From Green Tea to Global Travel

Before I started my journey in travel, I ran a drinks business called Macha NOW — a unique green tea drink where the matcha was stored separately in the cap. You’d twist, release, and shake it before drinking.

In the early days, it was a huge success.

We launched into 260 Marks & Spencer stores, as well as Harrods, Whole Foods, Planet Organic, and other major retailers.

But it didn’t happen by accident.

I worked hard at putting myself — and the brand — out there.

We showed up at all the major food and drink expos, ran endless sampling sessions in Whole Foods, and exhibited every year at ExCeL London, right alongside the biggest names in the industry.

I pushed myself to be seen, even when it felt uncomfortable — and it’s a big part of why we made it into so many incredible retailers.

It’s something I believe every business owner should be doing.

You can have the best product or service in the world — but if you’re not willing to be seen, you’ll struggle to grow.

And that’s just as true in travel as it is anywhere else.

When Covid hit, the business sadly had to fold.

It was a tough moment, but looking back, I can see how that ending opened the door to something even bigger — my future in travel.

Around the same time, I was part of a course called Business With Soul — a journey in itself (one I’ll share properly another time because it deserves its own story).

One week on the course, we were asked to declare something we needed to overcome.

I chose: the fear of being seen.

We had to write a short script and read it aloud every morning.

And no word of a lie — not long after doing that exercise, Dragon’s Den got in touch.

Out of the blue — without me ever approaching them — they invited me to audition with the Macha drink.

At first, I was terrified.

I had religiously watched the show for years, but the idea of pitching in front of the Dragons scared the life out of me.

Still, I knew this opportunity had landed for a reason. I said yes.

Preparing for the audition pushed me completely out of my comfort zone.

I had to:

• Create a full business plan and proposal

• Know my facts, figures, and market positioning inside out

• Really become an expert in my field in a way I hadn’t pushed myself to do before

Walking into that audition room, facing the producers and researchers, I was nervous beyond words — but I did it.

I had rehearsed my pitch a million times in my head.

I knew my points inside out — and for once, when the moment came, I didn’t freeze.

They started firing questions at me, impersonating the Dragons — pushing me, challenging me.

It felt uncomfortable. But that old saying is true: growth lives just outside your comfort zone.

(Although if it had been Deborah Meaden sitting there, I’m pretty sure I would have been looking for the nearest exit! 😂)

Walking out of the BBC studios in London, I realised something:

I was far more capable than I had ever given myself credit for.

And that experience built my confidence to push myself to new levels.

I didn’t make it to the live show in the end — and the reason still makes me laugh.

The researcher later admitted they hadn’t done their homework properly — they simply hadn’t researched enough 

Another green tea drink had been featured in the previous series, and they couldn’t have two similar products back-to-back.

The irony?

That drink had actually copied our twist-cap idea.

We’d had numerous run-ins about it… but that’s another story for another time. 😉