We lived next door to Juli and her family for four years. Her blog, PUREmamas, where she shares easy to follow raw and vegan recipes and gorgeous photos of her sons and her life in San Diego, was one of the first I read.
Her youngest son and Lucas are less than month apart.
Todd and I were seeking her advice on signs of labor in her bedroom as she and her family were all snuggled in bed together the night I went into labor.
Juli is going through a transition right now and has written a departing letter to her company, Kookie Karma, a company she founded 10 years ago. A company she built from the ground up, made thrive and is now bidding farewell.
Please welcome my friend, Juli.
Dear Kookie Karma,
On a beautiful Saturday at the Santa Monica farmer’s market, where the fruit and veggies were bountiful, people were friendly, hippies were frolicking, the air was salty and fog was blowing in, I picked up a cookbook.
A book, for a self-proclaimed “chef”, looked extremely enticing. Every recipe was full of bright plant foods, beautiful salads, and pizza topped with flowers(?!), gorgeous meals with the simplest yet most gourmet ingredients. As I read the book I realized that every recipe was made with ONLY raw fruits and vegetables. No dairy. No animal meat. No sugar. No butter. No eggs. Only stuff grown in the ground. Not only did I buy the book, but I also decided to try this raw food ONLY lifestyle for one week.
I headed straight for my kitchen and I followed recipe after recipe. Day after day. I can’t even begin to explain the way I felt. I didn’t cheat one time {note: I even brought my own salad dressings to happy hour with my girlfriends and they were definitely annoyed with me at this point}. Meals were in Tupperware containers and were ready to grab out of the fridge. Nothing went in my mouth that came from a package, not even chewing gum. I ate REAL, non-cooked, energy filled, sprouted, fresh, organic food for seven whole days.
The results: Endless energy. Smooth skin. 5 lbs dropped {not a goal, just a side-effect}. My Eczema cleared {all gone and doctors had told me it would never go away and just gave me steroid creams}. I felt light and airy. Slept like a baby. I was happy and energetic. No brain fog. No headaches. NO PMS!!
I had been working in an attorney’s office and had a bad case of the office blues and those seven days of eating a 100% raw diet motivated me to leave my job and return to school to study nutrition.
A year later Kookie Karma was born.
Using my cooking experience and nutrition knowledge, I created my own “packaged snacks” to sell to stores. My “kookies” contained no dairy, no sugar, no gluten and no soy.
I didn’t see another product like this on the market and I figured if I felt this good eating this way, so would everybody else.
I lived and breathed my business. Sweat. Tears. Hours of baking. Deliveries. Education. Web design. Package design. Sales. Marketing. Email after email. Research. You name it.
I landed Whole Foods Market as one of my first customers, which then led to me building my own commercial kitchen. It was a dream come true. Despite the long hours, I could still make my own hours which allowed me to have a lot of fun on the side. A 24 year old’s dream!
Sales went up, Kookie Karma was named a “hot item” by In Style magazine in 2006 and I was named one of the Top 20 Entrepreneurs in their 20s by the Los Angeles Business Journal.
Then… I fell in love. I was not only distracted by a man but suddenly I wanted different things in my life. In fact, it wasn’t long before we were starting a family. Thinking everything would be fine and I could make it work, my employees could handle it, I could bring my son to work. You know, all those thoughts you have before your big wake-up call {the day the baby arrives}.
I remember being on the phone with the bank, computer on my lap and my newborn baby at my side, and they informed me that due to the declining economy, my line of credit was being revoked.
A year later, I was in the same boat but with a 1 year old running around and another newborn on my lap. I was checking email just hours after the birth of my second son and back in the office a week later.
My passion for health food wasn’t fading but my drive to be an entrepreneur was. I didn’t want to wear all the hats; juggle cash flow, stay on top of the bookkeeping or answer the never ending phone calls. My interest, my head and my HEART were someplace else. Kookie Karma had became nothing but stress for me.
Over the next few years, Kookie Karma grew a little but I had stopped taking a salary and I needed investors. I didn’t have the time or energy to search for them, my focus was elsewhere. I tried to sell, but the business needed funding to keep going another month.
Eventually, it died.
A slow painful death at that.
Kookie Karma has been a huge part of me. It’s the only real career I’ve known; almost 10 years! It has defined and shaped me into the person I am today. I’ve learned more from running my own business than any business school could teach me, I’ve met the coolest people and had the same, wonderful staff for over seven years. I have received the BEST thank you letters from people who have enjoyed my products. In fact, it was often those messages that kept me in the business longer than I should have been. That’s essentially why I started Kookie Karma in the first place, to share with people a piece of what I had experienced.
But I realized that my past had to die before my new life could really start. I couldn’t handle being a CEO and a mom. That realization was HUGE. My kids are my passion now. Forget trying to expose the WORLD to health food, it’s a challenge just trying to expose my sons to it!
I am still working; blogging at PUREmamas and consulting. Someday I’ll start another business, but for now I’m just wearing the mommy hat and it is by far the hardest yet most fulfilling one yet.
I’ve definitely gone through feelings of guilt and failure and disbelief. I never thought I’d be saying goodbye to Kookie Karma.
I wouldn’t change a thing about my past. Everything was the way it should have been. And it is how it should be. I made a choice. A big huge choice and grew from it. Pain, stress and hardship make our souls richer.
