As brainchild and one-half of the founding team behind dynamic Los Angeles-based juice company Juice Served Here, Alex Matthews turned humble beginnings into an idea that continues to challenge today's food industry.
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Alex Matthews
FROM AM TO PM:
With Alex Matthews
Alex Matthews does more in one day than most people do in a week, but hey, that's what it takes to run one of the most innovative juice companies around. Below is a typical day in the life for Alex, AKA one of the busiest dudes we know.
Insider Info: Alex Matthews
BY: LOGAN HORSLEY
DIRECTOR OF RETAIL OPERATIONS, JUICE SERVED HERE
There is a humble ubiquity in the countless expressions you hear about work and passion. The interrelatedness of it all, and that if done right, success inevitably abounds. For most, this is Everest; an almost unattainable amalgam of proportionate pieces, mixed with timing that somehow result in both achievement and happiness. That’s the goal. In my opinion it always seemed a bit intangible. That is, until I actually came across someone doing it. This was my first experience with Alex. He has this curious effect on people; it’s this subtle and unintended notion that let’s you know that his entire heart is in what he’s doing. It’s magnetic. So when Alex and I met on the internet, and I promise that’s not what it sounds like, I was immediately intrigued. We were introduced by a circuitous line of acquaintances under the pretense that I should really check out what this guy was about to do. I was living in Berlin at the time and he was in Los Angeles. This was not ideal, so at that point my interest in his project was pure curiosity. Then he started talking. Two weeks of Skype meetings went by and sure enough I was on a plane back to the States to get on board with JUICE Served Here. That experience for me is Alex in a nutshell. He has this conviction that is infectious. It’s what brought together a small group of people to build this amazing enterprise into what it is today. The truth of the matter is that in my mind, the success of the company has been the byproduct. The real achievement tends to be the daily and lasting effects that this experience has on all of us. From Alex it’s the impressions that he leaves. His eagerness and borderline fanaticism when it comes to his work.
"If you’re in the room, you get it. It’s fire. He has what seems to be a limitless zeal for all of the things he chooses to endeavor."
Whether it be his music, his reverent approach to his family, or taking a fledging idea like JUICE Served Here and turning it into this massive opportunity for so many people. It’s truly inspiring to watch and be a part of.
I have been fortunate enough to have ended up in the company of some pretty amazing people in my day, both personally and professionally. Some of them stick around for years and others are a simple crossing of paths. Regardless of time you inevitably draw lessons from these people. Whether good or bad, you learn and are changed hopefully for the better. Almost three years ago I met this odd ball on the internet and somehow I found one of the most sincere, intelligent and magnanimous people that I have ever had the pleasure of working with, and beyond that one of the best friends I could have ever imagined. I’ve had the opportunity to be able to learn from him as a mentor and grow on a daily basis from the challenges and opportunities that we both have shared. Through some of the more difficult times this passion that Alex has, that drives him, and helps him achieve his goals, and surmounts obstacles, ends up being a north star for a lot of people around him. It isn’t self-serving, it’s just there.
"This little example of someone who loves what they do so much that you can’t help but get caught up in it. It’s the truth behind being a successful entrepreneur. He has found his own happiness in what he does and works every day to support those around him in finding theirs."
MEET ALEX'S ALTER EGO:
KIDDKITT
At 17 years old, one of Alex's friends took him to an underground house event he remembers as "an emerging scene that blew me away." After that first night, Alex started going back every weekend to hear new music and dig deeper into the scene. Soon after, he starting buying records and DJing on his living room floor—and the rest is KIDDKITT (Alex's DJ pseudonym) history.
"I think that it’s part of who I am—the music and playlists in the Juice Served Here stores are all hand-picked and curated by me." Check out his latest KIDDKITT playlist below:
ALex Matthews HAS A MAGAZINE, TOO:
THE UNCONVENTIONAL
Juice Served Here is anything but conventional—enter their blog-turned-print-magazine: The Unconventional. Filled with pages of beautiful imagery and bold design, The Unconventional is Juice Served Here packaged into one beautiful zine. Our favorite parts? The stark contrasts of neutrals and neons, in-depth stories of designers like Garrett Leight and John Elliott, and of course—Kelis on the cover. Check out a sneak peek below and stop by your favorite Juice Served Here location to pick up a copy (and a Charcoal Lemonade, duh).
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