Tag: <span>opinion</span>

Beecause Closure: Hello, Instagram; Goodbye E-Newsie and Jen Chase.

April 2, 2018 By Jen Chase

Jen Chase here…TJS’s content director. And it’s with a pinch of sadness, a cup of half-hearted cheer and a 16-ounce TJS Singleton of cold-pressed positivity that I write you for the last time as the voice of this very special company.

After 5 years of working with Jamie Stephenson Goguen and Marcella Williams —penning and editing original words for everything from TJS’s tagline and standards to website content, Facebook posts, op-eds, invites, bios, signs, menu descriptions, e-newsie articles, and print ads that have helped create a company persona as compelling as the Queen Bees’ drive to WHealth™-up Vegas one juice at a time—TJS is tweaking how it communicates with you, its dear bees. And moving forward, the bulk of its energies will be poured (heh) into growing the TJS Instagram account, where TJS can showcase the beauty of its daily cold-pressing labor and all the glorious bees within its hive.

As companies grow (four stores in as many years!), so grows clarity about which efforts offer the best ROI (for our purposes here, our bees’ “return of interest”). And since this company intersects Vegas’s wellness and dining industries—industries that at times shine brightest when more lenses and fewer words tell a product’s story—TJS is dimming the lights in one deli case so it can turn ‘em up in another in hopes that you’ll get even more from the brand.

Moving forward, TJS invites you to bee a part of its thousands-strong hive of Insta followers—and if Facebook is your social flavor of choice (even though it’s hella harder these days for businesses to find their way into your feed)—you can absolutely still find TJS there, too…but the blog The Humble Bee and its sister e-newsie, “From The Humble Bee,” will no longer, well: bee. It’s Jamie’s and Marcella’s hope to pour their efforts into other juicy avenues as they improve upon the brand you’ve come to crave (and sorry not sorry I just can’t help myself from penning those ~~pour~~ poor puns).

As for me, I’ve deeply loved writing you through this company’s wholehearted platform. From funny to food-for-thought features, TJS gave me the freedom to tackle topics that made me proud to associate them with this brand….

• In Polyjuicery: Bee In Love With More Than One , I used the punny veil (okay I’m done now) of how harrrrrd it is to pick a fave TJS juice as a way to discuss polyamory and society’s shifting perspectives on love and marriage.

Polyjuicery: Bee In Love With More Than One (juice…or, person).

• The following year, I got to work with TJS COO and Co-Founder Marcella Williams on an inspirational editorial where she shared her personal account of what it was like to mindfully bring together different corners of the same family—hers— in, On Blended Families: They Take A Hive.

Marcella and her family, Christmas 2016. (l-r) Marcella; Sophia (9); Damian—on top (8); Maximus—on the bottom (8); and Drew (17).

• And last summer, Marcella’s words were the basis for my own navigation into the waters of a new family of my own with this man, which I wrote about in Coupling with Kids the Second Time Around.

Marcella’s words continue to guide me as I create a life with someone who chose me to partner into his second-time-around fam.

From helping parents get kiddos to drink green juice by giving it a funny name, to rounding up spend-worthy favorites in articles like this guide to fly honey products, to shining TJS’s star in my first feature for Mastercard™, to interviews with TJS honey supplier—local company Annsley Northwest Naturals and its owner, Dee Drenta—I’ve used my two decades in journalism and my Master’s degree-smarts for TJS good, not evil. (My last feature about TJS’s involvement with Sofar Sounds was pretty fun to write, too.)

Since I met Jamie and Marcella in 2013, my personal passions have often mirrored TJS’s standards: eat for health more than not; bee good to and for the environment we live in; and value time, energy and people…not things or circumstances. I’ll miss contributing to this brand, but I’ll treasure the joy of using my words and ethics to wholly support something I believed in: a company founded by two women who are leaving their hometown WHealthier than they found it.

