When it comes to her motivation, Bothell businesswoman Penny Stafford has a compelling story to tell.

At 16, Stafford lost her father in a plane crash. An older sister died a short time later, the crash this time involving a car. And, finally, as if that weren’t enough, her mother passed from a brain aneurysm the same year.

“I was a 16-year-old girl and no one stepped up,” Stafford said. “Only if no one truly cares about you can you know how that feels.”

Since that time, Stafford, now 47, said she has had a strong sense of her own mortality, a feeling that has led her to not spend a lot of time making up her mind. If she wants something, she just goes after it. Because of the tragedy that struck her, Stafford added she’s also long considered herself an underdog.

As if to demonstrate the traits she mentioned, with no hesitation, Stafford talks long and strongly about what she wants to accomplish with her life now, basically helping others in difficult positions — other underdogs.

“I’ve always looked to be in business to hand out money… There’s a strong drive there,” Stafford said.

The longtime operator of the Belvi Coffee and Tea Exchange in Bellevue, Stafford in September purchased the largely North Carolina-based Tibetan Tea, which produces herbal iced tea, but now carries the promotional line “Join the Movement.”

While not a charity itself, Tibetan Tea profits now go to support lesser-known charities such as Doctors Without Borders, several Tibetan-based charities and numerous animal groups such as PAWS and the Performing Animal Rescue Society.

Stafford even mentioned Free Kibble, a Web site run by a 12-year-old Oregon girl who supplies pet food for animal shelters.

“Some non-profits don’t always go looking for publicity, but that’s where the money is,” Stafford said. “I wanted to be a voice and just help those who want to do what’s right.”

Stafford said she had been selling Tibetan Tea in her Bellevue shop for years. She liked the product and the former company owners so much she said she several times asked to become a distributor. Barring that, she wanted to outright buy the company. When she eventually did take over Tibetan Tea last year, she redesigned the cans, changed the size and began aggressively marketing it in California, where she said she has numerous business connections.

For now, the company is a small one, mostly Stafford and some California-based sales representatives. Stafford is trying to get Tibetan Tea into restaurants and speciality stores around Los Angeles. Her connections there come from the time she spent selling commercial real estate.

At 21, Stafford said she started knocking on the door of a well-known California broker. It took two months, she said, but he finally let her in and taught her the ropes. Stafford added she quickly became a very aggressive broker herself. Somewhere along the way, drawing she said on that sense of wanting to help the underdog, Stafford began taking in what could be said to be some literal underdogs: various stray animals nobody else wanted. She has only two dogs now, but that’s the least she’s ever had, at one point housing nine. Stafford still has several cats, as well. She said she tends to take in dogs with behavioral problems just because few others will.

“If they destroy my house, that’s OK,” she said.

Having grown up in California, Stafford might have stayed there but for a visit here.

“It’s just so pretty here,” she said. “I think I cried the first time I left.”

Again not being one to hesitate, she quickly moved here.

While Stafford has closed her Bellevue retail store, she naturally hopes eventually to bring Tibetan Tea to this area. For now, the product is available locally mostly online at www.tibetantea.com. And while she wants to grow her company, Stafford also talks about launching her own charity, one aimed at providing educational or counseling help for victims of tragedies of one sort or another.

“Who is it that no one else cares about? That’s who we want to help.”