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

Hi Darieal, how do you think about risk?
As a Christian, I believe that faith and risks act as a cohesive unit. Without faith a risk is simply an unintentional rash decision, As with most risks, intimidation and present suffering comes with the process of the unknown. However, through faith we know that “suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us.”(Romans 5:3-5). These are the foundational characteristics behind any real success story. I believe in taking intentional well- calculated risks. If your vision is intentional, you are able to remain hopeful in the outcome despite the growing pains that occur during the process.

I started my business in the wake of the pandemic. Everything was self- funded, I had no product labels, no logo, no LLC, no resources and very little savings. My job experienced a decline and I was faced with the decision to take a 2- year unpaid leave of absence, or stay employed wand take a significant decrease in pay.  I decided to take the leave of absence. This was an intentional risk for me, yet a very uncalculated one. Shortly following my decision to leave my job, I transitioned from a two-income household to a single-income household and bills piled up. In times of suffering we must always ask ourselves what God is trying to show us. I transitioned my focus from what I did not have and took inventory of the skills and resources that I did have. I became vulnerable, did away with my own understanding and put away the reliance of my own strength in order to put full trust in God’s process. I outlined how I would be able to grow from what I was able to contribute and what support I needed from external resources. I have always been a private person, but I began to do outreach and be open and honest about my story which was a personal risk for me. Through this process of risk taking, I was able to increase my network, lay a solid foundation for my business, and grow spiritually and financially. Most importantly, the greatest outcome of any risk is the increase in one’s character that is gained through the endurance of trial.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?

Although I own a juice company, I consider myself to be a creative entrepreneur. Every business idea that I embark upon is centered around one question; How would this idea enhance the lives of other creatives? If my idea is unable to answer that question, I do not entertain it.

I do not believe in competition because no individual can be duplicated. I believe in solving issues and creating impact, in order to achieve a high level of impact, you must be able to touch many people and the key to that is network and collaboration. This is the greatest lesson that I have learned along this journey. I was not always confident enough in my own ability to openly share my ideas and resources with others. I feared that they would take my resources and surpass me in some way but after many lessons learned, I realized that selfish ambition will consistently ensue destruction.

The saying is true, you should never be the smartest person in the room because you’ll never grow beyond that room. If you aren’t growing, you aren’t expanding your impact and if you are not doing it to impact others, you are not walking in purpose and your effort is aimless.

The goal of my brand is to nurture, fuel and protect the mind of creatives. The mind of a creative is outside of the box, however, for aspiring entrepreneurs, our day to day reality can start to feel as though we are living inside of a box. We have big dreams and our imagination is constantly going, but there are levels to success, and when we feel that we’ve exhausted our current level, it feels like the work that we are doing is not even touching the height of the vision and potential that is living and active inside of our imagination. As a result, most creatives use substances to bridge their imagination and their reality together, however, while that moment may be exhilarating, it slowly deteriorates the mind. For those who do not partake in this sort of activity, we may have other outlets but there is still a feeling of unfulfillment there. Our thoughts keep us up at night and our mind lacks the opportunity to reset.

The mind is one entity and the brain is another. The brain fuels the mind and the brain is fueled by the heart, the blood and the immune system. All components must be catered to in order to reach the highest capacity of the mind. My company uses all natural ingredients that focus on stimulating and enhancing the health of the blood, heart, immune system and brain. Our goal is to provide a healthy alternative for creatives that will help them reach the height of their imagination.

Our goal is to open a juice bar that doubles as a creative co working safe haven. Currently we are focused on partnering with non-traditional businesses that highlight other creative entrepreneurs. You can find us at Luck You Tattoo located at 309 Centre St Dallas, TX 75208 and online at essentialritualjuice.com

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.

Monday: I would grab drinks at Parliament in Uptown- it opens at five, its a nice upbeat lounge setting and Happy Hour is from 5:00pm-2:00 AM

Tuesday: Sight seeing around Dallas/ Plano and Frisco and shopping!

Wednesday: Bowling at Bowl and Barrell in North Park, Grape Vine Winery

Thursday: Dinner at Kai in Legacy West

Friday: Dinner and A Rooftop bar

Saturday: Fun museums during the day, Drinks at the Catbird at night

Sunday: Brunch, Sunday Funday in Uptown

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Throughout my journey as an entrepreneur, I have gained an overwhelming amount of support from so many people that I have encountered. Of course, it goes without saying that my family and my close circle of friends have been nothing short of amazing in so many ways. I  would also like  to recognize my business partner Dondre, Founder of Almvghty Clothing, LLC for playing an influential role in my growth as an entrepreneur.

Website: https://essentialritualjuice.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/essentialritualjuice/?hl=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Essentialritualjuiceco

Other: My personal Instagram is @_Dmonique

Image Credits
Brandon

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