It’s been dreamy writing for you, dear bees. Thanks for the acceptance you’ve shown this brand’s beeautiful little voice, and for the respect and virtual high-fives you’ve given my creativity and effort. It will be remembered.

With gratitude and love, jen.

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Juicing Across The Map

August 2, 2016 By Jen Chase

Vegas is often called the Entertainment Capital of the World, and though it’s got a vibe and vocab all its own (day clubbing, anyone?) something it has in common with other international city destinations is this: Smart locals know when to stick around, and they know when to go. And each summer, go-time is August.

It’s a common custom across large swaths of Europe. Italians leave their homes, jobs and shops to head for the water, and you’ll even find streets amid the City of Lights a little more dim thanks to locals seeking beyond-the-borders respite before school and university bring on the fall.

In Vegas, we leave for another reason.

It’s so damn hot.

It’s not like that’s news—summertime’s hot, right?—but like childbirth and getting dumped, the human spirit knows how to block pain. But for when we do remember the sear of Nevada’s sun on our skin, cooler climes are in order. So, we go. Maybe you go, too? If you do, and if you love juice like we do, working your healthy lifestyle into even your vacation time is primo. So here’s short list of places we love to hit when we get the hella outta Dodge. And if you have suggestions, start a convo at our Facebook page. We’d love to hear where your juice cravings take you.

Jamie Stephenson (TJS Co-Founder and CEO)

A Jamie fave: Glacier Ginger (Whitefish, Mont.)

Why?

“Glacier uses organic ingredients that are sourced locally, since there is quite a bit of agriculture in the area. Its ginger is nice and spicy, and super delicious in the “Mule Kick Shot”…a combo of fresh ginger and lemon juices, with a sprinkle of cayenne over the top (aka, a TJS Wellness Shot). Also, juice is made on the spot using the centrifugal juicing method, and Glacier also make many flavors of craft ginger brew including lime and cherry. This place is a definite go-to, after a Glacier Park hike or local Whitefish craft beer-night!”

Marcella Williams (TJS Co-Founder and COO)

A Marcella fave: Butcher’s Daughter (Los Angeles, Calif.)

Why?

“Butcher’s Daughter is where the farmhouse meets Venice Beach, and everything that’s right in the food world is caught in between. Like so many people probably will this month I recently had the privilege of escaping the Vegas desert heat for just a couple days. The struggle about traveling, for me, is that not only am I a health-conscious eater, but I am usually am traveling with my three niños who are far pickier than I am…and in a different way.

“We stumbled upon The Butcher’s Daughter after a relaxing afternoon on the beach. With sand still in my toes and salt water in my hair (which made it look fab, by the way!) we walked into this restaurant eyeing a table on the patio that looked out onto Abbot Kinney Boulevard…which just happens to be the street-of-all-streets to wander around on in Venice. The menu was vegan with some vegetarian options…and I loved the fact that this pro-life animal house had no fear of cracking an egg over any dish including my spaghetti squash carbonara.

“Classic carbonara calls for cream (heavier the better) egg, cheese, and of course, pancetta or some other form of Babe. If you asked me a month ago if this dish could be pulled off without bacon grease I would’ve laughed…but Butcher’s Daughter nailed it. I could taste the love in these dishes.

“We also had the stone oven pizza with arugula, pears, gorgonzola, and a touch of spice with red peppers. The flavors blended together very well, as most would imagine. We also ordered the smashed avocado crostini because of our love for functional fats. (I actually have a Pinterest board dedicated to avocados…but who doesn’t?)

“Aside from the fabulous food, Butcher’s Daughter’s juice menu is what really impressed me. It serves very unique concoctions, and with an Asian theme throughout, it uses ingredients like lemongrass, kefir lime leaves and even yuzu in a few juices. Jamie has wanted me to play around with yuzu before but sourcing some of these ‘off the beaten path’ ingredients gets tricky when we only source organic and, live in the desert. I left feeling nourished and inspired. I look forward to my next beach getaway and the wonderful flavors that follow in southern California.

