Meet eS. Renee | Visual Artist & Juice Crafter

We had the good fortune of connecting with eS. Renee and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi eS., we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
When I first started juicing, Intl Players Juice the business wasn’t even a thing. At the time, I didn’t need it to become a business. I was still doing pretty well with what I saved up from my previous job. Once I saw how my friends reacted to the juice flavors, the wheels began to turn. A friend of mine suggested that I commit to making it a business and that made sense because this was in the middle of a pandemic. I needed something that is sustainable, profitable and allows me to educate/give back. I was also very afraid. I was scared of what the possibilities of failing looked like. Would I end up having to go look for another physical job? What am I willing to sacrifice; because the sacrifice must be worth it. Am I willing to learn more about this industry and do the work to make sure it becomes a success? That is everything that went through my head and still does.

What should our readers know about your business?
Juice Bars are everywhere! I knew that when thinking of a name or what this juice business would represent, it had to be different. Living in California, juice bars are everywhere and easily accessible. So, how do I manage to gain customers but also stand out from the crowd and draw attention? Easy. I creatively title the juices with relation to well known R&B and Hip Hop songs. Even the name, Intl Players Juice, is a play on words of one of the greatest rap songs, to me, Intl Players Anthem. Kale, You Stand the Rain, Mo Money Mo Pineapples, Gin N Juice, Return of the Mint. One thing I am most proud of is, being able to craft something that various taste buds enjoy. Food and beverage are tricky. So many different levels to what is good, it would’ve been easier to just copy and paste what I already saw. I didn’t want to add any sugar or preservatives, just vibes. Making it taste good solely relying on fruit and vegetables to get it done. It has not been easy making and selling juices by myself. I purchased a juice cart and that helps to keep the juices cold but also doubles as branding for the business. Folks see the cart, they know what time it is. It was so easy to waste money and take losses. Making too many juices and the foot traffic doesn’t provide the customer volume I was looking for. Throwing away juices had made me reconsider halting a few times. That is money, time and effort down the drain. If I don’t sell, I don’t eat. BUT then, I go out one day, have life changing convo that reassures me, this is right where I belong.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
This is kind of hard because we’ve been locked down for a minute.I would definitely take her to get catfish from In the Kitchen LBC, I would take her to get a Taro boba from Sura. Roscoes is down the street so we would definitely go to Roscoes, oh and get some Ramen from Gu Ramen off of Historic Pine St. Hiking is one of the best things to do out here, so we would go to Eaton Canyon (there is a nice waterfall at the end of the trail). Take a day trip to San Diego, get happy hour margaritas from Blanco Tacos & Tequila.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My cousin Tiffany Taylor has definitely played a huge role in my position in life. She has shown up for me since I moved to Los Angeles 10 years ago, mentally, emotionally, just being a constant.

Website: www.internationalplayersjuice.com

Instagram: es.renee

Twitter: Sagileo

Image Credits
Bay 2 LA Photography