Heather Beach - Co-Founder, Kafina

Heather Beach

Heather Beach is one of the co-founders of Kafina, an organic energy elixir that complements your body — just 11mg of caffeine and no chemicals or crash to disrupt your health or your day. The first of its kind, Kafina has been lovingly crafted from the wisdom of plants.

Kafina is on a mission to fuel, restore and awaken people through the power of plants. For Heather and Kathleen, it exemplifies just the beginning of what they believe is possible by co-creating shamanically with Plant Spirit. Kafina is a gift from the Goddess of Coffee herself presented to Heather in a shamanic journey in 2012. At this same time, while working together at Seventh Generation, Heather introduced Kathleen to the Kafina formula as an herbalist and shamanic healer.

Kathleen had sought Heather out, as she had just moved, started a new job and had 3 kids under 3 ½. Kathleen was struggling to manage it all mentally and physically. However, Kafina transformed Kathleen, fueling her soul but also her energy, mood and focus. It became part of her daily wellness routine like many others in the Burlington, Vermont community where Kafina quickly gained a cult-like following.

Heather and Kathleen fell out of touch when Heather left Seventh Generation to pursue other opportunities and start a family in 2013. Fortunately, they were brought back together in 2018 and re-ignited theirpassion for plants, responsible business and the power of Kafina. This also inspired their bigger mission to fuel, restore & awaken people through the power of plants.

Outside of being passionate about their mission, Heather and Kathleen have over 35 years of combined experience as innovators and leaders across all aspects of consumer products. We feel that our careers, that have brought consumers such beloved natural brands as Bear Naked Granola, Burt’s Bees, Seventh Generation, Sustain Natural and Sunsoil CBD, have also prepared us to bring Kafina® to market in a way that honors the consumer, Earth and the Goddess.

I’m so excited for you guys to connect with Heather, check out her work with Kafina, and follow along as she continues to awaken people and transform their lives through the power of plants.

I'd love it if you'd introduce yourself, what you do, and what you're working on.

My name is Heather Beach and I am a product development chemist, herbalist and plant shaman. I’ve formulated some of the highest grossing, authentically natural consumer products on the market during my career for many natural brands including Seventh Generation, Sunsoil CBD, and Grove Collaborative.The unplanned part of my journey led me to realizing I could telepathically communicate with plants, which then led to me apprenticing as a shaman. After that, my whole world changed. This eventually led to me recently co-founding Kafina Energy with my partner, Kathleen O’Brien. The formula for Kafina was given to me by the Plant Spirit of Coffee during a shamanic journey in 2012. 

 Kafina Energy is an organic energy elixir with only five organic ingredients (schisandra berries, cardamom, Fair Trade coffee, fenugreek seeds and Vermont maple syrup) that supports sustained energy, mental focus and mood elevation. It can be sipped, taken as a whole shot or added to a beverage. Athletes, overachievers and anyone seeking a sustained clean energy boost can achieve dramatic benefits. People typically take it in the morning, pre/post workout, afternoon slump time and/or before a night out.

How did you get started?

My career started in science; I have biochemistry and biophysics degrees from William Smith College and Yale University. I left academia and went on to work for respected natural brands developing products in my early twenties. At this same time, I decided to pursue spirituality, which was something I hadn’t explored much previously. In 2007, I had what some would call a spiritual awakening when I realized I could communicate telepathically with plants. I studied herbalism and apprenticed with a shaman after that, which ended up being a totally transformative experience. Once I learned to journey shamanically, I worked directly with plant consciousness and they, in addition to teaching me many things, started sharing formulas with me. The formula for Kafina was actually one of the first formulas the plants shared. At that time, I was working as an herbalist in Burlington, VT and many people locally found Kafina through that work. In 2018, I reunited with a former client, co-worker and friend, Kathleen O’Brien, and we decided to bring Kafina to the world together.

What inspired the work that you're doing?