Mallory Dawn (TJS Creative Director)

A Mallory fave? Mother’s (Barcelona, Spain)

Why?

“I was in Barcelona earlier this year. And on a rainy day, when I kept getting lost trying to find a famous magazine shop, I smelled cinnamon and honey…and wandered into Mother’s. Turns out they had just pulled their homemade granola out of the oven (which I purchased along with a veggie bowl and some juices). I sat in the shop, talking to the owner about the importance of educating consumers and the responsibility we each shared, being the first juice shops in our respective cities. Everything about Mothers’ brand and intention reminded me of TJS, and I was so happy to be led astray in my search.

“Later in my trip, during my travels back through Spain, I found Teresa’s Juicery. The outpost is located inside the popular shop, Flax & Kale. It has a wonderful selection of organic juices thanks to founder Teresa Carle’s more than 35 years of recipe-making experience. And it shows: You could literally satisfy any taste craving with her assorted menu. (The juice called “Party Recovery” with its purified water, beet, honey, strawberry, coconut water, and hemp seeds) is basically just an extension of any party!)”

Jen Chase (TJS Content Director)

A Jen fave? Cocobeet (Boston, Mass.)

Why?

“I grew up outside of Boston, along Massachusetts’ south shore. After a few years of enjoying a West coaster’s life, though I’m back in New England, a lot of my work remains Vegas based, with my most inspiring being writing and editing for and with The Juice Standard. I’m thankful for my dual-coast work, but with my natural (obsessive?) allegiance to Marcella’s and Jamie’s recipes, the culinary thing I miss most about Las Vegas is not having access to what I ~~totally unbiasedly~~ objectively and humbly beelieve is the best collective juice menu, ever. Thankfully, I discovered Cocobeet in downtown Boston, and its product, mission, dedication to organics, and overall mindset is the closest I can get to TJS’s when life is more Beantown than Sin City.

“The juice world is a lot smaller than you’d think, and the first time I hit Cocobeet, I met co-owner, Onur, and explained what I do for TJS. He knew a little about Vegas’ cold-pressed juice scene and the more we talked, the more names we both recognized. Then came my money moment: When I got home and dove into the stash I’d bought, I finally felt a little less winsome for my TJS faves—Bee Resilient, Bee Happy, Bee Chill—because I had new ones to love: Green Monkey, Chocolate Power Mylk and Watermelon Quench. Cocobeet does it right by pressing every day (like TJS); by committing to organics (like TJS); and by being completely transparent about why sometimes certain flavors can’t be pressed if an ingredient can’t be bought organic (that’s how we roll, too). Cocobeet is even morphing into more and more chewables (um, like who?), which makes every trip feel hella like home to me…even when my heart’s juicy home is 2,735 miles away. But who’s counting.”

TJS Weekend Reads For The Busy Bee

May 22, 2015 By Jen Chase

Green Kitchen Travels is just one in a kickass stack of books at The Rose waiting for you to pick up and flip as you sip. Best enjoyed with something green and tasty like a Bee True To You.

Looking for some weekend reads? Pre-summer brain food? For today’s busy bee, taking a personal time out for a little written-word R&R can mean anything from catching up on food blogs to high-thought books about organics’ regulations…and that range was WAY proven at the Friday morn weekly Team TJS meeting, where as we helped each other plan and prioritize our contribution to the company for the week ahead, we snuck in a little talk time about what we’re reading.

We’re all pretty like-minded…but man, hello diverse! Here are the four titles we realized we’re groovin’ on that we thought we’d mention to you lovelies. Beecause sharing is caring.

Happy weekend, Bees!

