From almost quitting her business to a shoutout from Oprah — one alumna’s journey to success

If you asked Taylor Lindsay-Noel as a child what she wanted to be — business owner was the last answer she would give. Yet, years later, it seems that is exactly what the luxury tea company owner was destined to become. 

At the age of 14, on July 15, 2008, while training to compete in the 2012 Olympics, the Canadian national gymnast severely injured her neck and was instantly paralyzed.

Little did she know, twelve years later, on the anniversary of the accident that changed her life forever — she would receive something that would brighten her day.

“I wasn’t in a great mood that morning because of the day and what it represents,” she recalled. “And then I opened my email to see a message from one of Oprah’s editors.”

Media mogul Oprah Winfrey is a television producer, actress, and philanthropist, but she is best known as the host of The Oprah Winfrey Show, the highest-rated talk show in history which ran from 1986-2011.

Initially, Lindsay-Noel believed the email was fake and moved it to the trash folder. But after being unable to shake the feeling she was missing something, she decided to do some digging and discovered that it was real and her company Cup of Té (external link, opens in new window)  was being considered for Oprah’s Favourite Things 2020 list.

The popular list started as a segment on The Oprah Winfrey Show and has since continued annually in O, The Oprah Winfrey Magazine.

After sharing samples of her tea and weeks of consideration...she was in!

“I consider Oprah the biggest influencer in the world,” Lindsay-Noel said, “And the amazing thing that comes with Oprah is the opportunity to elevate my business and get into different spaces that I didn’t think I ever could.”

Lindsay-Noel says since being featured by Winfrey, her company saw a spike in traffic and sales online, and the spotlight has led to some major opportunities which she will be announcing soon.

The idea to start the company came to Lindsay-Noel while she was a Radio and Television Arts student at Toronto Metropolitan University. In 2016, she decided to use the skills she learned in her program to start a podcast called Tea Time with Tay (external link, opens in new window)  where she interviewed special guests over a cup of tea. 

But after being unable to secure relevant sponsorships for the venture, she decided to do it herself and Cup of Té was born. 

“I decided instead of using my audience to talk about another brand, why don’t I start my own brand and market my tea back to them?”

The journey as an entrepreneur was not at all easy. Lindsay-Noel describes it as extremely difficult, all-consuming, and filled with many late nights. At one point, at the start of 2020, the luxury tea company owner was considering calling quits on the company. 

“I remember driving in a car and just having a little bit of a meltdown,” she said. “We were at a point where I really loved the product and the brand but I felt like it just wasn't getting the light that I needed to really take off.”

Her mother convinced her to hold off and revisit the decision later in the year, and a few months later Oprah’s team reached out.

“I truly feel like it was meant to be,” she said. “The stars were truly aligned way before I could predict that it would happen.”

More than anything, she says Oprah’s seal of approval provided her with the boost of confidence she needed to keep going. 

“Now I feel more confident, if I were to reach out to a corporate client, or a big box brand,” she says. “Because now I can say hey, if Oprah believes in us, why shouldn’t you?”