We had the good fortune of connecting with Courtney Mamuscia and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Courtney, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I would say that I have always been a serial entrepreneur. My father was my forever inspiration as he started and ran many different small businesses throughout his life that I got to follow and admire. From his passion and drive grew my curiosity and need to invest in myself. Although Juju Be Gifting wasn’t my first start-up endeavor, it has been the one that I am most passionate about and continue to invest in. I love seeing how an idea can grow into a business. The idea for Juju Be Gifting unfurled one evening around the dinner table as friends told tales of unfortunate woe: streaks of bad luck, dramatic breakups, and all sorts of things that drag us down and low at times in life. We decided that we needed to create a unique, positive gift collection designed to come to the rescue of everyone ‘out there’ in need of kicking bad juju to the curb, being uplifted, and given a virtual soul-hug. Solutions were imagined in the form of creatively curated energy-moving, mojo-building gift kits with all the right stuff contained inside to bring on lots of good vibes, laughter, and comfort while clearing out negative and stagnant energy. Each of these boxes are a little spiritual and a little sassy and really speaks to who I am as a person.
What should our readers know about your business?
Breaking up. Getting together. Losing someone. Welcoming someone new into the world. Life is full of momentous occasions both joyous and disheartening. And when the universe comes a-calling with one of its signature curveballs for you or a loved one, how can you show that person they’re cared for and send a little light their way? This is the question that Juju Be Gifting’s positivity-promoting products and boxes answer. I wanted to create a gift-giving company to help change the way people feel. We all know that the Universe can be a jerk sometimes. And because of that, wanted to be able to give people something to help move energy, change vibes and let them know how important they are. Juju is more than just a modern-day gift company. We believe in intentional gifting to teach people how to change their path, to welcome in the positivity and look at things differently. I love knowing that we are building gifts for those who need a little TLC. We spend time putting together a beautifully curated positively perfect gift that someone gets to experience on the other end. We get so many incredible testimonials that these gifts are truly unique, one-of-a-kind and make people feel loved. The whole idea behind Juju Be Gifting is pay-it-forward gifting. We hope that someone will receive the gift and then want to make someone else feel as amazing as they did when they got one. Starting a business is not easy task for sure. I think the hardest thing to do is to sell yourself, your vision, your product. If you can sell just one, you are a success. But as entrepreneurs we are never satisfied with “just one”. I am very passionate about changing the gifting world to provide truly meaningful gifts that give people tools and rituals to take into their lives and use on a daily basis to help them overcome challenge and celebrate triumphs. On the business front, getting into magazines is huge and a great boost of confidence. Getting to work with corporate clients and put together large orders are also financially rewarding and feels great. But the best success is hearing from those people that have been gifted some good juju. People dealing with cancer or loss who are touched by these gifts beyond anything they have ever received, to others who are new to some of the rituals and write me loving how these simple new changes in their live have impacted them for the better. It’s such a great feeling of success for me.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Since I live in Hilltop, we would probably hit Cherry Creek first. I love starting early at Quality Italian for some delicious cuisine and one (or two) of their famous Tricolore Margaritas. I also love the happy hour at Blue Island Oyster Bar for oysters and drinks or nibbling on some sushi at Hapa Sushi. Later, I would treat my visitors to the swanky setting at BC&G’s speakeasy bar. There are some many incredible places to wine and dine yourself at throughout Denver. Some of my other top picks would be: Avanti, Zeppelin Station, and The Source are great for a variety of reasons; Cruise Room, Thin Man or Williams and Graham for off-the-beat-and-path bar finds; One Fold or Snooze for breakfast; Museum of Contemporary Art or the Denver Art Museum for some culture. I would definitely spend a day at Nurture Wellness Center where they have dozens of holistic practitioners, incredible artisan shops and the most amazing cuisine. Or book an afternoon at The Four Seasons Spa downtown Denver and treat yourself to a few treatments, lunch and poolside lounging if the weather is nice. Venturing out, I would absolutely go to Red Rocks to do a hike and see the sights and pretend there is a concert. And I love going into Evergreen and spending the day at Tall Grass Spa and having lunch at this charming little winery on the creek called Creekside Cellars. There are so many wonderful places to visit in Denver and surrounding areas. The list goes on and on and on.
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First and foremost, I want to thank my father. He was my everything. He raised me to believe in myself, take changes and “carpe diem.” He unfortunately passed this year so I am still trying to recoup and put back the pieces of my broken heart. But I know how much he believed in me and loved Juju so I am pushing on. I would also love to give a shoutout to my husband and daughter who put up with me working all hours of the night, on weekends, and jumping in to help me when I need an extra set of hands. To that point, I can’t thank enough my incredible group of friends who uplift me, support me, make me laugh and are always there to help pack Juju gift boxes. I have also been really fortunate to meet some incredible likeminded fellow women entrepreneurs in the Denver area. There are too many to name, but these ladies inspire me and we are all a tight network or small business supporting friends out there to cheer each other on and applaud our growth. I can’t say enough about how important it is to have a group of people around you that truly build you up. Thank you to all those amazing souls in my life.
Website: www.jujubegifting.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jujubegifting/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtneymamuscia
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jujubegifting
Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCXYuiGd9ONAaP1Nf_D3Mi6A