Meet Sara Delaney | Founder

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sara Delaney and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sara, what do you attribute your success to?
The purpose must come first. Creating a product just for the sake of another product that we want in stores is not enough. The why behind it must include passion, purpose and alignment of values. I started Sarilla because I wanted to make an impact and improve social experiences in the U.S. while helping individuals on their health and wellness journey, while also making a positive economic impact in the producer communities where we work, mainly in Rwanda. I always hold those faces in my mind, especially on the harder days. There are so many stages and seasons of growing a business and they won’t all be joyful so the work I am doing now on my inner landscape is to stay anchored in the purpose while we promote and sell the product.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I’m the founder of Sarilla, an alcohol-free spritzer, made with organic tea, herbs and fruits grown in regenerative soil. I decided to start a beverage company after living in Rwanda, East Africa and after struggling to make a difference with a nonprofit organization. I got back to my routes of being an entrepreneur and selected this product line because it supports health and wellness on so many levels. Today the nonalcoholic beverage category is hot and trending and it’s becoming cool to be sober. When I got sober over 17 years ago it was not cool at all. There are still social stigmas we need to overcome and to normalize the choice to be alcohol-free. As a woman in recovery, I have a strong toolbox for coping with challenges. I’ve overcome hopefully the worst thing I will ever experience already, so building a business is manageable. It’s far from easy but when we are in the flow with our purpose and in alignment with our values, feel like we are making a difference, things feel easier. I would like people to know that if you try to force your will on things, or if you choose a path only to make others happy, you will probably not succeed because the universe wants you to discover and carry out your life purpose. When you get a taste of it, hold onto the moment and build upon the nugget of magic so that you can tap into your gifts that they word wants to experience.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I live in the Asheville NC area and am originally from Vermont. I’ve always been drawn to mountain life while I also love urban settings. My favorite place to be is in nature, on steep climbs. I used to spend alot of time in the woods mainly running, a place called Bent Creek. I also really enjoy the NC Arboretum trails near Bent Creek. Lately I’ve been so busy with work I take an hour throughout the week to run a couple of laps around Beaver Lake in North Asheville or hike up Reynolds Mountain near there. Early morning around the lake when it’s still foggy is such a peaceful time and I often see a heron. The mountain climb is paved and developed but for some reason it helps transport me to Rwanda and when I get to the top, especially if it’s foggy, I feel like I could be in Land of a Thousand Hills, any place in the world that helps me feel peace. Those are activities I usually do alone but would recommend to anyone. We like to eat at Curate or La Bodega, and it’s always fun to shop at Earthfare and French Broad Food Coop downtown where you can find many local products. Grove Park Inn is a local getaway which beautiful sunset views and it’s worth a drive out to Lake Lure, be sure to stop at Hickory Nut Gap on the way and drive through the beautiful rolling hills of Fairview.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Shoutout to the women in Rwanda who always have a warm embrace and a bright smile when I see them. They inspire joy, even with the dark and tragic history of their country. They encourage community and gratitude, and living for each day because we don’t know what tomorrow will bring. They bring me closer to my true self and help me feel I have a purpose in life. The women of Rwanda rarely get a shoutout and the farmers around the world who grow the ingredients that go into our food and drinks need to be highlighted more; to be connected to the consumers and better integrated into the narrative. Many of them never see where the crops go or what they are turned into, and are often missing from the value chain of finished products. This is why we have created a program in Rwanda where the women who grow coffee, tea and herbs have the opportunity to create their own finished product, a packaged herbal tea product, which they can help to market, sell and see in stores and on hotel menus. There’s nothing like seeing something you nurtured in your heart and hands land in someone else’s home!

Website: https://www.drinksarilla.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drinksarilla

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarastenderdelaney/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/drinksarilla

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrinkSarilla/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@drinksarilla

Other: Tiktok @drinksarilla

Image Credits
lemon can by pool taken Taylor Heery at Horseshoe Farm resort. product photo with all 6 cans taken by Soona product photo single can taken by Jaclyn Buelow photo of me in field with Beatrice in Rwanda taken by Sean Moore