Today we’d like to introduce you to LeAnna Bella Wilson.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
It’s pretty simple really, I’m in love with my Vitamix and long walks through the Farmers Market. Seriously.
But that would be too simple of a story and I’m sure the readers want the juicy smoothie details. So, here it goes…
As a former restaurant Owner, restaurant Vendor and Commercial Real Estate Agent (specializing in restaurants) – I guess you could say that I love the service industry. But I also know first hand how being of “service to others” can wipe you completely out. When you’re busy, tired or just plain uneducated about what your body needs – you make bad choices. I see people all around me go-go-go and fail to care for themselves (especially women). As a society, there is so much pressure on us to be successful but there is also an internal struggle to be healthier. To me, it seemed like there needed to be a compromise.
Years ago, I was managing a team and one of my best sales reps told me she needed to resign. She was in a commission based position and easily my top salesperson. She told me that she needed to work a different schedule because she needed time to prep her food and get in her workouts. Inside, I laughed. She was forfeiting success and money for a more balanced life. Didn’t make much sense to me then.
Fast forward 10 years and I was a first-time entrepreneur. I was easily working 15-20 hours a day at my restaurant. Rarely getting in my workouts, skipping meals and stressed. I never took a day off and self-care went out the window. Shortly after closing the business, I was diagnosed with multiple Auto-Immune disorders. Celiac is one of them. I wreaked so much havoc on my system – I’m sure that I made myself sick.
Many of us don’t have the luxury of quitting our job to better manage our lives let alone our food intake. Our success, career path and caring for our families take priority and we make food choices based on convenience. But people want to be healthy. Healthy+Convenience? That’s when the vision for Alkaline Junkie became clear.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
There are some things that I can say about the “smooth road”… the condition of the road shouldn’t matter as much as the condition of your “vehicle”. Make sure you have good tires and you’ve gotten your oil changed. Try not to let self-care fly out the window. Expect the road to be bumpy and imagine yourself driving an ATV 4-Wheeler… it’s actually pretty fun!
One of the biggest struggles that I’ve had was right around the time I purchased the equipment for the food truck. It all became so REAL and a little nostalgic. Then, I start thinking about how hard it was to close my first restaurant. All the blood, sweat and tears that went into those four walls. Thinking back to that created insecurities and fear. I started doubting myself, my concept and my ability to balance it with everything else in my life. I quickly came back to my senses and stopped living in the past (cue “vehicle maintenance”).
The best advice that I could share would be a valuable lesson that one of my mentors taught me early on… it’s how to eat an elephant. One bite at a time and don’t look up at the elephant. Being an entrepreneur, you can become inundated with things to do. Creative thoughts pop into your brain and you can easily start to feel like you’re drowning. That’s when you need to stop and breathe. Eating the elephant one bite at a time means- just do one thing at a time. But the real key is not to look up. Looking up at your enormous, never-ending “to-do list” creates anxiety. Just keep your head down and keep plugging away at it. One bite at a time.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Alkaline Junkie – what should we know?
Alkaline Junkie is a Mobile Superfood Cafe. We offer Smoothies, Açaí Bowls, Smoothie Bowls, Avocado Toast, Superfood Lattes, and Elixirs. We’ve expanded the menu a bit to offer some hearty bowls as well. The entire menu is gluten free, dairy free and refined sugar-free. Everything is plant based and organic (whenever possible). Every recipe had been tested out on a reformed “Junkie Food Junkie” (my Hubby). One of the fondest memories I have is when my Hubby and I were driving towards an event that had tons of delicious sugary treats waiting. We packed up some Alkaline Junkie food to bring along. I asked him if he was excited to have some cake and he responded, “I just can’t wait to eat that Chia Seed Pudding you packed”. Wow! I really made it to the big leagues!
If you crave health and natural energy, we can pull up to your office, school, gym, yoga studio or home to supply the Boost that you require. I love using herbs to supplement something that your body is missing. What we do that’s different is in our understanding that “healthy” is not a one size fits all. I incorporate Ayurvedic practices to take a holistic approach to fuel your unique body. We also took a very sustainable approach to the built out of the Food Truck. My husband designed, engineered and built every component to work systematically utilizing natural energy sources. No noisy generators, we use solar. Also, our truck gets a whopping 20mpg so no horrendous fuel mileage as compared to a normal food truck which gets 6-9 miles per gallon fuel use on average. We hug trees!
Which women have inspired you in your life?
I believe one of the biggest opportunities that women have is in our ability to elevate and empower one and other. You cannot put a price on a strong pack of women surrounding you. I wouldn’t trade mine for the world. I’m so blessed to know so many other Entrepreneurs that are women. It’s so great to be able to bounce things off one and other. I come from a long line of female warriors. Every woman in my family (and there’s a lot of us) are fearless and innovative. There weren’t any roads paved for us… we took the bumpy ones with a seat belt and a smile.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.alkalinejunkie.com/
- Phone: 770-652-8516
- Email: junkie@alkalinejunkie.com
- Instagram: @alkaline_junkie
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/AlkalineJunkieGA/
- Twitter: @alkalinejunkie
Image Credit:
LeAnna Bella Wilson, Alejandra Luaces
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