W
e all have our dreams and passions. What makes one follow them through all the way? How do you go from idea to full-on business? What were the steps you took along the way? Was it a conscious decision or a result of organic growth? This column will explore different avenues and paths various entrepreneurs have taken to fulfill their dreams while following their passions and making a parnassah.
Jus by Julie is one of those business success stories I’m obsessed with. Why, you ask? At the age of 50, after her kids were grown, Julie Maleh ended her long stint as a stay-at-home mother (and grandmother) and went back to school to learn nutrition. After raising her kids, she felt it was time to work on a passion of her own. Her love for healthy living would soon change her life in more ways than one. Today, Maleh runs a company that sells juices, salads, and other healthy, on-the-go products, under the hechsher of the OU. Jus by Julie has five retail stores throughout the tristate area, and Costco, Whole Foods, and Amazon carry her products nationwide. One of the most inspiring parts of her story is that each one of her five children are partners in the business today. I traveled to the Five Towns to meet Maleh and her daughter Marcy Tbiele, head of marketing, to hear how Maleh initially got started, to glean advice for other business owners, and, of course, to try her delicious signature products.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING TIME OUT OF YOUR BUSY SCHEDULES TO SPEAK WITH ME AND OUR READERS. I’M SO EXCITED TO FINALLY MEET WITH YOU BOTH! I’VE HEARD SO MUCH ABOUT YOUR STORES AND JUICES. JULIE, CAN YOU TELL ME A BIT ABOUT HOW YOU GOT STARTED?
MALEH: Well, my kids were getting bigger and moving out of the house — they were starting their own lives and I was just getting back to living mine sans children. I was always interested in nutrition and I wanted to do something I believed in, so I decided to go back to school to learn the benefits of healthy living. I found an online school for integrative nutrition and started taking classes. Then, while I was in school, my husband was diagnosed with high blood pressure. I am very much into healing naturally through foods, so I was curious if what I was learning in school could heal my husband. I began experimenting in my kitchen, developing juice blends, and since green juices were trending, I concocted a green juice that both my husband and I drank every morning. It included kale, spinach, mango, pineapple, strawberries, and rosemary, and it was delicious, nutritious, and had incredible health benefits — plus it contained no additives or preservatives. The fruits and vegetables added fiber, which also helped control sugar cravings. After a month, my husband went back to the doctor for a checkup, and the doctor was blown away. He asked me what we were doing, and I told him that all I had been doing was giving my husband this green drink for breakfast every day. I also noticed a huge change in my skin and the texture of my hair. We both had renewed energy, and I couldn’t deny the power of that green drink.
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