The formula for Kafina was given to me in 2012, but we didn’t launch it as a product until late 2019. In the years between, I received many requests from people who had tried it, but life got very busy for me as a new mom and I had to stop making it for people. Even years later, I received requests from people who tracked me down on LinkedIn. I had always dreamed of launching one of these amazing formulas from the plants, but knew that I didn’t want to embark on an entrepreneurial adventure alone. I had seen too much of how difficult launching a company can be during my career and knew a solo journey was not for me!

In 2018, Kathleen and I were brought back together when we were both working on a CBD project. We reconnected as friends and colleagues and realized the two of us together basically make a company with they way our experience and expertise dovetail. Shortly into this project, we decided via text we were going to start a company and Kafina would be the perfect first product to launch together! The Kafina formula had an amazing positive impact on Kathleen’s life back when she was my client in 2012.

 In parallel, the movement towards conscious-consumption has amplified and consumers are now seeking functional, healthy beverages in numbers never seen before in the beverage category. Kafina now has a platform to become the no-brainer alternative to the chemicals, crash and plastic of conventional energy shots. We are offering an organic energy solution to fuel warrior moms and dads, highly-productive workers, athletes and anyone seeking sustainable focus without chemicals or artificial ingredients.

What is your biggest passion? Do you feel like you're living your passion and purpose?

More than anything, I thrive on witnessing how plants support humanity and the Earth in so many ways. Kafina can be part of the larger awakening people are having to the consciousness and magic in all things. Once a person realizes the consciousness and wisdom that plants hold, the way they view the world is never the same. Creating natural products has always been a joy, but with Kafina it’s a different kind of joy. Also, having a mission-oriented company with a like-minded co-founder is another joy that is a first for me.

What is your joy blueprint? What lights you up, brings you joy, and makes you feel the most alive?

It’s amazing to see firsthand how Kafina fuels people and positively improves performance, mood and energy. I love to experience the growth of our company and see this amazing formula touch more and more lives. I feel most alive when I’m connecting with the plants, nature, the beautiful piece of land I’m on in Vermont and, of course, my daughter. She’s four and, like so many four year olds, says the most amazing things!

How do you live intentionally? Are there tools/resources/practices that you rely on to help you stay mindful and grounded?

One of the most transformative times early in my spiritual journey was when I took what some people call, “the vow of truth.” Basically it means that, no matter what, you will only speak the truth, or if you can’t, say nothing at all. A wonderful thing happens when you do that. You can actually feel the vibration of truth (or untruth) in your body for yourself or what is being told to you. Being honest and truthful with myself has brought about incredible personal transformation, but I have to also add that it is not an easy journey at times. I remind myself of this vow and also the fact that anywhere we are afraid to look within ourselves will rule us until we have the courage to open that door and bring the light of our beingness to it. This practice keeps me grounded, connected to my authentic self, and pursuing what is truly important to me.

What would your younger self think about what you're doing now?

I imagine she would be very surprised! I went from a hardcore academic NIH Fellow biophysics PhD candidate to a plant shaman. The latter wasn’t something I had any exposure to growing up or as a young adult. Following the truth of your heart and soul can take you to amazing places.

Do you have a go-to mantra or affirmation?

Affirmations have helped me so much to heal my heart and life, there are too many to list. If I had to pick one nugget, it would be related to how I try to stay committed to the truth of who I am and what I really want. To tune out as much as I can the things of the ego and stay steadfast in what really matters. Also, knowing that following this path may require leaping into an abyss or two along the way. But, what Goethe said was right, “Be bold and mighty forces will come to your aid.” And also when he said this, “Few people have the imagination for reality.” That one really came to life when the plants starting teaching me things, sometimes even about science, that I had never learned before!

What is your biggest dream?

My dream is for the average American consumer to recognize the power of plants as well as the consciousness and magic in all things; to have Kafina and like-minded products truly go mainstream. It’s wonderful to see so many people incorporating more plants into their diet and investing in their health in this way.

To learn more about Heather and Kafina visit their website www.KafinaEnergy.com and it’s sold on their website and on Amazon in packs of 8 or 32 and on Instagram @KafinaEnergy - they love hearing your feedback and answering your questions.

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