Goodbye 20’s.
Goodbye Kookie Karma.
And THANK YOU!
Juli
Please follow Juli on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.
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Good for you, Juli! Best of luck in all of your current and future endeavors.
thank you Kaitlin. 😉 means a lot.
It takes courage to let go of something we love, to nurture something we love even more. Best wishes, still reads like a success story to me!
Thanks you as well Kila! It has been a success, I guess. Just weird. Such mixed emotions. But thanks again for comment! – Juli
All good things come to an end, Juil. You should be proud of what you created and gave to consumers for ten solid years. I’d say that is far from failing! Best wishes!!
THANK YOU WENDY!!!! 😉
It is very courageous to walk away from something that has been such a big part of you, even if it’s for the best.
Kudos to you for knowing was is best for you and your family, and best of luck in your future endeavors!
Alison, I appreciate your comment. Thanks for taking the time out to write. Means a lot right now! 🙂
You are so right when you say “everything is how it should of been. and it is how it should be”. People, experiences and events all happen for a reason. The reason will become clearer as time goes on. I really really hope you keep blogging about life, great food, kids and lessons you have learned/still learning. You have a lot to offer so many people. I know that your recipes/ideas have definitely made a big impact on me and my family- I frequent your blog a lot:) Big decisions take a lot of courage.
That’s too sweet and you’re making me emotional {and I swore I was not going to be. ha}. Anyways, I’m for sure still blogging! I can’t stop doing everything 😉 And again, thanks for the sweet words of encouragement. AS ALWAYS from you! 😉
That’s too sweet and you’re making me emotional {and I swore I was not going to be. ha}. Anyways, I’m for sure still blogging! I can’t stop doing everything 😉 And again, thanks for the sweet words of encouragement. AS ALWAYS from you! 😉
oops. I replied below but it didn’t seem to work right. it posted twice as a reply to me. oh well. sorry angie.
Juli,
I love reading your heart here. The decision you made is a hard one, but one you should never and will never regret. Many women struggle with what you have shared here… the choice between two loves. I admire your strength to see what the true costs of both are and for making the choice you made. You have gained a deep respect from me Julie- for whatever that is worth. May you be blessed because of your sacrifice and may your children know one day just how amazing you are.
That’s so sweet Angie! Thanks for always being so encouraging and supportive. What nice words to hear from you! Thanks again and I’m stoked for your book! Congrats to YOU!
goodbyes are heartbreaking and bittersweet. Even if it is time.
thanks Robbie. So true.
It takes such strength and courage to know when to walk away. I’m so glad you are following your heart.
Thanks Kimberly!!!! Glad I have such great supporters! 😉
Juli, I wish you only the best in life.. thanks so much for the years of employment at KK.. it was always fun, different, & a great learning experience! I am glad you are happy & feeling the freedom of your decision! Your family is so important, & all will be great… Please keep in touch .. You’ll always have my support!
Love ,Susan
Wow! I had no idea about any of this Juli!! Crazy! I suddenly feel incredibly lazy as I am about to turn 29 in a month and haven’t accomplished near as much as you have! Yikes!
You also really make me want to consider living this healthy lifestyle. The hardest part about eating healthy for me is that I enjoy going out to eat a lot and in LA, there are sooo many awesome restaurants here that I want to try out. I like trying whatever is famous on the menu which often means something not so healthy. :-/ During the week, I do my best to eat well, lots of fruits and veggies and wheat bread/pasta.
Anyway, congrats to you on this huge life step. Your boys are growing up so fast and they are looking super cute these days! I enjoy your instagram/facebook photos. 🙂
In so sad to hear this!! These are my favorite cookies!!! How long is the shelf life? I’d like to stock up. Can they be frozen?
Best of luck!! You will be missed!!! The only reason I go to Whole Foods is for your cookies!
Nooooooo :((((((((((((
I guess I’m way late in getting the news – so sorry. I’d been researching today online to find out what happened to my beloved Kookie Karmas and why they’re not at Lassen’s and Whole Foods anymore. They were a daily staple of my diet, helping me feel satisfied on a restricted diet. The carob one was my favorite, and sometimes I’d buy a box if I could afford it and Whole Foods would give me a case discount, and I could be happy with a Kookie every day of the week. Waaay better than unsatisfying bars – so tired of them – yuck! I want my Kookies!… Forgive me, but I just have to express my lamentations… 😉
Juli, I’m sorry to hear how our passions can become a stressor. I understand that too well. I do hate that about our American culture and wish it were different. I wish/hope/pray there is some way you can come back to the market, and where it will be a blessing on your family. I know us Kookie fans would welcome you with open arms! Until then, may you live in God’s Grace, joy, and peace. And may He help me feel satisfied w/out my Kookies! Lol. You were right, there is nothing else like them on the market.
If you can see my email, please feel free to keep in touch in case you do decide to bless the world with your creations in the distant future. No pressure though!… I’ve learned the hard way that the path that our Creator desires for us is one where there is Peace to lead us.. So if you ever feel peace about it again, please come back! If not, may you and yours be blessed in this precious time together!
Thank you for visiting my site today and commenting on Juli’s guest post. Rest assured, I have forwarded it to her. Best wishes.