From elite athlete to disabled business owner, Taylor Lindsay-Noel has 'lived both lives'
Photo by Rene Johnston, The Toronto Star
By Louise Kinross
In 2008, 14-year-old Ontario gymnast Taylor Lindsay-Noel was preparing to compete for Canada in the 2012 Olympics when she broke her neck while attempting a difficult dismount. She spent a year-and-a-half as an inpatient at Holland Bloorview, learning to live with quadriplegia. Since then, Taylor has finished high school, graduated from Ryerson and started her own business! Cup of Té is a luxury loose-leaf tea company that offers premium blends of organic tea and accessories like teapots, whisks and steep diffusers. Oprah picked the company to include in her Oprah’s Favourite Things 2020 list, which focuses on Black-owned businesses. We talked about how Taylor made the transition from elite athlete to “female, disabled, Black business owner,” which is how she describes herself.
BLOOM: What was your identity before your accident?
Taylor Lindsay-Noel: I would say I was married to the identity of being an athlete. I wasn’t necessarily lost, but I had a very singular dream and nothing else was really going on for me beside sports. That was everything that I did and breathed.
BLOOM: You spent a year-and-a-half as an inpatient here. What was the most challenging part?
Taylor Lindsay-Noel: I think it was coming to terms with the fact that my body was not going to be the same—ever again. At first when I got there the most difficult part was seeing a lot of other sick children, as it made the reality of my situation become real. I genuinely had a very good experience at Bloorview, and when I had to leave I didn’t want to, because I became so comfortable there. The leaving part was really difficult.
BLOOM: What advice would you give other youth who acquire a disability through a traumatic accident?
Taylor Lindsay-Noel: To be okay with your grieving process. It’s kind of like the old you is gone, it’s dead, and it's okay to grieve your past. I used to get really upset with myself for being so sad and so devastated with what had happened. But the truth is that if I wasn’t upset, that wouldn’t be a normal response. It’s okay to be sad, but it’s also okay to know that there is a future for you even inside a body that’s a little bit different.
BLOOM: When you left here, you wrote a gorgeous poem describing what our nurses meant to you. How can health professionals best support clients like you?
Taylor Lindsay-Noel: I would say to just understand that as kids and teenagers, we might not know how to fully process our emotions. I didn’t really. I’m 27 now. I watched a lot of the other kids, and now I understand that they were going through a lot mentally, but they didn’t understand it. So be patient with them. I know it’s not nice when a child lashes out, but if they’re having a really bad day, be patient. It’s not a normal thing to go through—to have something so devastating happen so young. The Bloorview staff did really well, so keep doing what you’re doing.
Even through hard times I’m generally a happy-go-lucky person. I always say after my accident happened, rehab became my gymnastics. I threw myself into it, and it became my new focus.
But if you’re a person who has never worked out a day in your life, and you have to work out every single day, it’s not normal. There were kids who had never been in a gym or never had to do a structured form of workout, and when you’re forced to do it inside of a body you already hate, or are not used to, or you have a brain injury, it’s hard.
BLOOM: How challenging was it to return to high school, and then to study radio and television arts at Ryerson?
Taylor Lindsay-Noel: It was pretty hard. I felt so comfortable at Bloorview that going back to a normal high school was difficult. At first there was pushback from the school because I needed an accessible washroom and my mom had to really advocate for that. Going back to a high school where I had once been an athlete and coming back in a wheelchair—it was a lot of changes at once. I did have a really good high school, and for the most part I got heavily into student council and I fell in love with my creative writing class.
Similar to my high school, when I got into my media program the building at Ryerson didn’t have an accessible bathroom. I needed a hoyer lift and a bed and shelving. I’m lucky to have a mom who’s a huge advocate. She told them ‘This can be used for years after my daughter, it’s not just for her.’ There are laws that if a person with a disability gets into a program, the school has to do everything within its power to help them succeed. So my mom really pushed for that, and now it’s going to be there forever.
I still receive e-mails from my high school and university from people who came after me who have used the washroom and thank us for advocating for it. My mom is a powerhouse and honestly, a lot of the things I have today I wouldn’t have without her.
I know how difficult it is—especially if you’re a parent who is an immigrant or English isn’t your first language. There are a lot of resources for kids with disabilities, but unless someone is screaming and advocating for you, it’s really hard to get them. If anything, it should be easy for us to find these resources.
BLOOM: You started a podcast called Tea Time with Tay. What does tea time mean to you?
Taylor Lindsay-Noel: It’s an opportunity to communicate and connect with people in a way that makes them feel comfortable. When I do an interview with a guest, I want them to feel that I’m their friend and they can organically open up. In my life and in my home, we have an open-door policy. We have people in our house all the time. It’s very common for someone to pop in and end up leaving seven hours later, after a cup of tea and dinner.
