP!  Support this guy.  

Click to listen to "It's Time", a single from his EP

You won't be disappointed,

Kayla 

EVENT: Serving Tea Tonight at Will Retherford's Album Release

When:  Tonight (9.05.12) @7:30pm

Where:  Sanctuary, Tulsa

What:  My good friend, Will Retherford, will be releasing his second album tonight called "Walk".  Symon Hajjar and Brooke Williams will be opening for him.  I will be serving a variety of hot teas that you may choose from.  It will be a great night!  Hope to see you there!

Click to listen to Will's album on iTunes

Got Your Money on Your Mind?

The term "salesperson" usually gets a bad rap.  When most people hear that word, a common stereotype pops up in their minds:  a salesperson is a person who has their mind on their money and their money on their mind.

Not in trust-based selling.

Trust-based selling is two-way and a naturally collaborative interaction that allows buyers and sellers alike to develop a better understanding of the need situation and work together to generate the best response for solving the customer's needs.

A person who is not operating under trust-based selling has their mind on their money, not the relationship they are building.  It is a one-way street.  They sell first and listen second.  They pitch their product without first investing time into understanding what their customer's needs are and how they are not being met.

SCENARIO:

I want you to imagine going out to eat at a restaurant.  You walk in and take your seat.  A waiter comes up and serves you a glass of water, then leaves.  You start looking over the menu to find what you want, but the waiter never returns to ask.  After about 15 minutes or so, the waiter comes to your table and puts a meal before you.

Picture taken by Katie Johnstonbaugh (dishinanddishes.com)

Most of us would turn to the waiter immediately and say, "I didn't ask for this.  I was never asked what I wanted."  A person who is not functioning under trust-based selling is like this waiter.  They try to serve the buyer before they even figure out what the buyer's needs are, and because the buyer feels like there was no interest expressed in his or her needs, he/she turns away the offer that is placed on the table.

Trust-based selling is not about the money.  It's about developing a trust relationship with potential clients or partners.  It's about understanding a customer's needs before offering a product or a service.  It's about integrity and being genuinely interested in what your customer wants and is not currently receiving.

A person who is being driven by trust-based selling is an effective listener:

1. They pay attention.  They listen to understand, not to reply.  They resist the urge to interrupt and receive the full message the buyer is communicating. 
2. They monitor nonverbals.  They make effective eye contact and check to see if the buyer's body language and speech patterns match what is being said. 
3. They paraphrase and repeat.  They confirm their correct understanding of what the buyer is saying by paraphrasing and repeating what they have heard.
4. They make no assumptions.  They ask questions to clarify the meaning of what the buyer is communicating. 
5. They encourage the buyer to talk.  They give positive feedback and help the buyer to stay on track by asking purposeful, related questions. 
6. They visualize.  They maximize their attention and comprehension by thinking about and visualizing what the buyer is saying.   

A potential buyer wants to feel like you understand where they are coming from and the problems they are dealing with.  Then, after they feel understood by you, they want to know what you can do about those problems.  

And that, my friend, is where you pitch your product or service.  That is where your product or service becomes most attractive.  

Fill the need, not your pocket. 

Kayla

Sources:  Sell by Thomas Ingram (Chapter 4)