Detroit Business Owner Kiara Smith Turned Her Son’s Pain Into A Family Business
When Kiara Smith opened the doors of her family-owned business, Fresh & Pressed Juice, in Troy, Michigan, it was not just the marker of an entrepreneurial dream realized after her son developed a microbiome deficiency nearly five years ago.
Born out of a desire to restore the glimmer and energy of a young child, Smithâs passion for nutrition and wellness now serves both her dedicated online following as well as her in-store customers who come for the juices but leave with a new lease on living their best lives.
âThis is a community-based situation. This is not just, come in and pay for these expensive premium juices,â she told the (Detroit) Metro Times. âNo, youâre gonna get a juice, youâre gonna nourish your body and your soul, and youâre gonna learn something in the process, because I want to share what I know.â
The 34-year-old wife and mother of two took the road less traveled to help heal her sonâs digestive concerns, opting for natural remedies.
âIt was a really awful experience, a little 2-year-old in the back seat bent over screaming âMy stomach hurts!â every single day,â Smith recalled. âAs a mom, I wanted to resolve that, like this cannot be [his] life. He canât be in pain every day.â
Healing her son with the use of organic fruits and vegetables turned into a mission to help others restore their health from the inside out.
Customers at Fresh & Pressed marvel at the meticulous detail the former stay-at-home mom has squeezed into every ounce of the experience, including the names of the juices that double as affirmations.
âAffirmations are big in our household,â Smith said. âEvery night and every morning I want to remind my children that they are worthy, successful, and unique.â
With fad diets, risky weight-loss surgeries, and a lack of proper nutritional education plaguing our communities, Smith is leaning on the power of positive self-talk to create lasting change for her growing number of supporters.
âWhen we decide to drink fresh and organic juices we are choosing self-care and I want to remind people that they are worthy and deserving because sometimes we can forget those things,â she told Black Enterprise exclusively. âThe names on the juice bottles are constant reminders that you are great and doing great things for yourself, even if itâs just choosing one healthier option a day.â
Starting in the fall, Smith plans to host monthly community events at Fresh & Pressed to further cement her dedication to making healthy lifestyle choices accessible for everyone. However, what the native Detroiter has already poured into the foundation of her family-friendly brandâs success is a heavy dose of focused intentionality and a whole lot of love.