BLOOM: How did you get the idea to start your own luxury tea business?
Taylor Lindsay-Noel: That derived from my podcast. I always had an entrepreneurial spirit and I knew if I wanted to make money with my podcast, I had to have some kind of sponsorship. I was a big fan of David’s Tea. In each of my podcasts I would talk about it. I sent them e-mails, but they never responded back. I got a bit stubborn and thought ‘If they’re not going to sponsor me, instead of being sad, I’m going to make my own tea and advertise it, and I went down a rabbit hole and started a company.
BLOOM: How did you come up with the name?
Taylor Lindsay-Noel: It’s a play on my name, but I also really love brands where if you look at the logo, the more you look the more you see. If you look at the U in our logo, it’s a cup, and the accent on the ‘e’ is a leaf. I wanted it to be a North American brand. The word ‘thé’ is tea in French and ‘té’ is tea in Spanish. It seemed like the perfect name that would cross borders and also be a play on my name.
BLOOM: What sets your loose-leaf tea apart?
Taylor Lindsay-Noel: We do not sell any teas that are not organic, all of our teas are organic. For me, tea is such a big part of my day and I used to hate getting tea from the grocery store, because the packaging was so 'blah.' I wanted to create a lifestyle brand that you wanted to leave out on your table, and it would complement your home rather than be an eyesore. I wanted to produce a high-quality product that would bring a new feel to a very old business.
BLOOM: What is your role in the business?
Taylor Lindsay-Noel: That’s a great question. It’s ever-evolving. Before Oprah endorsed our product I did everything except physically package the box together, because I can’t do that physically. Because of Oprah, this went from being a hobby to a real business. Now I have some part-time staff and friends who work with me. It’s an all-hands-on-board thing, and we’re learning as we go. We’re a really small business that’s had a large amount of exposure, so it’s a massive learning curve.
BLOOM: How do you type?
Taylor Lindsay-Noel: I use my phone a lot, I use the side of my knuckles to type, and it’s just as fast. I also use Siri and I have a Mac, so they all sync together.
BLOOM: You talk about being a Black-owned business on your website. What has your experience been as a Black, disabled woman?
Taylor Lindsay-Noel: It’s not easy. When you’re Black, it comes with a stigma that your products are going to be lesser than, so my customer service has got to be even better than everyone else. When you grow up Black, or as a minority, you already have a bit of a chip on your shoulder, because you have to do more to reach the same level as everyone else. That was already something difficult. When you add in disability, people don’t expect anything from people with disabilities.
I’ve been in negotiations in certain arenas online where a person has said ‘Okay, great,’ but then, when they meet me in person, they might not show the same amount of respect. I think they feel like ‘How is someone like her going to do something like another company would?’ I don’t think people see people with disabilities as able. And we are very able, and we might not have a lot of representation of people being business owners, but we’re here and that’s why I have no problem leaning into saying ‘I’m a female, disabled, Black business owner.’ I’d like to continue to break the mould of what someone after a tragic accident can do.
BLOOM: I’m assuming being a person with a disability gives you a perspective that can benefit your business.
Taylor Lindsay-Noel: I always tell people I have lived both lives. I’ve been in a body that is going to be an Olympic level gymnast and I’m in a body where I rely on people and I’m part of the disability community. I try to bring a sense of empathy to everyone’s journey and I think that leads me to be a great advocate for a wide range of people.
BLOOM: You give $1 from each of your starter kits to CAMH. Why?
Taylor Lindsay-Noel: Because I was very supported by the community when I had my accident. Strangers from all over the world supported me, and I was in a very fortunate situation. Many people don’t have that kind of support. When I started my business it was important to have some kind of charitable cause.
The easy choice would be spinal-cord injury, and I do hope to one day to have my own foundation to give back there. But the harder journey for me has been my mental health rather than my physical wellbeing, and mental health affects more people. I knew it would be a cause so many could relate to and get onboard with.
BLOOM: How did Oprah hear about your tea?
Taylor Lindsay-Noel: One of her editors found us on Instagram and they reached out. During a typical year they go to trade shows but this year, with COVID-19, everything was done online. One of the editors fell in love with our Instagram and pitched it to the team. They sent an e-mail and soon we were sending products to their creative director and they were going through the rounds of testing by Gayle King and at Oprah’s home.
Social media has been the key to our business. It’s a modern-day business card. It’s where people find you before they find your website. It has to present well and I always tell people to focus on your social media. Your followers don’t have to be high, but the quality has to be good, and as long as your quality is good, you will do well.
Don't forget to check out the gifts at Cup of Té!
