Starter Stories: Arnika Carter, a.k.a. "The Loaded Juice Lady"

Written and photographed by Margee Stanfield

Arnika Carter had no intention of ever becoming a business owner. 

“ I actually was running from it. I had no interest. I was like, ‘I don't have an entrepreneurial spirit,’” Arnika Carter, CEO and Owner of Loaded Juice, said. 

The sheer irony of that statement was illuminated by her food truck just off to the side of where we sat at theLOCAL, ready for its grand opening — which happened last Friday, June 13. Success, as exactly what she never thought she would be, a business owner, had gotten her there. 

Setting out to start a business was not what started her journey, but rather finding a way to improve her health. Dealing specifically with skin and gut issues, she began to look into juicing, purchased a juicer, and began making juice. Not only did she love making and drinking the juice, she also saw the positive results it had on her health. 

Not long after that, she was seeing something else besides results: potential. Those around her started enjoying the juice too. She knew then that her juice was something that needed to be shared. 

“People started to ask if I was gonna sell it. So I was like, ‘Maybe, yeah. Okay. I can give it a try.’ And so, I went to a fitness-workout session with some ladies and let them try some samples and they loved it,” Arnika said. “And by the end of the session, I had like 20 orders placed.” 

At first, Loaded Juice was something Arnika was doing for fun, since she was working full time. But after that workout class and selling out at her first festival she realized something: “Wow. I can really do this.”

These instances fueled her, causing her to create a website and start selling and shipping her juice nationwide. And Loaded Juice was born. 

Well, the start of it was. But Arnika knew next to nothing about how to run a business. Making her idea a reality  seemed like a long road to travel, especially without a map. However, this did not cause her to shy away. 

“Look, if I'm gonna go for it, I'm going to go all the way. And if I fail, I fail. But you can't say I didn't try,’” Arnika recalled thinking.

Before the road ahead had a chance to become too overwhelming, the right tools came into view. Through theCO’s CO.STARTERS and ScaleUp Kitchen programs, Arnika found guidance that gave her the structure, support, and knowledge to grow Loaded Juice with confidence.

Arnika was unsure if she would be qualified for ScaleUp considering she did not have a restaurant business or food truck at the time. And, yet…

“I was one of the 20 that they picked. Even though I had no food truck, no restaurant, and everyone else had a restaurant or a food truck,” Arnika said. 

She was still approved, being told that something about her brand “just stuck out.” 

“I had a chance to get inside of that program at the perfect time and everything that they were teaching us through those workshops, I was able to apply as I was growing and scaling my business. And it was right on time. I just feel so blessed by being a part of the cohort,” Arnika said. 

Her initial motivation for participating in CO.STARTERS was her interest in becoming a tenant at theLOCAL, which was a requirement for leasing. And now?

“I'm the first food truck that's going to be connected with theLOCAL as a leasing agreement for a year,” Arnika said. 

What she gained from CO.STARTERS went far beyond just checking a box.

“Most of us, we start these small businesses and it's just us. Just one person. But if you plan on growing and scaling, you have to plan on having a team one day. And you have to set up systems for that,” Arnika said, sharing a piece of insight from her CO.STARTERS experience. 

That insight came into focus when she reflected on her own experience. 

“For the most part, I'm a team of one. People don't necessarily see that,” Arnika said. “And people, a lot of times, think I do my business full time. But I'm not full-time yet.” 

Arnika is also a teacher — a taxing role that takes up the majority of her day.  Then she juices in the evenings, shipping orders, marketing, creating social media content, and handling every detail it takes to run Loaded Juice. 

“I think when people first see me on social media and they see me in person, they see this bubbly ‘Hey, y'all’ person, they see this excitement that I typically have, but sometimes they don't see the behind the scenes — like being four days away from opening date and my plumbing is busted. You don't see the challenges of ‘I gotta scrape the money together’ to make sure that this is running so when I open, things will be great and smooth.”

But Arnika understands challenges are inevitable, and she embraces them for one reason. 

“That is the reality of it, that there's a push and a grind behind your business. It's just something you do because it's worth it,” Arnika said. 

Her food truck feels like proof that it truly has been worth it.

“This is like the stepping stone to my greater success,” Arnika said. “I feel like this truck being in this spot — I don't know what it's going to turn into — but I really feel like that this is a opportunity for the next big thing for Loaded Juice. I have a year. Anything can happen in a year.”

She’s eager to use the space not just to sell juice and her other products (smoothies, smoothie bowls, salads, mocktails, and more), but also to build a community around making healthy choices. She dreams of hosting events with guest speakers and workout sessions. 

“I really want to take advantage of this opportunity and this space to really push the product, but also push health,” Arnika said. 

“When have you felt the most seen or celebrated through this experience?” I asked Arnika. 

“When have I not?” Arnika replied. “I feel like these people actually want to see me do well. And I really, really appreciate that.”

Arnika is originally from Jackson and had relocated to Memphis for a while. Yet, this journey did not kick off until she returned home.

“If I had stayed in Memphis — I'm sure I could have found some opportunities — but opportunities have just been laying in my lap. Shout out to Jackson for the intentional growth here,” Arnika said. “It's helping people that are like me, that are in business and have dreams of being a full-time entrepreneur.”

To continue supporting Arnika and Loaded Juice, you can follow them on Facebook and Instagram, visit their website, and join their email list. You can also grab a juice or a bite at the truck at 202 W. Lafayette St. in Jackson, Tennessee during Loaded Juice’s weekly hours or visit on Saturdays at the West TN Farmers’ Market.