Today we’d like to introduce you to Shanna Bierman.
Hi Shanna, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
After spending more than 10 years as a women’s health nurse specializing in labor and delivery, my life changed dramatically in 2020 after I sustained a severe work injury while delivering a baby. The injury resulted in permanent nerve damage to my right, dominant arm and ultimately ended my bedside nursing career. I was facing the reality that I had lost use of my right arm and my nursing career was going through an identity crisis. Who was I if I wasn’t in the hospital helping care for mothers and babies? How was I going to care for others when I couldn’t do simple daily tasks now due to my injury?
A year later, I arrived home after surgery that was supposed to fix my injury and quickly learned that my arm was now completely useless and just hung at my side. No feeling anywhere in the arm, just severe pain. The nurse in me decided we were going to start doing our own physical therapy with every single task throughout the day. I was determined that this was not going to define me and I was going to become a better version of myself through the process. I did have plenty of days were I suffered from depression and the lack of motivation to keep going. Plenty of times sitting on the floor crying because I couldn’t complete a task because I didn’t have two good working arms.
During the long and difficult healing process, I found myself returning to something that had always brought me peace — plants, gardening, and herbal wellness. I have spent more than 30 years learning from plants and growing herbs, but during this chapter of my life, my garden became both therapy and teacher. What started as creating a few tea blends for family and friends quickly grew into something much bigger.
In 2023, I officially launched Intentional Teas, a small-batch herbal tea company focused on creating nurse-formulated blends that support everyday wellness and encourage people to slow down and care for themselves intentionally. Today, the business has expanded into teas, herbal extracts, infused agave syrups, and wellness education through community events and farmers markets. Even though I am no longer caring for patients at the bedside, nursing still remains at the heart of everything I do. One of the most meaningful parts of the business is that 10% of all sales help support the Wounded Nurses Fund, an initiative I started to advocate for and support nurses who have been injured on the job.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It definitely has not been a smooth road. The biggest challenge was rebuilding my identity and career after my injury. Nursing had been such a large part of who I was for over a decade, and suddenly losing the ability to work at the bedside was emotionally devastating. There were years of surgeries, physical therapy, chronic pain, and navigating the workers’ compensation system while trying to figure out what my future would look like. At the same time, starting a business from the ground up came with its own challenges — learning licensing requirements, regulations, production processes, marketing, and balancing finances while still healing physically and emotionally.
Another challenge has been building a wellness brand in a way that stays authentic to who I am. I wanted Intentional Teas to feel personal, intentional, and educational rather than just another product line. Everything is still handcrafted in small batches, and I’ve learned a lot through trial and error about scaling production, sourcing ingredients, and growing sustainably. But honestly, every struggle has reinforced why I started. What began from a very painful chapter of my life turned into something that allows me to continue caring for people in a different way, and that has made the difficult road worth it.
As you know, we’re big fans of Intentional Teas LLC. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Intentional Teas is a small-batch herbal wellness company focused on creating intentional products that support everyday health while encouraging people to slow down and reconnect with themselves. We specialize in nurse-formulated loose-leaf herbal teas, herbal extracts, and infused agave syrups crafted with herbs chosen to support natural body functions such as stress relief, sleep, digestion, immune support, mental clarity, and overall wellness. Many of the herbs used are grown or foraged locally whenever possible, and every product is handcrafted with a strong focus on quality, sustainability, and education.
What sets Intentional Teas apart is the combination of my background as a nurse, my lifelong connection to plants, and the heart behind the business. I approach herbal wellness from both a clinical and holistic perspective, focusing on supporting the body’s natural functions and creating balance rather than forcing the body to respond in a certain way. The brand is deeply rooted in the belief that wellness should feel approachable and intentional, not overwhelming. I’m especially proud that the business grew from one of the hardest chapters of my life into something that now helps others find comfort, ritual, and healing in their daily routines. One of the most meaningful parts of the brand is that 10% of all sales go toward building the Wounded Nurses Fund, an initiative created to support nurses who have been injured on the job. More than anything, I want people to know that Intentional Teas is about connection — connection to plants, to wellness, to community, and to creating moments of care in the middle of busy lives.
At Intentional Teas, we believe caring for people also means caring for the environment. That’s why all of our packaging is designed to be reusable, recyclable, or compostable whenever possible. Our containers are intentionally created to be kept and refilled using our compostable refill pouches, helping reduce waste while encouraging more sustainable everyday wellness rituals.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
One of the biggest resources in my life has honestly been nature itself. Spending time gardening, growing herbs, and learning directly from plants has taught me patience, resilience, and the importance of slowing down and paying attention. I also love reading books about herbalism, holistic wellness, and plant medicine because there is always something new to learn. Authors such as Rosemary Gladstar have been especially inspiring in shaping how I approach herbal wellness and community education. I also utilized the app MasterClass during my first year of business so I could learn from masters in their field on the varying topics of business.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.IntentionalTeasLLC.com
- Instagram: @intentional_teas
- Facebook: @intentionalteasllc
