Rosetta Quiah is a busy woman; it is in her voice. Even on the phone, her polished way of answering questions with rehearsed-like answers is indicative of her professional persona. Something about the way Quiah talks about her work demonstrates that not only is she capable of dealing with it, but that she loves what she does. She is passionate about her work.
When her family moved from Liberia to the Ivory Coast to escape upheavals in the country, Quiah attended the American International School in Abidjan, and upon graduation enrolled at American University in Washington, D.C., where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with an Accounting and International Finance concentration. Although a former employee of Deloitte and Touche and a Supervisory Auditor at Freddie Mac, Quiah says that her heart has always been drawn to entrepreneurship.
Bloom Juice, her beverage company, was established in 2005. Inspired by Quiah’s experiences in Abidjan, where people produced a local drink from the hibiscus flower, Bloom Juice is made with a mixture of juice from the hibiscus flower and assorted fruit juices. “It was the local kool-aid,” she remarks with a laugh.
What makes Bloom Juice different from all the beverages out today? Quiah adds: “The uniqueness of a brand centered around the hibiscus flower, a flower that has many beneficial aspects like lowering cholesterol and high blood pressure. It is not just a juice; it’s a unique health-conscious product.”
As Quiah began to experiment brewing hibiscus and mix-matching various juices and spices, she decided to use her creativity to her benefit by establishing Hibiscus, Inc., forerunner of Bloom Juice. She developed a team of people, conducted research with the help of a multicultural focus group, and decided to change the name to Bloom Juice to remind patrons of the brand’s natural goodness and purity.
Quiah has changed a lot more than the name of the company. Initially, she bought the bottles herself and invited friends and family over to help her fill and label the bottles. Today, she sounds confident about her product although it has not always been that way. She describes a point when she questioned her ability to be successful with this business venture. “I remember wondering, ‘Is this feasible. Will people really enjoy this?’” Soon enough, she got an answer.
In the summer of 2007, Quiah took 1000 bottles of Bloom Juice, all made in her home, to the Afrique Summer Fest in Atlanta. Quiah notes, with pride in her voice, that in a matter of two days they all sold out and people kept requesting for more information about where to purchase the juice. This experience, she says, from that moment became the driving force of inspiration and motivation to move on. But it was not all easy.
Quiah recalls calling at least 25 companies a week in search of someone who would be willing to work with a small company with a smaller demand. “I had to go all the way to Kentucky to find a company willing to work with me,” she says. Flavor Craft, a company based in Kentucky, now outsources the production of Bloom Juice. She worked with their team of scientists to help re-create the taste she initially developed in her kitchen. Flavor Craft then introduced Quiah to Innovative Label Services, a company based in Ohio, which currently prints labels for Bloom Juice bottles.
Now with a team of five working with her to help with marketing and some of the other important aspects of running a business, they have managed to get Bloom Juice into BestWay stores, one of the largest independent Hispanic food retailers on the East Coast. After visiting the distribution center in Maryland and presenting her product via a 45 minute conversation, BestWay agreed to test her product to see how sales would go. The result was that 40 bottles of Bloom Juice sold within the first weekend. The rest is history.
This hardworking entrepreneur intends to distribute Bloom Juice in Liberia and other African countries and feels very positive about the anticipated reception of a healthy drink.
“Africans, like many around the world, have become aware of the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. As such, I anticipate a warm reception to Bloom Juice. My visits to a few West African countries have shown me the need for a healthy beverage to accommodate the healthy lifestyle. We have started groundwork to begin distribution in Africa and hope to begin soon.”
Bloom Juice has evolved over time, which is the sign of a good product. “We changed the label about three times, changed bottles about four times,” Quiah explains, but it has gotten better each time. “It expands in its own way,” she adds.
Bloom Juice appeals to a large audience, including the young and energetic between the ages of 25 and above, active people, African, Caribbean, Asian and people who love organic food.
Regarding short and long term goals, Quiah notes: “We intend to expand our beverage line and to include more flavors and also to expand our product line to include ice cream yogurt and syrups.”
There is still more to be done, however. Quiah has many other business ventures and her ultimate goal is to be able to give back to the continent of Africa, which is why she and other African professionals recently started Nilo Group, a consulting firm equivalent to a one-stop shop for all businesses.
But Bloom Juice still is a business Quiah holds dear to her heart because cooking and entertaining has always been a joy for her. The company, she admits, is an extension of that. And probably most importantly, is the cause Bloom Juice supports: peace education in schools. For every bottle of Bloom Juice sold, five cents is donated to this cause.
Quiah’s advice to aspiring entrepreneurs? “I’ve been taught never to accept ‘no’ as an answer once I believe in my product and service. If you believe and have a passion for what you do, go for it. Your business is never a failure unless you say it is.”