Young Mountain Tea’s Refreshed Mission & Vision

“So…What Exactly Does Your Company Do?”

At a recent team retreat, we each took a swing at answering this surprisingly difficult question. Lucas spoke about ownership models in a colonial-born trade, while Mitra focused on how ethical sourcing improves the quality of our teas. Camilo used numbers to paint a picture of how we’re helping people, and Manny talked about sustainable supply chains that empower farmers. With the opening of the Kumaon factory this year, the timing felt right to get on the same page. 

Living Documents, Dancing Together

We see our mission and vision statements as living phrases that represent the two partners in an unending dance. Our vision is our Why. Our North Star, the future we want to bring into being. It’s intentionally ambitious and aspirational. Our mission is our How, the path we walk to get there. It’s more specific and doubles as a clear answer to, “What does your company do?”

Over time, I’ve realized how useful these two phrases are, especially since our work sits in the overlap of for-profit and non-profit worlds. That tension is exactly why clarity matters: it allows us to speak with one voice to many audiences. And in all cases, we answer by talking about relationships with farmers. It was also clear that the transcendent, playful, somewhat mystical power of tea itself is more than just a "product" for our work; it's the vehicle that's uniquely positioned to create the change we're after. 

A Blueprint For Clarity

Mitra’s mom once told me: “You have to visualize the future you want with intense focus if you want it to manifest.” A detailed daydream, she said, is essential to reshaping reality. And honestly, I’ll take any excuse to indulge in a good daydream. That became our approach to these questions. Over months, we stripped away the jargon until we landed on words that could last. Our guiding principles:

• Concise, precise, confident - language our team can carry in a pocket, ready to spark conversation, whether in a chance encounter or at a backyard BBQ.
• Free of jargon - words that will outlast today’s buzzwords. No “sustainability,” no “regenerative,” no “equity.” Just simple language that says it all without too many words. 
• Poetic, playful, uplifting - carrying the spirit of tea itself, like a fountain to return to when the road ahead feels hard. In the words of Arthur Pinero, “Where there’s tea, there’s hope.” Tea has lifted me through dark moments more times than I can count. It’s humbling and poetic that the product we share with the world is also what carries us through it.
  

What We’ve Landed On 

Here’s where we are today…

• Vision (Our “Why”): Tea that creates joy for all involved. For tea farmers and their trees; for tea drinkers and their daily peace. 
• Mission (Our “How”): We partner with farmers to balance the tea trade.

The simplicity is intentional. Our vision shifts success away from extraction toward genuine value for all. We're working for a future where joy isn’t a byproduct but the point. And our mission grounds us in the work of partnership, a daily act of balancing history, ecosystems, and price in a way that’s both fair and full of possibility.

These few words hold a lot. They remind us that impact doesn’t have to sound complicated, and that good work relies on patience, trust, and steady hands.

Looking Ahead

These words serve as a fine-tuning of our compass. When potential customers ask what makes us unique, we start here. When deciding if it'll be worth it to attend a costly conference, we ask, "Will we find people who get it?" It also lives at the end of each email we send, in our signature lines. Reading the words before hitting "send" feels like a small reminder and proud announcement. 

Already, they’ve become conversation starters and decision filters. And while our work will keep changing, these phrases are meant to stay steady—anchored in purpose yet bright enough to keep illuminating the path ahead. Always pointing us toward that North Star: tea that creates joy for everyone involved. No matter how you say it.