Let's be honest, it's not always the easiest to incorporate healthy options into our diet. It's sounds good, but we don't always do it. Courtney, the owner of Magnolia Juice, is making it easier for people to be healthier, and to incorporate healthier options into their daily lives.
On top of founding Magnolia Juice, Courtney is a true #GoGetter! What started out as a way to make healthier choices for herself and family, expanded into a business that makes drinking and eating vegetables easier, and way tastier! She turned a passion for juicing into a business that helps and impacts others. That's a true boss!
We talked with Courtney about her brand, Magnolia Juice, her journey and so much more. She dropped some major gems!
Courtney, tell us a little about yourself.
People should know that I am passionate about anything that I do and my customers mean everything to me. I have over 10 years of experience in customer service and sales, and my goal is to always provide the best experience no matter the situation. I am also studying to become a certified Nutrition Coach so that every bit of information that I provide about the produce that I use has been studied and learned, not second hand information.
What is your definition of a #GoGetter?
A Go Getter is someone who stops at nothing to attain their goals. Someone who takes actions daily to move the needle forward and doesn’t give up when things get challenging.
Introduce Magnolia Juice and how you came to launch your brand?
Magnolia Juice is a cold pressed and fresh juice company that was created to change the narrative of incorporating fresh juices into your diet. I started this brand to encourage people to seek a lifestyle change as it pertains to their health and not to focus on doing fad diets, cleanses, etc. when trying to reach their health goals.
To be honest, I never knew nor aspired to own a juice business. I am originally from New Orleans, LA and food is one of the most important pieces of our culture. We eat a lot of unique foods, heavy on the spices, carbs, fat and more. After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, my family and I moved to Dallas, TX to start our new life. Just a short time after, my dad was diagnosed with heart disease and had to undergo a triple bypass surgery because all of his arteries were blocked 99%. After this experience of almost losing my dad, my family and I decided that we had to make a lifestyle change in our eating habits. It wasn’t until a few years later that I discovered juicing. I lead a pretty healthy lifestyle and began paying more attention to the labels of everything that I ate. I realized that even some of the “healthy” products I was consuming had preservatives and other elements that long term can be harmful to the body.
One day I decided I would buy a juicer and that was all she wrote. I began making different recipes for my roommate, friends and family, and they loved it. Then one day, I simply posted on Instagram if anyone would like to purchase and unbeknownst to me, quite a few people were ready to send me money for fresh juices. This was back in November of 2018 and I have not stopped juicing since.
What was your “aha moment” that inspired you to start Magnolia Juice?
That moment came when I made and tried my staple juice for the first time. It’s called the Fiber Boost, and incorporates Parsnips (which I had never heard of before) pineapple, pear, lemon & ginger. It was so good and my taste testers enjoyed it too. I thought, this is my calling and this is exactly what God wants me to do.
What is your ultimate goal for Magnolia Juice?
My goal is to have multiple store fronts around the U.S. and be able to ship my product both nationally and internationally.
Some people may not be familiar with juicing/cold-pressed juices and the benefits it has, can you share some with us?
Juicing is a quick and easy way to fuel your body with antioxidants, vitamins and other nutrients. While some people have a problem consuming certain fruits and veggies, juicing allows a more enjoyable way to consume the produce your body needs to grow, heal and withstand different ailments.
What’s one setback you’ve experienced since launching your brand and how did you overcome it?
There’s so many, it’s hard to choose, but I’d have to say the one time I was in the middle of juicing orders and my juicer completely died on me. I wasn’t able to get to the store in a timely manner to get a new juicer for that day so I had to push back an entire week of orders by a day to solve the problem. Since customer service is so important to me, I felt awful because people plan their weeks and schedules around my delivery and their own personal use of the juices, such as cleanses.
Each juice you offer has benefits, how do you decide what juices to offer/include for order?
Every fruit and vegetable serves their own purpose so I try to include a good mix of ingredients that will target the most popular concerns people have when trying to lead a healthier lifestyle. Usually all of my juices have an ingredient or two that focuses on digestive and gut health. A lot of challenges people face with their health start with bad digestion or a gut that needs to be detoxed.
Why is sharing your knowledge about fruits and vegetables through juicing so important to you?
I’d say it’s important because a lot of people do not understand how beneficial raw fruits and vegetables can be to them. Even consuming cooked vegetables sometimes is not enough because heat causes a lot of nutrients to be lost in the process of cooking. I want people to know that juicing can be enjoyable. I’ve even made friends and family alcoholic beverages with my fresh juices and some can never go back to canned or bottled mixers.
How has juicing impacted you overall?
Juicing has made me a more disciplined person. Of course to keep up with my orders I have to have a certain level of discipline in order to make it all happen. But personally, juicing has made me make better choices in my eating habits and it has also helped me maintain and achieve my ideal weight.
What’s one thing about being an entrepreneur that you didn’t know prior to launching but wish you knew?
I think I knew this, but didn't fully understand that an entrepreneur has to wear many hats. You think about large corporations and see all of the different departments they have people employed in, and never really understand why it’s broken out like that until you have your own.
What has been one of the most rewarding things you’ve experienced since launching Magnolia Juice?
I would say having people reach out to me and say how my juices have helped them with their health journey’s. The most rewarding thing is when customers send me reviews about how the juices have helped them with weight loss, sleep, high blood pressure, etc. This is the reason I keep going, to inspire people that making healthier decisions in their diet can have a positive impact on so many other things in their life.
What advice would you give to someone who is on the edge of following their dreams and/or passions?
I would tell them to just start. The vision may not be as clear as they’d like, all of the funds or resources may not be available, but in due time they will come. The first step to starting a new endeavor in my opinion is believing in yourself. Some people will be receptive to your vision and ideas and some people will not. As long as you have faith in yourself and you dedicate your time and efforts, you will be successful.
Is there any additional information/comment you would like to include for our readers?
I just want to say that whether or not you choose to order fresh juices from Magnolia Juice or not, I think that everyone should try incorporating fresh juices at some point into their diet. I can promise you that you’ll be sold, even after just one juice.
How can people get in touch with you?
I can be reached by the following:
Instagram: @MagnoliaJuice
Facebook: Magnolia Juice
Email: magnoliajuice@gmail.com
Text Only: 504-287-7199
Check out Magnolia Juice, and tell them Erica and Shelby sent you!