Meet Tamala Austin | Owner and Founder of J.I.V.E. Juice Company, Inc. also the Director of Entrepreneurial Initiatives and Community Relations for Women of Color at Houston Community College.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tamala Austin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tamala, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
The most important factor behind my success, is my Faith. Without faith, success in unattainable. You will not succeed if you do not have faith in your dreams, goals and yourself. Faith encompasses a multitude of success characteristics: fortitude, persistence, mental stamina, grit, sticking it out during tough times, confidence, belief, conviction, certainty, hope, certainty, courage, tenacity, fearlessness, boldness, resoluteness, guts, intestinal fortitude, determination, resolve, will, willpower and toughness.
Faith means you never quit on your dreams, your goals and the pursuit of your main purpose in life. Those who have faith in their dreams, goals and their main purpose in life do not allow anything to get in their way. Faith enables you to overcome every obstacle in your path towards success.
Faith is the most important ingredient to success. With faith all things are possible.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Tamala Austin started JIVE Juice Company in her kitchen. After dealing with minor health issues, her passion for a fit and healthy lifestyle became even more real. She whole-heartedly believes that “Your Health Is Your Wealth”. As she would share the deliciously decadent juices with friends and family members, it became clear that Austin accidently found a way to create a business that would not only provide jobs within her community but would provide a platform to an improved quality of life.

In 2018 J.I.V.E. Juice Company was the First African American Female Juice Company of its kind to join Whole Foods Market. The journey began in one location in Houston, Texas and is now currently in 6 locations in Houston and surrounding areas. Just recently in July 2021, the growing health company achieved another milestone as it joined the H-E-B Grocery Company family, enabling it to reach more clients and help them maintain healthier bodies. It is the first female black owned juice company to make it to the H-E-B Grocery Company shelves, and its founder could not be any happier.

In 2019 at his biennial State of the State address, Texas Governor Greg Abbott touted the state’s strong economy and workforce, highlighting the success story of J.I.V.E. Juice founder Tamala Austin. J.I.V.E, which stands for Juicing Is Very Essential, is the first juice company owned by an African American to be placed in Whole Foods, and Austin received a standing ovation by state leaders in honor of her accomplishments. “Inspiration, hard work and drive pay off in Texas; they paid off for Tamala,” Gov. Abbott stated, citing the growth of J.I.V.E. Juice from a home-based business into a retail success. “Let us thank you for your inspiration of what a business leader can be.”
Gov. Abbott also noted the state’s strength for African-American and Hispanic-owned businesses and women entrepreneurs, while noting Texas’ overall growth in business and population. There are 1.1 million minority-owned businesses in Texas, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration, and Texas is top in the nation for the economic clout of its women-owned businesses. “When women succeed, Texas succeeds,” Gov. Abbott quoted.

After 20 plus years in corporate, the diverse nature of her expertise and skills have propelled her into a new career opportunity as Director of Entrepreneurial Initiatives and Community Relations for Women of Color at Houston Community College. Being widely recognized for her collaborative leadership style, proactive approach and keen ability to translate complex concepts into straightforward ideas effectively, will help her to succeed in her new role. It is her passion to share her journey of entrepreneurship, encourage a culture of learning, while inspiring others that they can achieve anything while fostering a culture of innovation. To bridge the gap between theory and practice and to stay current in industry, she coaches teams and individuals, especially women who have a desire to start a business or have an existing business. Her message is simple, with the right tool’s success is achievable.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If I had a close friend visiting, we would definitely begin our day with a great workout. Afterwards, grab us some J.I.V.E Juice from our local H-E-B. Our next stop would be McQueen’s Custom Tailors on Almeda, then grab lunch from Sunshine Vegan Deli and then enjoy a cup of coffee from Throughgood Coffee.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to give a Big shoutout to my daughter, Alexis Austin for all her continuous hard work. And also, give my team credit and recognition for everything, because they deserve it. I see a lot of CEO’s out there with huge egos, who don’t give their team credit for anything. The reality is that any entrepreneur or CEO is only as great as the team they have behind them, so making sure you’re constantly giving your team credit for all of the work they are doing is really important.

Website: www.jivejuicecompany.com

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