Inspirational Women Interviews 2011 {Juli Novotny}

Juli Novotny is one cool mama. Owner of the amazing raw/vegan cookie company, Kookie Karma, author of Pure Mamas blog (Super food + modern parenting), whole food chef/food coach and healthy Mama of two beautiful boys, she does it all, and it’s always done well. Guess that’s what happens when you’re powered by superfoods!

Juli started in the food industry at age 16, working at a pastry shop near her home. She first discovered raw foods in her early twenties. Her passion drew her the idea of making healthy but yummy raw cookies for the masses. She started her company, Kookie Karma, shortly after attending UCLA at the young age of 24. Becoming CEO of a company at age 24? There’s some inspiration for ya! From there, the company only grew as Kookie Karma expanded to a full line of healthy snacks and treats. Three years ago she had her first son, Roman, and twelve months later along came her second son, Pierce! She started Pure Mamas as a baby blog, and it evolved into full healthy family blog. Even with her family grown twofold in less than five years, she continues to inspire by heading her company, running her popular blog and prove that with determination, you can do anything.

1. You started Kookie Karma at a young age, that’s so admirable. What inspired you to start a healthy cookie (or I should say kookie) company, and what is your mission or goal for Kookie Karma products?

Well unfortunately for my bank account my goal with Kookie Karma was a super super passionate one and less of a well thought out business venture. I just wanted to get as many people as possible excited about organic, fresh, gluten-free, raw/holistic, soy free and dairy free/vegan snacks as possible.

My frustrating allergies and LOVE for gourmet food made it difficult for me to find the perfect snack. So I used to make my own at home {I became a professional baker at a really young age and went to UCLA for a BA}.

2. Was it hard to start up your own company in your twenties? What kept you going through the years?

YES & NO. I want to say that I didn’t know much about business at the age of 24 and that if I started the company over again, knowing what I know now, I’d do things much differently. But, I think any business owner, no matter what age would say the same thing. I don’t think it was my age so much as my experience. You really don’t know much, no matter what your degree, until you go out and get experience. I have watched a lot of older people come into the food business or the small business world and be totally overwhelmed.

But I’m SO glad I never really had to enter the corporate 9-5 world. I always dodged this somehow because it’s really NOT my thing. I’d rather work 12-15 hours doing what I do now.

3. You seem so incredibly balanced in your healthy lifestyle. How do you manage this, with two young children and a growing business?

Honestly, I’m not very balanced. I try and find some balance through creating a routine. But as any small business owner knows, every day is chaos and it’s almost impossible to plan ahead for the day. All the hiccups. All the road blocks. It’s a total chaotic mess at all times of the day. Kind of like at home – with two little tiny kids screaming and running around – every moment is an adventure in the unknown.

It’s especially hard for somebody like me who dislikes spontaneity and thrives off of stability and control.

In fact, I’m surprised I stay sane amongst it all. But it helps to have a sense of humor and know how to have a good time. If I can find those things in each moment, then everything else is less hard!

4. Anything special you like to do on your off-days?

Hmmmm, days off are few and far between. I would probably go to LA if I had a day off, stay at a nice modern hotel, treat myself to a bunch of really yummy restaurants and take pics the entire time for my blog! I always have to be accomplishing something. SAD. Actually. But it’s in my blood. I’m always thinking and analyzing and learning. I do take time to get massages, facials and walks on the beach at times.

5. How is your lifestyle different now than it used to be? Did you have a turning point that made you commit to a healthier lifestyle?

My lifestyle now is the same as it has been since I was probably 20, when I first discovered raw foods. NO turning point really, just a cumulation of knowledge over the years. It was as low transition. I have been obsessed and fanatical about health since I was really young. Weirdly curious about the human body. I always loved science and anatomy which I think made food and medicine very interesting to me. When I was 14 I decided that it didn’t make sense for humans to eat other animals with souls. Then there was the analytical side of me that questioned the spiritual/passionate/emotional side of life.

Nothing really made perfect sense – there was no black an white. Why would we pop pills to help with our headaches, when headaches are a byproduct of something in our environment? I figured that the body was ALWAYS telling us something. And if we didn’t listen, then we would be in real trouble.

I finally decided that science isn’t helping us progress at all. Instead it’s harming us. I loved science – was fascinated by it because you had to be so smart to understand it – but was {still am} afraid of tampering too much with Mother Nature. I was learning in church that God created the World a certain way, so why would we need to change that? Maybe then there is no God and science is the only way for humans to survive on this planet for more than 600 years.

