To celebrate all the brains behind our Thrive Festival brands we wanted to delve deeper into the beginnings behind each one! Today we chat to Gerard from So Good Juice

What is SoGoodJuice’s mission statement?

Refresh, Revitalise and Energise…..Well-being is our natural state here at So Good Juice.  So, let us bring it to you.

Where did you get the inspiration for your brand?

The brand you see today is a product of many years of hard work and research.  Health and wellness have been a focal point in our family’s routine and lifestyle choices.  We are a local, young and innovative family-run Juice Business.  Our fascination grew further from the years I spent injured with a serious back injury which prevented from playing GAA.  The trauma dealing with the constant pain and adverse reactions to anti-inflammatory medicines forced our families desire to find natural alternatives.  It was a light bulb moment for me seeing the impact nutrition can have on your life.  A curious mind also runs in the family.  From this point on we began to research and discover natural ingredients with anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties.  From a family and friends style approach to product development, we quickly identified a niche product with globally researched health benefits that has a strong demand base in the Island of Ireland.

What are some of your favourite brands in your space that you don’t make?

Synerchi Kombucha, Trendy and Bendy and HerSport.  Great Irish brands also.

In your opinion, what has been the biggest innovation within your sector in the last few years?

In our opinion the biggest thing we have noticed has been undoubtedly the mindset change of people when it comes to looking at our product as an alternative to traditional medication as a form of healing. People have begun to realise that prevention is always better than cure.

What has running your own business taught you?

A lot of clichés come to mind for this one and most are true! But the most important thing we have learnt that has kept us right has been to always be honest with people from day one. This goes a long way and people will always remember this by way of continuing to support and back what you are doing.

What do you think is the next big thing in the world of wellness?

This is very ironic because this past while during the COVID19 outbreak we believe that we have all learnt a valuable lesson in that the most important things in life are not the material items but in actual fact, it is our own and families wellness that should be at the forefront of our everyday lives.

Before COVID19 we were all so busy dealing with the stress that was the pace of life that we live in and then all of a sudden, we had time again to look around us and time to communicate with each other the way we actually ought to be doing all of the time. If we can take these positives from COVID19 the wellness of the world will have improved immensely.

What did you and your team enjoy the most about this year’s Thrive Festival?

This was our first year taking part at Thrive Festival. We loved being part of something that was filled with like-minded people. The buzz and energy over the two days was electric and we cannot wait to be back next year!

You’ve been working from home during the COVID19 crisis. Tell us what your daily routine is like?

We have a young family so our routine has been unpredictable, to say the least!  Our two young boys have been involved in almost every aspect of our business routine this past few months.  We have to say it has been very rewarding and enjoyable being able to spend so much time as a family and showing the boys how we provide has been really special.  We also appreciate how fortunate we have been to be able to continue to work during these times as have we seen the devastating effect the pandemic is having on businesses and will have in the near future.