Brewing Dreams: How One Woman Turned Her Vision Into a Reality
In a world where women’s voices often go unheard, sharing their stories becomes a powerful art of empowerment and change. Each woman's journey is a unique tapestry of challenges, dreams, and triumphs, woven together with resilience.
By highlighting these stories, we not only celebrate their individual successes but also inspire others to pursue their own dreams. These narratives serve as a testament to the strength and determination that drive women to turn their visions into reality, impacting their communities and beyond. The story of Juelz, a Colorado Springs native who transformed her dream of owning a coffee shop into a thriving business, is one such story of courage, persistence, and the profound impact of believing in oneself.
Portrait Photo Credit: @stellarpropellerstudio
Let’s start with an introduction. Tell us about yourself. Feel free to share your business, your life’s mission, and what brings you joy.
Hey Boss Babes! I am Juelz. I am rooted here in Colorado Springs. My family moved here in the 70s and while I was born in North Carolina, I spent my upbringing in Colorado Springs, I love my city and state, mostly for the easy access to the outdoors. As I got my education I recognized the challenges my community, Southeast Colorado Springs was facing and decided I wanted to get involved. Volunteering my time opened the door to so many opportunities, I began to see my city in a new light and started developing my entrepreneurial spirit. I wanted everyone to know of the opportunities and I started using social media as a tool to connect with my community. This eventually led to the launch of Daily Dose 719, a multimedia platform that includes, a docuseries, podcasting, and more to come.
Connecting people online wasnt enough though, I wanted to open a space for people to gather. In 2018 I decided I would open a coffee shop. The connections I made along the way allowed for me to go through an entrepreneurial training with Thrive Networks, and secure partnerships with Solid Rock Community Development Corp. who had funding to build out the coffee shop. After 5 years, I was finally able to open up shop, Stompin' Groundz located in the heart of my community.
Here at BBN, we’re all about sharing women’s stories. Tell us about a time you had to overcome an obstacle? What did that moment in your life teach you?
In the summer of 2023, when I was finally gaining momentum in getting the shop going, signing leases, build out was starting, etc. I lost someone very dear to me. Amanda Trujillo was like a sister to me, she grew up living across the street from me and our families did everything together. On July 29, 2023 she was killed in a car accident, only blocks away from the location of the coffee shop. Not only had I never lost someone whom I loved so deeply but the fact that it was so close to the coffee shop was difficult to understand. I searched for meaning and reason and now a year later I've come to understand hard truths about life. It was a reality check that we are going to lose people or unfavorable things are going to disrupt what we are doing. In this I learned that we have to practice gratitude everyday, in every moment because everything can change in an instant and while it's never ideal, we have to learn to keep pushing forward in those moments and search for the silver lining.
“I searched for meaning and reason and now a year later I’ve come to understand hard truths about life. ”
What do you believe is the biggest challenge women in business face?
I think some of the biggest challenges are trying to live up to impossible expectations that are placed upon us, by ourselves or by society. We expect to be able to be a great partner, mom, business owner, and everything else in between. Truth is when we are flourishing in one area, another is probably lacking and when we are giving so much of ourselves we forget about self. Find ways to hold yourself accountable to the things that are important to you, like habit tracking or time blocking.
What did the younger version of you want to be when you grew up?
My younger self wanted to be so many things, a marine biologist and a basketball player in my youngest days. I failed many biology/science courses and quit basketball on 3 different occasions. As I finished high school I was bouncing between being a videographer, a journalist and a teacher. It's interesting that a lot of my desires have become intertwined into my path today.
“My advice for women in business, especially if you are just starting out, is to focus on your mindset and spirit.”
What advice would you give women in business?
My advice for women in business, especially if you are just starting out, is to focus on your mindset and spirit. There are going to be so many tests along the way and it doesn't matter how many business classes you take, if your mind and spirit are lacking running a business is going to be that much harder. I think resilience is such a key thing when being a business owner.
Where can our readers connect with you online?