This was literally my confusion the first 18 years of my life. And thanks to this, my fascination is what created my passion and life as it is right now. I still don’t have the answer. Nobody does. Nobody knows the exact remifications of the drugs we take on a daily basis. Or the exposure to EMFs. But nobody knows, and never will, what life would be like without stoves or pots and pans or had we not tampered with Nature in the first place.

6. How do you stay positive in an increasingly unhealthy world? Does the large amount of new health research that comes up seemingly everyday have an affect on you, or do you like to form your own opinions?

I have been reading this stuff since I was 14 years old. And I can tell you – NOT MUCH has progressed. Still today on the nightly news I hear health alerts that I literally read in SHAPE magazine 15 years ago. It’s frustrating. For sure.

How many times will there be a new update on coffee for example – it’s GOOD for you today and BAD for you tomorrow. I just laugh.

7. I love Pure Mamas. Even though I don’t have children of my own yet, I find it so inspirational and entertaining. What made you want to start up a blog?

Glad you like the blog. It’s a work in progress with little direction. I try to stick to a theme but it often doesn’t really have one.

I just hope I can help change one person’s diet for the better – that’s all I care about! But the way the blog looks matters too. I love high design, beautiful photos and clean minimalist aesthetics. Those things are super important to me and a huge part of HOW I share information.

As I said before, nutrition and health have been huge passions of mine. So now that I have little ones I have expanded my passion to include children’s foods. I know how hard it can be as a mom to want to feed our kids healthy when we don’t even know how to feed ourselves the right stuff {how would we?}. Counter to what you’d think, there is very little information out there. Healthy is fish sticks and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Most parents say “eat your macaroni and cheese and then you can have a milkshake”. At my house, milkshakes are served for lunch {raw vegan ice cream blended with nut milk and ice}.

8. How does it feel to be considered an inspirational woman? Who, or what inspires you?

Ha Ha. I don’t think of myself that way. I think I’m too often too hard on myself. I stress about what I’m NOT doing RIGHT all too much.

Thanks for the compliment though!

I also admire those who are always patient and calm. I can’t relate at all People who are successful but don’t conform, do their own thing and go against the grain. Innovation and thinking outside the box is extremely attractive to me.

9. What is the best piece of healthy living advice you can give readers?

Moderation is important. But, not in this case! Don’t ever heat olive oil above medium. Don’t use margarine or aspartame, EVER. Stay away from GMOs and pesticides. If you eat meat make sure it’s organic. {being a Certified Organic company, I can tell you that you don’t even WANT to know what goes on behind the scenes of the NON organic farms/factories. Holy Moly}

But…

You have to enjoy your life and if that means being unhealthy from time to time, so be it. Happy endorphins are just as necessary as broccoli when it comes to optimal health.

10. Do you have any future plans for your business or the blog you want to share with my readers?

Oh my gosh. Now that I’m working again we have so much in the works. So much exciting stuff. Let me just say, KIDS FOOD!! That’s all I will give away.

11. What is your favorite thing to eat? To cook?

Honestly. If I had my perfect diet, I would eat tons of gourmet raw food. Fermented foods. Green smoothies. Some wine. Have endless supplies of raw vegan cheese, sauces and deserts already made up. And And every few weeks – a poached egg or two with sea salt, avocado and greens. I have a fascination with poached eggs. Might seem sort of strange and contrary to some of what I talk about. But they make my body feel really great.

12. And, the million dollar question: What’s in your fridge?

Today?

Fresh squeezed grapefruit juice
Seaweed
Lots of greens – ready to eat
Coconut Milk {random new thing that my kids enjoy from time to time}
Homemade almond milk
Leftovers – raw vegan soup from last night
Onion Bread – raw vegan
Lemons
Kombucha
Wine
Sprouted Bread
Raw Sprouted Hummus
Vegan Mayo
Xylitol sweetened ketchup
Avocados
Eggs
Apple Juice
Mustard
Miso
Kim Chi

And keep in mind, I live with 2 little kids. These aren’t all my number one choices.

Thanks so much, Juli! You can find more of Juli on her Twitter, Facebook page (Pure Mamas + Kookie Karma) and Pinterest!

{Previous Inspirational Women 2011 Interviews}

Kristen Suzanne
Caitlin Boyle
Meghan Telpner
Sarah Kramer