Juanita-Michelle is a wife, mother of 6, grandmother of 9, and self-proclaimed serial entrepreneur. The journey has not been easy for Juanita, but she continues to build her business and strives to provide for her family and make a comfortable retirement.
Juanita is a tenured professor of Mathematics at Sinclair Community College. She also teaches a course in marketing. Juanita has multiple degrees from Franklin University, University of Cincinnati, and the University of Dayton.
Being a businesswoman comes second nature to Juanita. Her very first business idea was to sell vegetables out of her family garden to a senior citizen complex across the street.
Today, she is the founder of “the people’s coffeehouse” – Third Perk.
Third Perk Coffeehouse & Wine Bar offers variety of coffee products, and a boutique wine selection. For Juanita, being a black woman in business gives her the opportunity to walk a challenging path that she hopes will make a way for other women in the future. Capital and finding ways to increase revenue for the business is something that Juanita continues to work through. But with time comes wisdom and experience. Juanita now has a better understanding of planning and has even started a non-profit that will assist others with capital.
When asked what advice she would give to other women interested in starting a similar business:
“PLAN-BELIEVE-ACHIEVE Planning has been my greatest asset. Good planning in the beginning has allowed me to understand possible pitfalls.”
Juanita, thank you for taking risks and paving the way for future black women in business!
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Isn’t it amazing!? This is why I Love sharing the stories of others!
Juanita’s story reminds me of the newspaper articles that I’ve read about my paternal grandmother, Mattie. She wanted to pave the way for other young black women and help them learn how to become their own source of income. Hopefully, I can do the same with my company and make her proud. Thanks Juanita for all you do!