WHO…Jamie, co-founder and CEO

SHE’S READING… Fruitless Fall: Collapse of the Honey Bee and the Coming Agricultural Crisis (Rowan Jacobsen)

IT’S ABOUT…the incredibly sad/scary/insert your favorite gutting adjective about what caused honeybees to go AWOL in spring 2007. Citing the plight by its many names (colony collapse disorder; mad bee disease; bee auto-immune deficiency) and using facts and plain-speak like a good investigative food journo should, (plus a lotta bee love), Jacobsen explains how neurotoxin-laced pesticides and even antibiotics used by conventional farmers on flower crops across the country are sickening the bees we need to help pollinate our every three bites of food. If you ever needed a reason for eating organic, Jacobsen does you a solid with his 288 pages.

WHY READ? Change needs to happen when it comes to how we view organic farming, says Jamie. Hard not to feel doomsdayish about the plight of innocent bees. But there’s so much hope if writers like Jacobsen help influence future generations of mindful eaters. His most important audience? The farmers and regulators at national levels who have the ability to keep this from beecoming a decades-long catastrophee.

***

WHO…Mallory, creative director

SHE’S READING…Green Kitchen Travels: Healthy vegetarian food inspired by our adventures by David Frenkiel and Luise Vindahl.

IT’S ABOUT…So there’s this couple. And they’re new parents. And they have a crazy-popular blog where they write crazy-popular posts of food that’s beautiful to eat and look at (Vindahl is a photog and the book and blog sure show it). This second book of theirs features 90 recipes they’ve enjoyed during travels around the world. Vegetarian and/or vegan and almost entirely gluten-free, the dishes stand strong alone; but coupled with the artistry and total passion this duo puts into sharing their love of healthful, mindfully good food, well it’s worth grabbing a green TJS juice and hunkering down for some un-guilty pleasure reading.

WHY READ? Um, did you not just read the above? If for no other reason, read it why Mal is: she loves the story and the recipes.

BONUS BOOM! If you get your juice at The Rose on St Rose Parkway there’s a copy on the communal reading shelf. So go ahead. Sip and flip.

***

WHO…Marcella, co-founder and COO

SHE’S READING…Mating in Captivity: Unlocking Erotic Intelligence by Esther Perel.

IT’S ABOUT…Get yer mind outta the gutter. Yes, “erotic” is in the title but this book is so deep. So. Perel’s a psychotherapist and her long-heralded book is clear and direct in presenting insights about coupledom and sexuality, and how to balance the two. Gays, straights, marrieds, singletons…this book is about conflict resolution and finding peaceful balance in a relationship, and its lessons, if learned early, can help alter your lifelong lens on love and the intimacy sought (and hopefully found) between two people.

WHY READ? Honestly, we hear about this relationship shit on the fly but often don’t develop an understanding about it until we’re in trouble: desire requires distance but intimacy needs proximity, or what’s it takes to keep a spark in a relationship. Whether you have an A+ relationship or you’re looking for one, there’s no bad time to pick up this puppy, and a refresher will always make you better. Ask Marce. She’s so wise.

***

WHO…Jen, content director

SHE’S READING…Kundalini Yoga, The Flow of Eternal Power by Khakti Parwha Kaur Khalsa

IT’S ABOUT…With the heading, “A Simple Guide to the Yoga of Awareness,” this book is like Kundalini For Dummies. Khalsa was taught by Yogi Bhajan, Ph.D., the daddy of kundalini and the gem responsible for bringing it to the West, and it’s written with the same humor and lightness Bhajan’s teachings are known for. A flavor of yoga that weaves song, chant and meditation with movement to increase the body’s kundalini energy, it’s an easy-to-follow guide covering how we can yoga ourselves toward ultimate health and wellness.

WHY READ? Kundalini is an acquired taste, but don’t be fooled: it can be way more aerobic of body and mind than it seems at first blush. And for anyone who’s dabbled, this book lends deeper meaning to what’s done in a class. Essential for anyone who’s hooked on kundalini as a tool for navigating the day while connecting to something higher…both in the Universe and in ourselves.