Behind the Bastards

Part One: The Racist Cult Behind Herbal Tea

Sep 20, 2022
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INSIGHT

Sleepytime Tea's Unlikely Origins

  • Celestial Seasonings' Sleepytime tea ties back to William S. Sadler's influence and ideas.
  • The episode traces how a popular tea brand emerged from a bizarre mix of religion, medicine, and PR.
ANECDOTE

Sadler's Early Start At Battle Creek

  • William Sadler started working at John Harvey Kellogg's Battle Creek sanitarium at age 14 as a bellboy.
  • Kellogg mentored Sadler and later got him into evangelism and health-food sales.
INSIGHT

Salesmanship Shaped Sadler's Career

  • Sadler used public speaking and salesmanship to build influence, helping pioneer grocery store sampling.
  • His charisma and sales roots shaped a career transitioning from religion to medicine to public influence.
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