Meet Jozhua D. Watson of Indulge Irresponsibly

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jozhua D. Watson.

Jozhua, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My social-entrepreneurial business life started as a doctoral student in Los Angeles, CA.

Growing up, I had a plethora of health issues, such as high blood pressure, being pre-diabetic, and having bad cholesterol levels. It was unfortunate that a change of scenery (me moving to Los Angeles), had to be the thing to get me to change my lifestyle in order to be healthier. Maybe it was because of the people I was surrounded by that lived these healthy lifestyles that made me want to get my life in check. There’s a statistic that says something along the lines of you are the sum of the three to five friends you surround yourself with,” which was somewhat true because that’s how I ended up in in college…. “Thanks, Kendra.”

Therefore, I started my vegan journey in October of 2017, when I passed up salmon for a black bean salad, and have been feeling alive ever since. After this change, I started a food blog called “Turnips & Beets,” where I would post weekly vegan/plant-centric recipes and stories for people to view and get inspiration for their lifestyle and wellness change. These recipes were not limited to food, but also included DIY natural soaps, lotions, lip balm, deodorant, and tutorials on how to open and cook with certain fruits and vegetables. This blog ended as I started my organic food business, which I will talk about next.

When I moved back to Phoenix, AZ in April of 2018, I began cooking more and more vegan meals that were inspired by my culture and the foods that I have been cooking for years, just flipping them vegan. Of these foods, baked goods were something that I enjoyed making the most. Not just any baked goods, organic baked goods, utilizing sustainable, mainly local, and organic ingredients. I was hesitant to sell these at first because I didn’t know how the public would respond to organic vegan treats. So it took a couple of months to build confidence and I started Indulge Irresponsibly as a home-bakery in October of 2018.

My first event was at the 6th Street Market in Tempe. Here, Indulge Irresponsibly received a lot of good feedback, positive vibes, and acceptance, all which made me more confident in my ability to keep it going. Currently, I have three wholesale accounts with a few places in the valley that sells my vegan cinnarolls and loaded and unloaded chocolate chip cookies. Stephanie Vasquez, social entrepreneur, and owner of Fair Trade Cafe gave me my first break by allowing me to sell my product in her coffee shop in Central Phoenix. In addition, she is and continues to be an amazing mentor to me and other community members that encounter her presence.

With my scratch vegan bakery business, I wanted to do something different. I wanted to allow for customer creativity and my creative and edgy spirit to make mouthwatering organic & clean desserts that are free from GMO’s, chemical preservatives, artificial anything, and hydrogenated oils at an affordable price, and I am doing just that. I care about what goes into my recipes as well as into peoples body. I want it to be a nourishment to their mind, body, and soul. Indulge Irresponsibly is also eco-conscious as well when it comes to packaging and delivery. The packaging of the baked goods is either compostable, biodegradable, recyclable, reusable, or a combination of the few.

I’ve had the opportunity to partake in small and large scale events and feel that this was the perfect platform to show people that vegan food is bomb just like any other food. This is just a very small snippet of one aspect of my intersectionality, and I am happy to share this with you all. Word of advice, if you want to start up a business, be sure to do the research, join a food entrepreneur program or club, interview business owners, and then… take off. You are your biggest cheerleader and your biggest competition. Be sure to be in good health as well so you can live long enough to see your business to fruition and beyond. I believe in you!

Has it been a smooth road?
As a person of color and a small business owner, the challenges are there. It has been hard because I don’t have this generational wealth that some of my counterparts have.

I’ve struggled with building my business from using funds from my other job, while still worrying about vendor fee’s, business insurance, marketing materials, ingredients, taxes, paying rent, student loans, my cell phone bill, internet, and a few other accounts… and it gets tough and makes you think, “WHAT WAS I THINKING WITH STARTING A BUSINESS?”

I started my business with at $60 donation from my personal account. In addition, being a person of color and selling my product in more affluent neighborhood markets is tough. I get this feeling of unwelcome by the adults, but not the children.

It’s funny, not really because I’ve had kids come up to my booth, but the parents will pull them away and go to another booth, typically with a White person, to buy something similar to what I could have sold to them. It’s tiring, draining, exhausting, but I persist and keep on going.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Indulge Irresponsibly – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Indulge Irresponsibly is widely known for its organic mouthwatering cinnarolls and loaded/unloaded cookies. I am a creative soul that likes to deconstruct almost everything and put a creative spin on it. These two are widely known because this is typically what is more available and sold in certain businesses throughout the valley.

I am also a very friend-family oriented person when it comes to my business because I will make our brief conversation feel as if we have known each other for a long time and we are just catching up. I look to do this with each customer for I am all about community and lifting people up.

Sustainability is another area that I am proud of. Aforementioned, my products and materials are mainly sustainably made and packaging is either compostable, biodegradable, recyclable and/or reusable. It is becoming more trendy, but this has always been a practice of mine, even before starting the business.

Supporting the local community is another area I am proud in. I volunteer monthly and partake in zero waste initiatives through donating food to shelters, non-profit events and organizations.

What role has luck had in your life and business?
I don’t believe in luck so much, but more fate than anything. I am fortunate enough to complete three degrees and have been presented with many opportunities that help to advance me in my personal growth as well as the business. Just hoping to land on more money soon so I could take my business higher because I envision big plans for it.

Contact Info:

• Website: squareup.com/store/indulgeaz
• Email: indulgeirresponsibly@gmail.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/indulgeirresponsibly
• Facebook: facebook.com/indulgeirresponsiblyaz

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