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Meet Lansing's Own ‘Smoothie Queen’
What started in 2019 as just a thought and a ambitious Facebook post, has taken ‘The Smoothie Queen’ to successful heights. As the NextUp crew got the chance to speak to Tammara Brown, a.k.a ‘The Smoothie Queen,’ she spoke to us about some of her business ventures, the challenges she faced and overcame throughout her journey, what it means to represent black women in the local business community, what it's like to have the reputation of Lansings, ‘queen of sweets,’ and also her potential future plans as her company continues to gain popularity throughout the city.
“There's not a blueprint for success, you have to have a real passion for it, it can't just be a money grab” Tammara mentioned as she spoke relating to aspiring business owners. Speaking from her experience, she started out in a one bedroom apartment, even living out of her car at a point in time. Once she went public with her story, she and her brand instantly became a signal of hope and inspiration for many throughout the community. Being so open to the community really opened the doors for her to fully utilize the resources around her, helping her reach even higher heights.
While Tammara continues to build her business, her inspiration goes beyond her come up story. Being a prominent black woman within a community of growing black businesses, Tammara spoke on her position in society and how she's grateful for it. “It's really a good feeling, I really feel like i want to do more, I want to be more impactful, give back to a community to that's been so giving to me,” Tammara told NextUp as she humbly spoke about reciprocating the camaraderie within local business owners, especially among other women business owners. The Lansing business scene has been very interactive and important in helping one another.
‘The Smoothie Queen’ currently operates out of the Accelerator Kitchen, located on 1615 E. Kalamazoo from Wed-Sat, 10a-6p. With a unique variety of flavors, choices, or the fan favorite customizable pineapple bowl ‘The Smoothie Queen’ wants everyone to be a part of the movement as she soon hopes for expansion. She wishes her promising brand, supportive team, and gaining popularity will take her business throughout Michigan and eventually to a potential franchising opportunity in another state.
