From side hustle to multi-million dollar tea empire: Lawyer, 30, whose weight dropped to 42 kilos after being bitten by a PARASITE reveals how a cure led her to launch a successful business
- Sarah Holloway went on a charity expedition to Africa with her fiance Nick
- When the pair returned to their home in Melbourne she dropped to just 42 kilos
- After visiting the doctor the 30-year-old lawyer was told she had a parasite
- The specialists ordered her to heal with diet changes and by not drinking coffee
- So she turned to matcha lattes for a little kick, and created a business out of it
A lawyer whose weight plummeted to just 42 kilos after being bitten by a parasite has revealed how a cure led her to launch a multi-million dollar tea empire.
Sarah Holloway, from Melbourne, couldn't figure out why she was constantly tired and losing weight at a rapid rate when she returned from a charity expedition to Africa.
The 30-year-old had travelled to the country with her fiance Nick Davidson and began to struggle eating certain foods as soon as they returned home.
Sarah Holloway couldn't figure out why she was constantly tired and losing weight at a rapid rate when she returned from a charity expedition to Africa
'I became emaciated and wasn't able to eat much food,' she told News.com.au.
'I was not eating well at all, and I didn't realise how bad it was until I completely crashed and burned.'
Even her much-loved coffee was leaving her anxiety-ridden and suffering from panic attacks after each caffeinated sip.
After visiting the doctor she was told a parasite had entered her bloodstream when the couple were in Rwanda and had been damaging her system ever since.
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Even her much-loved coffee was leaving her anxiety-ridden and suffering from panic attacks after each caffeinated sip
A devastating blow for the caffeine lover, she was resigned to drinking regular H20 until she came across matcha green tea powder in Hong Kong
They prescribed her a specific diet and antibiotics, telling her she would have to give up her beloved coffee for awhile in order to heal.
A devastating blow for the caffeine lover, she was resigned to drinking regular H20 until she came across matcha green tea powder in Hong Kong.
It didn't give her the same 'jittery' effect she would normally experience with coffee, but she still got a worthwhile buzz after drinking it.
Switching to organic cooking, cutting out alcohol and reducing her sugar intake also helped her gain weight and kill the internal parasite.
Switching to organic cooking, cutting out alcohol and reducing her sugar intake also helped her gain weight and kill the internal parasite
But the green tea leaves, which are ground into a fine powder, were so delicious Sarah kept adding it to her lattes and smoothie bowls
But the green tea leaves, which are grounded into a fine powder, were so delicious Sarah kept adding it to her lattes and smoothie bowls.
The only problem is she couldn't find a local supplier and had to buy 10 kilo bags of it from overseas.
Deciding that the green-coloured mixture would make for an excellent business venture, she and her husband-to-be invested $5,000 into their fledgling company Matcha Maiden.
After 18 months of hard work and social media campaigns they made their first million dollars
After 18 months of hard work and social media campaigns, they turned their humble brand into a multi-million dollar tea empire.
'It honestly just started as a side hustle and hobby that I was doing while I was a lawyer and it exploded and grew so fast, beyond anything we ever expected,' she said.
Urban Outfitters in America decided to stock their powder and they soon expanded into matcha chocolate, even opening their own vegan cafe called Matcha Mylkbar in Melbourne.
Today the pair, who are due to wed in four months, are running the business full time, with Sarah giving up her career as a lawyer to pursue the creative dream.
