Conversations with Donna Whittington

Today we’d like to introduce you to Donna Whittington

Hi Donna, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
February 11, 2020, I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. During my treatment, I increased the amount of juice I was consuming so much that, I started giving it away. I started thinking about how to get fresh organic juice to others.

I signup to be a part of Local First AZ’s Restaurant Bootcamp. After the bootcamp, I applied and got accepted to their community commercial kitchen two year program to produce my juices and other organic items. A friend sent word to her network and I got my first few orders! Having never done anything like this before, I was overwhelmed! My daughter joined me when she saw me struggling during that first order and has been a part of Heal With Juice ever since!

From the beginning we delivered to our customers homes, businesses, and we offer a pickup location in North Scottsdale at Naturopathic Specialists. We deliver in the Phoenix Metro area. After completing two years in Local First AZ’s community commercial kitchen, we moved into our new location on 2245 E. Washington St.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Our biggest struggle was not fully being prepared for what it took to build a business from the ground up. Sitting in front of a computer learning about how to manage a business was a little daunting. As a woman in my 50s, I’ve always found it easier to learn in person. The pandemic took that away during the early beginnings of Heal With Juice.

As a small business owner learning how to navigate the different parts of the business, such as; accounting, marketing, food cost, etc. has been a struggle at times! We take advantage of Local First AZ workshops, business trainings, and mentors as much as possible!

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
At Heal With Juice, we specialize in making fresh delicious and healthy organic juice, primarily for cancer patients and others who are health conscious. We deliver to our customers on a weekly basis. Our customers can have their orders delivered to their homes, business, or they can pick it up in North Scottsdale at Naturopathic Specialists. We proudly work with the doctors at Naturopathic Specialists to provide healthy, organic, nutrient dense juices and other items to their patients. We provide sustainable packaging for our products that are recyclable, compostable, and BPA Free. We take the pulp from the fruits and vegetables that are safe for dogs to consume and we make fresh organic dog treats (Precious Pup Patties). We strive to be a business that is zero waste and eco-friendly!

Two of the things we are most proud of are our names for our juices. Each juice is an affirmation! We carefully match the affirmation to each juice! Some of our juice names are; I am Love, I am Vital, I am Thankful, I am Fierce, I am Unique, I am Fearless, I am Relentless… We want to remind our customers who they are on their health journey and to stay positive! We were also featured on Arizona’s Channel 3 for the second year in a row for Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
We see the organic cold pressed juice industry increasing demand for health-conscious, sustainable, and more plant based products. There is a shift now toward functional juices with added benefits, such as; gut health and immunity boosts. Consumers also want convenience and sustainable packaging.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://HealWithJuice.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/healwithjuice
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HealWithJuice
• Yelp: https://Yelp.com/healwithjuice