From Kitchen to Whole Foods: Tamela Austin’s Self-Funded Playbook

Jerome D. Love sits down with Tamela Austin, founder of Jive Juice Company, to unpack how she turned kitchen recipes into a retail brand on the shelves of Whole Foods and H-E-B—without taking on debt. Raised by her grandparents, Tamela honed hustle early (cool cups & pickles), survived oil-and-gas layoffs, then used juicing to reclaim her health and launch a CPG company. She shares the real playbook: partnering with a co-manufacturer, using HPP to preserve freshness, negotiating retailer POs and warehouse pickups, setting MOQs and lead times, and her “$10K in 100 Days” self-funding method (yes, she even sold her house to scale). We also dig into keeping your 9–5 while you build, building banking relationships before you need capital, and bringing her daughter into the business for generational wealth.

You’ll learn:

How to scale production (HPP, co-man, costs)

Retail negotiation tips (PO terms, pickups, shelf life)

Cash-flow strategies to stay self-funded

Customer service + brand voice that actually sells

If you’re growing a beverage or any CPG brand, this episode is a masterclass.

#BlackMoneyTree #TexasBlackExpo #JiveJuice #TamelaAustin #BlackOwnedBusiness #Entrepreneurship #WealthBuilding #CPG #BeverageIndustry #Juicing #HealthAndWellness #WholeFoods #HEB #SelfFunded #SmallBusinessTips #RetailDistribution #Houston #GenerationalWealth

Timestamps

3:56: Living with grandparents on a fixed budget, made me an entrepreneur

4:45: My Papa gave me my first investment

5:45:One of the great things about learning having great customer service skills

6:41: Grandma retired from the bank and

7:09: You speak to everyone when you enter a room

7:26: SAVE! I was taught at an early age to save early.

11:45-12:10 I found my passion because it was a part of me

12:16 Juicing is very essential- How to differentiate yourself from others

15:28 How to scale your product and keep it fresh

19:25 LAWYER UP! It’s the best thing I could have done for my small business

20:37 I sold my home as a single mom and started my business

22:14 As yourself funding your business its important to build relationships with banks

28:39 Partnership has helped us to produce mass

29:05- 29:51 Do your 9-5 until you can pay yourself a salary. Same 8 hours I give to a job to make their money, I give to myself to make my money.

30:26 – What sacrifice do your kids see you making, to make it happen?

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