Startups are as plentiful as food trucks in Austin, and that’s part of what makes our city so great (tacos and startups, yay!).

There are lots of options in the Brain Supplements category, and not all of them are safe. A simple Google search will yield thousands of articles and it can be difficult to make an educated decision.

It’s great, then that a local Austin Startup in the Nutrition space is producing an all-natural Brain Boosting supplement that you can trust.

BrainJuice is an all natural brain supplement, and while it is technically a startup in the Consumer Packaged Goods space, it could definitely qualify in the Biohacking space as well (Bulletproof Coffee is another great example of this trend).

I had an opportunity recently to talk with Justine Bailey (no relation), President and Chief Happiness Officer, about their product and their future.

First, a little about the team.

The BrainJuice team consists of:

• Sam Elick, CEO & Founder
• Justine Bailey, President and Chief Happiness Officer
• Mark Willis, Chief Abundance Officer
• Tony Moy, VP of Sales & Operations
• Rich Robinson, Sales & Marketing Coordinator

BrainJuice has a great byline that I love:

“Be Mindful, Be Present”

This simple sentence seems to really mirror what the company is all about.

Touting “clean” energy, they embrace the idea of providing real nutrition for your brain with no compromises in ingredients. This is key in their value proposition, and they stick to it. Lots of great marketing lessons here for any small business owner.

Here’s our conversation:

FB: What is BrainJuice all about? 

JB: “BrainJuice, the product, is a clean brain supplement shot for an immediate mental and mood boost. We believe that food is medicine.

“It’s full of the highest quality vitamins, organic superfoods, low-glycemic natural sweeteners, and powerful brain supplements – the nutrient building blocks your brain needs to produce acetylcholine for focus, memory, and clarity, and dopamine for good mood and motivation (more about Brainjuice ingredients here).

“BrainJuice, the company, is all about helping people self-actualize. We want to introduce people to a healthier alternative to stimulant-based energy drinks/shots full of synthetic chemicals and sugar, and help them feel just how good it is possible to feel when you treat your brain and body well!

“Our core values are empowerment, integrity, love, gratitude, and wellness. Our mission is to naturally unlock the potential of the human mind, body, and spirit.”

FB: How was BrainJuice founded? 

JB: “BrainJuice was founded because our CEO, Sam Elick, always had trouble concentrating in school.

“He did well anyway because his parents pushed him to succeed, but by the time he was in graduate school getting his MBA in Entrepreneurship, using stimulants to keep up with the work load, he had an adrenal crash.

“He says that with his last dying brain cell, he had the idea for BrainJuice!

“He asked himself: ‘What if you had everything you needed for optimal brain function in one convenient little bottle that you could drink and then feel it immediately?’

“As serendipity would have it, soon after, Sam accidentally swam into a biochemist at the pool. They got to talking and the biochemist said “I know how to do that!” He and the biochemist spent a year formulating the first version of BrainJuice together, and the company was born.”

Brainjuice Formula Upgrades

“We have since upgraded many ingredients to organic, taken out the cane sugar, reformulated the flavor and added Vitamin B12 (methylcobalamin, the natural form) for an extra energy boost.

We love drinking BrainJuice ourselves every day!”

FB: What are some cool things that have been happening for BrainJuice?

JB: “We just got accepted into 19 Fairway Markets in New York, 813 GNC stores nationwide, and 150 HEB stores in the Southwest, bringing us from 150 stores to almost 1200 almost overnight!

“We also just launched our new online sales funnel, which is helping us grow our community of loyal subscribers who get BrainJuice shipped to their door every 15, 30, 45, or 60 days without lifting a finger.”

Learn more on the BrainJuice Website!

“We are seeing signups grow every single week on our website, www.brainjuice.me!”

FB: What are your near term goals?

JB: “Our goal for the rest of 2017 is to have successful launches in all the stores we were just accepted into. We are also on track to have 1,000 online subscribers by the end of the year.”

Big Hairy Audacious Goal

Our Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG) by the end of 2018 is to sell 1 million bottles!

“To do this, our obsession is to be in 3,000 stores nationwide and to have 10,000 online subscribers.”

Justine Bailey, President and Chief Happiness Officer for BrainJuice

FB: What is it like to have a startup in Austin, TX?

JB: “Having a natural CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods) startup in Austin is like growing a flower in a tropical rainforest. There is a delicate balance that needs to be tended to, but the surrounding environment is absolutely perfect for supporting its growth.

Austin is the emerging hub of activity for natural CPG food and beverage startups, and the best part about it is everyone in the community is so helpful! It’s collaborative, not competitive.

Austin is not a huge city so everyone in the industry knows each other. It feels like we’re part of a movement to help people make healthier choices about what they put on, in, and around their bodies.”

FB: What are 3 things every person should know about BrainJuice?

JB:

1. “BrainJuice is a brain supplement shot that turns your brain on. In addition to focus, clarity, memory, and mood support, it also provides a natural, calm boost of mental energy, but it’s not an energy shot.
2. We made BrainJuice a liquid supplement because your body absorbs liquid nutrients faster and better (98% of liquid nutrients as opposed to 10-20% of capsule/tablet nutrients). You feel the effects in minutes!
3. BrainJuice tastes like peach-mango tea. It’s delicious! We especially love it served chilled on a hot day.”