Amelia Pavlik of FRESHJUICE + bubbly on wellness and work/life balance

Describe FRESHJUICE + bubbly in a few words?

A boutique business focused on connecting clients to wellness splurges to suit budgets big and small.

What made you take the leap to start your own business?

I love all things wellness, and for years, I’d searched for a resource that could provide me with the latest in luxury wellness products and experiences to suit my budget whether it was $50 or $5,000. Since I couldn’t find one, in February 2021, I took matters into my own hands and launched FRESHJUICE + bubbly.

What was your background prior to starting your own business?

I’ve worked in internal communications at Georgia Tech for more than a decade, have been a freelance wellness journalist for more than a decade, and have taught fitness classes ranging from cycling to barre for more than 20 years.

Did you always know you wanted to be an entrepreneur?

I don’t think being an entrepreneur was intentional. I landed here more because I follow the approach of finding things I enjoy doing — and then figuring out a way to make money doing them. That’s led to a variety of side hustles where I work for myself and pursue new ideas.

Take us back to when you first launched your business, what was your marketing strategy to get the word out and did it go as planned?

I’ve always been a content creator, so I used my website blog, Instagram, and Pinterest as my primary means to market. Things went pretty much as planned. However, Pinterest hasn’t been as much of a gold mine for driving users to my website as me and my business coach expected. That was a bit of a waste of money. Now, I’m using those marketing dollars elsewhere.

We always learn the most from our mistakes, share a time with us that you made a mistake or had a challenging time in business and what you learned from it?

I should have done a trademark search before settling on a business name. I wasted a bunch of time and money making a name adjustment and had to buy a new URL, get a new logo, etc.

What is the accomplishment you are the most proud of to date?

I’m thrilled to be negotiating a collaboration with an Atlanta hotel where I’ll be their in-house wellness cultivator!

When hiring for your team, what is your go-to interview question? Please share any hiring tips you can share from your experience?

Well, currently, I’m a team of one for FRESHJUICE + bubbly. But, I have employees working for me in my full-time gig at Georgia Tech. I like to ask folks to tell me about a project they worked on that didn’t go as planned and how they dealt with it. We’re all great when it comes to talking about what we’ve done right. It’s more of a skill to be able to share when something didn’t work out and how you dealt with it.

How has your business or industry been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic?

If anything, having extra time and money to spend during the pandemic was the catalyst to launching FRESHJUICE + bubbly!

What’s next for your business? What can we expect to see over the next few years?

I want to be an in-house wellness cultivator at hotels in each city where I have a city wellness guide (currently that’s Atlanta, Miami/Fort Lauderdale, and Nashville [coming soon!]). I also plan to launch another three guides in 2022 and hope to collaborate with a spa/wellness resort to offer my first Bubbly Beginnings wellness retreat!

What is the biggest lesson you have learned recently

Stop comparing myself to others. What I do to build FRESHJUICE + bubbly is my journey and will be different from everyone else’s — and that’s OK!

How have you managed to stay grounded this year?

I do yoga and take an epsom salt bath once a week. I also spent a week at the shore with my boyfriend and his family doing nothing but sitting at the beach, eating, and sleeping. It was the perfect reset.

Do you believe in work/life balance? What are some of your best tips?

ABSOLUTELY! See how I stay grounded above. But also, I highly recommend setting boundaries and saying “no” when a commitment just isn’t worth your time and energy. If you don’t speak up for yourself, no one will. I see too many friends and colleagues experiencing health issues because they are too overextended. It’s not worth it. 

What’s something our audience would be surprised to learn about you?

I’ve taught fitness classes for decades, but I didn’t take my first class until I was in college. In high school, my family belonged to a gym, but I was too intimidated to take a class there. I was afraid that I’d look silly if I didn’t know what I was doing. But when I got to college, I worked at the front desk of a gym and got to know one of the teachers. She invited me to a class, and I felt comfortable with her and started taking her classes. Next thing I knew, she was moving and asked if I’d like to take over teaching the classes. And the rest is history.

What are your top 3 tips to stay productive each day?

To-do lists. Focusing on one task at a time. Making time to exercise — especially mid-day.

What does being an Entreprenista League member mean to you?

I love being part of such a dynamic and diverse group of professional women! It’s a comfort to know that I can look to all of you for guidance when I need it — and I can return the favor when you need it.