We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Christian Chica. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Christian below.
Christian , we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
I found my purpose while battling stage four Hodgkin Lymphoma Cancer. After my first chemo treatment I did a deep dive on health and wealth and realized that they co-exist. There’s not one without the other. As I was continuing my chemo treatments (while also incorporating a healthy diet) I realized how expensive healthy alternatives can be, and everyone should have the opportunity to be able to make affordable healthy choices. I believe that fast food shouldn’t be the only most affordable meal, we should be able to have a healthy meal without ripping a whole in our pocket. Once I went into remission (only took nine months) I started on the business plan and launched Juicify LLC. Our mission statement is “a fast food healthy alternative, at the most affordable price’.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
Juicify was started during my battle with stage four Hodgkin Lymphoma Cancer. While taking the chemo I did a deep dive on health, and realized what I was eating is what contributed to the cancer cells especially sugar. When I started to incorporate a healthy diet I realized the healthy alternatives I was purchasing were more expensive then junk food. I felt that there should be a company that should make a fast food healthy alternative at the most affordable price. The goal I have for Juicify is to provide a healthy alternative to everyone, because everyone deserves a chance to have a healthy lifestyle. Since the company was launched I am continuously studying about health, and the different uses we can use vegetables and fruits. Not only can we consume them, but we can also make cleaning products from them and use the vegetables and fruits as extra nutrition for your plants. There’s so many things I want to do for the company, but since time is limited this why I research different things that has to do with health so I can teach others.
Many people often stay away from healthy alternatives because of the prices, and feel discouraged on making health conscious decisions, however I believe if it was more affordable people will be feel encouraged to make a healthy purchase. The hardest thing to do for any journey is taking that first step. I want Juicify to be that first step toward your health journey. Since the company is growing organically (until we find investors) our resources are very limited, however we do the best we can with the resources that we have. Juicify started out with just cold press juices, but now we also sell ginger shots, smoothies, salads, fruits cups, and soon popsicles that we’re going to call “Juicicles”. When I get my store (I currently rent a commercial kitchen) I want to have a health and nutrition class, as well as a community garden (because I feel it is important to give back to the community we serve) and have a babysitting service attached to the store for single parents who can not afford a hourly babysitter. With Juicify I am able to spread the knowledge that I learned about health, and teach others about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. Juicify has given me the opportunity to spread love. In today’s world there is so much anger and hate and not enough love. Its so easy to love and yet people decide to show hate. The act of kindness is contagious so I’m using my company Juicify to spread that love and knowledge.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
My advice is 1) what ever endeavors you’re pursuing enjoy the journey. I know its easier said then done, but the journey is what makes you grow not just as a person but also as a spiritual being. I am still learning this, but I am getting better each day. 2) never say you know everything, always keep your mind open so that you can learn more because knowledge and wealth go hand and hand. And 3) don’t be afraid to make mistakes and fail. In order for us to learn we need to make mistakes, that way we can overcome the fear of failure (because there is no such thing as failure just lessons learned). A bonus one is to start slow, take baby steps.
Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
My wife has been and still is the biggest cheer leader. I still remember when I was working on the business plan, and I kept discussing on how I was going to start the company she looked at me and asked “what are you doing now to achieve that?”. When I wasn’t able to answer that question she grabbed me by the hand and said “lets go to the kitchen and work on some recipes”. On that day we came up with about 12 to maybe 20 different recipes. We weren’t able to make more recipes because our stomachs were full from all the taste testing. Even though she has been a huge motivator, my son also plays a major role in motivating me in overcoming challenges, and developing skills. Everything that I learned and still learning through these experiences I’m teaching it to my son. I want him to know that he doesn’t have to have a job he doesn’t like to make money, he can make his own money. Many other people are assisting me with my journey, but I know at the end of the day I’ll have to motivate myself to keep pushing forward and deal with the wins and losses of Juicify’s journey…….with my team of course because every successful business has a team.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.juicifytheworld.com
- Instagram: juicifytheworld
- Facebook: juicifytheworld
Image Credits
Francisco Rodriguez
