Exploring Life & Business with Carmen Wagner of NUJO Super Brew

Today we’d like to introduce you to Carmen Wagner.

Hi Carmen, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
A close family member was drinking a LOT of coffee (read ‘living on creamer and coffee, very low actual food intake!’) He was struggling to kick the habit because as he put it, “you don’t understand, there’s nothing like it!” Always up for a challenge, I searched and quickly realized, there WAS nothing like it on a lot of levels. The options were inconvenient, outdated, and left a LOT to be desired in taste and benefits. “It couldn’t be THAT hard to come up with something better, why hasn’t anyone fixed this?”, I wondered. I started tinkering in my kitchen and a few weeks later, I realized that creating this ‘new cup of Joe’ was my passion. 
I actually had all the ingredients, save the quinoa, for 10 years. NUJO (your ‘new cup of Joe’!) was ahead of its time, being 100% organic, gluten-free, and caffeine-free. I got busy with life, kids, and a career in the consumer packaged goods industry and yet this concept kept nudging at me. About the time I perfected the classic flavor, my family grew by way of adoption. During that the process, I also learned a great deal about the foster care community with its many challenges for everyone involved.
As I tested the waters in January 2019 with local retailers in the Nashville area, and found success, the bigger vision hit me which is: NUJO is a vehicle to raise awareness & funds across the US on behalf of foster care communities everywhere. That is why we direct 10% of proceeds in support of National Angels, a nonprofit that supports children and families experiencing foster care across the US to create real, positive change in their lives and the communities in which they live.
Today, I am taking the steps to establish NUJO Super Brew as a National Brand product to support my goal of writing a $1MM check to National Angels nonprofit within the next 5 years.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The learning curves were huge early on, including incorporating feedback to make the product(s) better.. leading to multiple edits in ingredients, packaging, etc.. One lesson learned: buy small even if it’s not the lowest per-unit cost! It is also easy to get sidetracked as a one-man band, between the relentless time (and financial) investment of social media and people/programs with ‘quick fixes’ for whatever growing pain the business is experiencing.

The primary challenge with NUJO is that it is not coffee or tea (nor a ‘mushroom coffee’!), so there is a barrier to purchase that lies in communicating ‘taste and experience’ prior to purchase. We do local popup events to share the word (and Superfood lattes!) with our Nashville audience (and visitors from around the globe). The combines with the hurdle I’m preparing to overcome in scaling NUJO to the national level which is the financial investment requirement.

At the end of the day, there is so much beyond our control (in business and life). I believe that the biggest lesson is to simply work hard, do your best and pray for the rest with Faith in the process. Also, a sense of humor is essential because truth is stranger than fiction in this world!

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
NUJO (your new cup of Joe!) is a 100% organic coffee alternative that I created as a fix for people wanting all the fun of coffee without the ick. NUJO is unique in the coffee alternative space in that it brews like coffee and can also steep like a tea (no equipment needed) for the ultimate convenience. NUJO consists of 6 Superfood ingredients (each ingredient boosts multiple health benefits) and offers natural energy in place of caffeine.

I am proud to partner with National Angels nonprofit which supports children and families experiencing foster care across the United States. NUJO works to raise awareness of the foster care system and to inspire people to support this part of our communities. As the National Angels founder states, ‘everyone can do something’ and now that can be by simply purchasing our products. We pledge 10% of our proceeds to this nonprofit with the goal of presenting a $1MM check to National Angels within 5 years.

So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
At the end of the day, family is my top priority. Our modern world does not align well with that and it has definitely caused NUJO to grow at a pace much slower than I would prefer. I have maintained a full time job to support my children and myself and continue to invest time into my children, which causes me to burn a lot of midnight oil to push NUJO to the next level.
NUJO ‘s mission is about something greater than myself. This is the inspiration that pushes me forward with an eye single to the purpose of making a difference in our communities and helping change the trajectory for the next generation of children who do not have a family providing for their needs.

Pricing:

• $20 for 30 servings, traditional grind

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.drinknujo.com
• Instagram: @drinknujo
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drinknujo