Who is Amelia Pavlik

Tell us about yourself, who is Amelia Pavlik?

I just turned 40, and I feel so grateful for all of the experiences that have brought me to this point. There’ve been sad moments like getting through my divorce and dealing with the death of my father. But there have been many, many happy moments like those I’ve spent traveling with my mama and my godmother; living life with my love, Jamie; and checking things off of my professional bucket list as a communications and wellness professional. I’m thankful for them all because they’ve shaped me into the person I am today. I believe that my purpose in this world is to spread smiles.

What inspired you to launch Fresh Juice & Bubbly & tell our readers exactly what Fresh Juice & Bubbly is all about.

For 10+ years, I’ve worked as a wellness journalist (visiting more than 50 spas from Vail to Vienna), and I’ve spent 20+ years teaching in the fitness industry. Over the years, I searched for a resource that could provide me with the latest in luxury wellness products and experiences to suit my budget whether it was $50 or $15,000 — but I couldn’t find one. So, in February 2021, I took matters into my own hands and launched FRESHJUICE + bubbly, a boutique business focused on connecting clients to wellness splurges to suit budgets big and small. Through FRESHJUICE + bubbly, I provide advice and reviews and offer a series of City Wellness Guides; wellness experience planning services; and barre and cardio classes/retreat options. Learn more here: https://freshjuiceandbubbly.com/about/meet-amelia.

What has been your most significant achievement to date?

Convincing an Atlanta-area hotel to purchase 50 digital downloads of the Atlanta City Wellness Guide. I positioned the guide as a cost-effective value-add for guests visiting the city — and the property agreed. It was so cool to sell a chunk of the guides at one time!

If you could time travel back to day one of your startup and have 15min with your former self to communicate any lessons you’ve acquired with the intention of saving yourself mistakes and heartache, what would you tell yourself?

Do a trademark search before you settle on a business name. (And FYI, a Google search isn’t sufficient.) A name change after you’ve launched means a new URL, logo, colors, etc. — and a ton of wasted time and money.

How do you conquer those moments of doubt that so often stifle or trip or stop so many entrepreneurs with great ideas…what pushes you through?

Oh, doubt! I try so hard not to let it creep in to begin with, because it can drag you down in a heartbeat both mentally and emotionally. But, I have to admit that I’m feeling a bit of it as FRESHJUICE + bubbly is about to celebrate its first anniversary. Some things I thought would be really successful — like the wellness experience planning services — haven’t taken off, while things that I didn’t think would be as successful (like offering corporate fitness classes to various clients) have. Of course, this has left me wondering if I need to adjust pricing, pull back on the resources I offer, etc. The way I’m dealing with this lack of clarity is to give myself space to take a breath and think. I’ve been going full steam ahead for the last year, and now it’s time to reflect. (Now, this is a financially doable option for me, because I have a full-time job to fall back on while I’m figuring out what the right direction to go in is.) So, when I go on walks or runs, I give myself free-thinking time. I’ve also found that taking a weekend getaway somewhere to remove myself from my routine can be helpful when I need to think about big picture ideas or be creative. And it also helps that in my gut, I know that the path I’m on with FRESHJUICE + bubbly is exactly the journey I’m meant to be on right now. I just need to be open to the fact that the journey might take me in directions I didn’t expect!

What 2022 goals are working towards for yourself & Fresh Juice & Bubbly?

Well, per the response to the last question, this answer is still in the works! But, based on the direction I’m leaning in right now, I’m thinking that I need to put more energy into acquiring corporate wellness clients for my cardio and barre class offerings. It’s such a cost-effective way for businesses to offer a bonus to their employees that also improves the health and wellness of their workforce. I’d also like to finish a Nashville City Wellness Guide that I have in the works and increase my wellness experience planning clientele.

What does your wellness mean to you & what does your wellness routine currently consist of?

Until recently, I really thought of things as being healthy and unhealthy. For example, I thought that if you did a harder workout like spin or a high-intensity interval training class, it was healthier for you than just going for a walk. And while I’ve always been the type of woman to eat salads for one meal and enchiladas with chips and queso for another, I still thought of some foods as being healthy and others being unhealthy. But, this fall, I visited Canyon Ranch Woodside as an early 40th birthday gift to myself (and to write an article for one of the wellness outlets I freelance for: https://vacayou.com/magazine/retreat-to-canyon-ranch-woodside-to-reflect-and-connect/), and I met with a wellness coach who started a shift in my mindset. She suggested that I start approaching wellness in a more mindful way, meaning that instead of going, “Is this healthy or unhealthy?” I needed to say, “What does my body need right now?” For example, I now look at foods as things that I like, don’t like, and things that don’t agree with my body (in my case, these are things that aggravate my acid reflux). Now, it helps that I like veggies and other things that are nutritious to begin with. But, if I want to eat some fries, I’m no longer stressing about doing so if I’ve already had something indulgent earlier in the day. But, I’m paying more attention to when my body is full, too. This mindfulness also extends to my workouts. Even though a walk or yoga might not feel as intense as some of my other workouts, sometimes those are what my body needs. And I’m realizing that things like sleep, meditation, and other wellness therapies are just as important to your body as eating and exercising. With all that said, my routine is that I exercise about five days a week for at least 30 minutes and do everything from barre class to spin to yoga to weight training to running and walking. I eat a salad for lunch most days and start out my day with a cup of hot lemon water followed by a smoothie with plain kefir, spinach, coconut water, and strawberries. And if I want some indulgent food or drink, I don’t deprive myself or stress. I mediate through gratitude statements when I go for long walks, and I get about eight to nine hours of sleep each night. I’m an eternal optimist, and when I get angry or sad, I let myself feel the emotion and then remind myself of how good I have it.

Leave our readers with one piece of advice.

One of the biggest challenges I deal with is comparing myself to others. Sometimes I find myself going down that road of asking, “How did so-and-so get that many Instagram followers or score that collaboration?” Then I immediately remind myself that this isn’t a competition with anyone else. I’d rather “be the woman who fixes another’s crown without telling the world it was crooked.” Also, I’m a huge believer in a weekly Sunday evening bath. I add 2 cups of plain Epsom salt and melt into the water while I read a good book and enjoy a gin and tonic. It’s the perfect way to close out the weekend and reboot for a new week.