About the Founders
Our Mission
We make herbal blends for real life.
For anxious brains. ADHD brains. The sensitive bodies that feel everything a little too loud.
And we do it without the weird rules, the shame, or the "just be consistent!" energy that makes you want to throw your mug across the room.
Our teas are:
- Easy to love (even if you think you hate tea)
- Built around ritual, not pressure
- Rooted in real research, without killing the magic
- Safe for the whole family (because regulation isn't just for adults)
- A little spooky, a little soft, because comfort doesn't have to be boring
This isn't about becoming a better version of yourself. It's about learning how to sit with the version of you that already exists.
How This Actually Started
Back in 2022, this was $300, a few herbs, and a lot of "we need something that actually helps." We weren't trying to build a brand. We were trying to get through the day without feeling like our nervous systems were on fire.
So we started making teas. Then sharing them. Not as experts. Not as gurus. Just as two women in recovery, with 5 and 10+ years sober between us, saying,
"this helped me… maybe it'll help you too."
And then, it got a little wild. One TikTok video took off during the ADHD medication shortage. And suddenly thousands of people were like, "wait…this is exactly how I feel."
Orders came in. Messages poured out. Stories got shared. And what we thought was a small thing… turned into a whole community.
Four years later, we've served over 12,000 customers, earned 700+ five-star reviews, and done over $600K in sales, without fake urgency, without pretending to be something we're not. Just…connection.
We're small. We're family-owned. We're women-owned. And we are genuinely, simply, just in the business of helping people.
What We Believe
We believe:
- Tea can anchor you, not just hydrate you
- Rituals matter more than routines
- You don't have to earn rest
- Taking care of yourself doesn't have to feel serious to be real
- Relief is just a sip away
- Community changes everything
- And if you've been told you're "too much"…you probably just weren't supported enough
An Invitation
This isn't just a tea company. It's a place to land when everything feels like a lot. A slightly haunted corner of the web for people who feel deeply, think fast, and are tired of being told to "calm down" instead of being shown how.
If wellness spaces have ever made you feel like you're doing it wrong, you're not.
You just needed something built with you in mind.
So, put the kettle on. Stay a while.
Online Community
Kat and Kyrstyn are actively growing their community on TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube, sharing the power of plants, self-love, acceptance, and sober living. The shop frequently sells out as they rapidly expand.
'Care Packs for Recovery' Program
We are COMMITTED to offering those in recovery effective and safe remedies, providing relief during a critical period. Sending Herbal Tea Essentials Care Packs to Recovery/Detox Centers nationwide, nominated by customers. Make a difference and choose from donation options for a positive impact.
Kyrstyn Scott – Co-Founder, Operations Queen, Brand Alchemist
Kyrstyn Scott is the co-founder of Emerald Coast Alternatives and the artistic force behind the brand’s hauntingly unforgettable aesthetic. A tattoo artist with a passion for bright, bold, and beautifully weird art, Kyrstyn brings color, character, and creativity into everything she touches, from herbal tea blends to spooky sticker sheets.
Originally a correctional officer in Nevada, Kyrstyn moved across the country to Florida in search of a new beginning. Just weeks later, she met Kat and their love story became a tea-sipping, spell-crafting business venture that now serves thousands of haunted and healing humans across the country.
At ECA, Kyrstyn is the engine behind the operation. She formulates most of the shop’s tea blends, designs all of the product art and packaging, and oversees every step of production from crafting each small batch by hand to managing warehouse operations and shipping logistics with precision and care. While Kat is the voice and face of the brand, Kyrstyn is the one who brings the vision to life, physically, visually, and magically.
Her work ensures that every ECA order is more than just a package, it’s a potion of purpose, beauty, and intention. Her art and behind-the-scenes mastery give Emerald Coast Alternatives its distinct identity: a place where weird is welcome, magic meets science, and plants help the living thrive.
- 10+ years sober
- Tattoo artist & branding visionary
- Creator of ECA’s tea blends
- Oversees all product creation, fulfillment & shipping
- Designer of all ECA artwork, branding, packaging & spooky visuals
Based in Gulf Breeze, FL
Katarina Scott – Co-Founder, Clinical Herbalist & Mindfulness Educator
Katarina Scott is the co-founder of Emerald Coast Alternatives and the creative mind behind its signature blend of mindfulness, magic, and herbal rebellion. A certified mindfulness and meditation teacher, positive psychology practitioner, and lifelong neurodivergent, Kat helps haunted and healing humans reclaim their nervous systems through intentional tea rituals, mocktails, and science-backed self-love.
Kat is the creator of all ECA’s tea rituals, mocktail recipes, and wellness resources, each one carefully crafted to blend function, flavor, and folklore. She is also the head of all things tech and marketing, designing the entire ECA website, building email and SMS campaigns, and producing every piece of content; from viral TikToks to weekly YouTube meditations (coming soon!).
With years of experience leading retreats, guiding workshops, and working with high-level clients, Kat’s approach to wellness is deeply grounded, radically compassionate, and defiantly magical. She specializes in emotional regulation, mindfulness for neurodivergent brains, and transforming overwhelm into ritual.
At ECA, Kat is the face and voice of the brand - writing every caption, casting every tea spell, and building a community for the weirdly wired, the overstimulated, and the chronically misunderstood. Her work makes nervous system care feel accessible, empowering, and just a little spooky...in the best way.
When she’s not teaching or brewing potions, she’s raising four wildly magical sons, dancing through her emotions, and reminding people that healing doesn’t have to look pretty, it just has to feel real.
- Certified mindfulness & meditation instructor
- Certified positive psychology practitioner
- Creator of all ECA tea rituals, mocktail recipes, and mindfulness resources
- Head of ECA Tech & Marketing
Based in Navarre, FL
500+ 5-star reviews & a thriving, haunted community