Cosmic Juice Founder & CEO, Harlem Wright, discovered the power of juicing after being diagnosed with acute liver failure in 2017. Juicing was an easy, fun, and convenient way to get great nutrition. While healing, Harlem started messing around with different combinations of fruits and vegetables. She loved fruit-forward flavor profiles and so did her family and friends who started requesting lots of juice! Harlem officially launched Cosmic Juice in 2017 with a line of cold-pressed juices, selling 200 bottles within 45 minutes.
Hear more about Harlem’s journey launching Cosmic Juice:
How did you get started?
I was diagnosed with acute liver failure last year and began juicing to restore my health after going months without being able to eat. Juicing was a really easy way to get great nutrition without my body having to do a lot of work to digest it. While I was healing, I began to take juice orders from family and friends to keep myself busy. We eventually outgrew my mom’s kitchen and a quick google search led me straight to Union Kitchen.
What do you like about food?
I love how food is steeped in tradition. Food is very personal to a lot of people so it’s cool to see how people’s diets are influenced by their family and ancestors. I also love that it also brings people together in fellowship.
What is your biggest accomplishment to date?
My biggest accomplishment has been starting a beverage brand. People often tell me that they think the beverage industry is intimidating and competitive, but I feel that way about anything worth doing. Your dreams will take a lot of hard work and starting is the most challenging part so I’m most proud of that.
What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced to date?
Learning so many different skill sets in such a short amount of time. When you have a start-up, you must know a little bit about everything. I am having a ton of fun putting on all of the hats but I am definitely being pushed out of my comfort zone.
What does success look like to you?
To me, success is being able to create something that has a positive impact on people’s lives. I believe that people who are truly successful add value to the world by sharing their gifts with everyone they can.
In honor of Women’s History Month we are featuring a different female entrepreneur every week! Check back in next week to hear from another Union Kitchen maker about their philosophies, struggles, and successes.