Meet Sharon Colona | CEO/FOUNDER Avocado Tea Co.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sharon Colona and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sharon, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
This is the 4th business I have started so you might say I am a serial entrepreneur. My first business was at age 21, a Beauty/Nail Salon that I had for 10 years. I started it on all credit cards and at the time had no money, so I did not have a lot to lose. I went on to start an advertising publication that I eventually sold and then opened up a Real Estate Brokerage that was by far the most profitable which I owned for 22 plus years.

I was planning on retirement when we bought a piece of land in Temecula to build our dream retirement home. It came with 550 avocado trees and after stumbling across the benefits of the avocado leaf I started a tea company.
So far, the least profitable and hardest business I have ever had yet the most rewarding.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Well, I was not planning on starting another business but this one found me. We purchased a piece of land to build a home to retire in Temecula California. The land had a beautiful view that I could not pass up but it came with 6 acres of Avocado Trees (which I did not want because running a grove did not look like retirement). The view won me over so we bought the land, avocado grove and all and I began studying all things avocado.
During my research, I came across the benefits of boiling the avocado leaf as a tea. At first it was mainly folklore stories but the more I looked into it the more I found actually case studied that had been done around the world. Primarily in poverty stricken countries that do not have access to pharmaceuticals and use the resources they have.
I found myself boiling my avocado leaves every night reading everything I could find on the benefits of the leaf and every case study was more exciting than the next. The leaf has been used for treatment in type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and it is loaded with powerful antioxidants.

Fast forward a few months and I realized getting this out to the world was something I had to do – so retirement was put on hold.

I can’t lie, CPG is shockingly harder than anyone would think. After owning 3 others businesses I thought I could just float into this one but every step has been a struggle. That said, I receive emails every single day from people thanking me for making this tea available.

After owning businesses for over 35 years, this is the first time I feel like I am making a difference. It has been hard but by far the most rewarding business I have had.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
The wineries in Temecula and would take them to any of them for dinner. We would spend a day in old town and listen to blues in the evening.
Maybe a sunrise balloon ride. A hike up Monserrate Mountain.
And spend a day in San Diego then pop down the coast for shopping in La Jolla and Carmel.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My husband, Scott Wibbenmeyer who has supported me and been my biggest cheerleader through this entire process.

Website: https://avocadotea.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/avocadoleaftea/?hl=en

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/avocado-leaf-tea-llc

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AvocadoLeafTea

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/avocadoleaftea/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCce2ucE7KuBvVqKLpCaSHyA

Other: https://www.pinterest.com/avocadoteaco/