Jaqushia is kind of known around town for her exuberant dance across The Academy Celebration stage after winning first place in our Compassionate Pitch Contest. (You can see what we’re talking about here!)

“I went to dinner with my friends, it was about 20 of us, and they were like, ‘Did you see the Corner to Corner video of you? It was so good!!’ It was like the topic at dinner last night.” 

Her pitch was for her business, The Slush Kids, which sells slushies and Italian ice.

“I practiced a lot for my pitch, I think I practiced every single day. My husband was like, ‘I know the pitch at this point!’ But when they called my name to go up and it was my turn, I was so nervous until I got up there, because when I got up there, everybody was so welcoming. My nerves just settled a little bit and I just went ahead and did my thing. 

“After I finished, my husband came up and said ‘Oh yeah, you won this! You got it. Don’t even worry about it.’ But I was thinking about how good everyone else’s pitches were [and] how everyone was doing an amazing job. My husband is my number one fan. Everything I do, he’s there pushing me to be better.”

In addition to the unwavering love and support from her husband, Jaqushia has found a community of peers at The Academy, a network of fellow entrepreneurs all with the same passion and drive to make their dreams into money-making realities – for themselves and their families. 

“Even if you don’t win the pitch contest, even if you don’t get to go on a big stage, even if you don’t win your class, it’s the people that you get to meet through The Academy, the connections that you make and the resources you have that make Corner to Corner amazing. Now, I’m not saying they’re going to do it for you. You have to take advantage of the resources. Because it’s very hard being an entrepreneur on your own. But Corner to Corner provides that community that can help push you forward.”

“I believe in God wholeheartedly. My faith is so strong, and before I did this class, I was like, ‘God, I’ve been an entrepreneur and this is all I’m doing. I don’t have a nine-to-five. Like, what do you want me to be doing? And I was like, give me this undeniable experience that no other human can give to me.’

“And ever since I went through The Academy, the doors have just been opening. So okay, God, I hear you loud and clear! This is where I’m supposed to be and this is what you want me to be doing!”

Jaqushia’s faith has shown up in more ways than just finding her stride in The Academy. As our first-place pitch winner, she was awarded $2,000 in cash plus a ton of other business resources. Including website design. 

“I was going to pay this girl $3,500 to do my brand story website, but something just kept telling me to wait, And when I finally got home after graduation, and I realized the resources that I won, I told my husband, I said, ‘I won a freaking brand package so I don’t even have to pay for it. Like somebody’s going to do it for me for free!!’ It was an amazing feeling.”

And the amazing feeling has stuck with her past the high of graduation night. Because now she’s an Academy Alumna.

If you don’t know, our Academy Amplified program offers continued support, education, events, and resources to all of the entrepreneurs who have graduated from The Academy. Because here at Corner to Corner, we are truly invested in you and your business’s well-being – we want to see our entrepreneurs continue to thrive and grow!

“This program is worth it because of the resources that you’re privy to once you go through this. I can’t wait until we hit that 10,000 Black-owned businesses launched through The Academy. I’m just excited to be a part of the Academy Alumni community.”

Visit Jaqushia’s website The Slush Kids.

“If I stop by your office, can y’all be in a commercial?”

This DM hit our inboxes from a recent Academy Alumna, and we knew we had to join in on the fun!

Kayla Hall-Ransom, the owner of The City Juicery, is a Spring 2023 Academy Alumna and the recent star of a commercial all about her business. 

“The commercial was a spontaneous opportunity. Pinnacle Bank sponsored The City Juicery to set up under their tent during the Black on Buchanan event Hosted by The Nashville Black Market and The Equity Alliance. We passed out juice samples and business cards, and later we got an email with the opportunity to record a commercial!”

When Kayla told us this, we got even more excited – we LOVE each of these local organizations! To see one of our Academy Alumni tapping into different networks we’ve partnered with was super cool.

“It was so much fun to drive all around Nashville, connect with so many people in my community, and even just walk up to strangers and ask, ‘Hey do you want to drink this juice and be a part of our commercial?’”

She stopped by the Corner to Corner office and Amanda, our Academy Specialist, got her very own moment of fame alongside Kayla in the commercial!

“I was so glad that I took advantage of this chance because, in the end, I found a videographer who truly believes in me and my business. He’s passionate about recording history as it’s being made, and he feels that The City Juicery is making history, building a community here in the greater Nashville area! Shout out to Ty T.V.!”

This commercial is a shining example of what can be accomplished when a community comes together. From the organizations behind it to all the neighbors that participated in getting The City Juicery’s name out there, it was a team effort!

“My business wouldn’t be where it is today without Corner to Corner, The Nashville Black Market, Pinnacle Bank, and the support of my family and friends and all the local communities.”

Building our community and connecting with neighbors on a deeper level has been at the heart of what we do since our very first cohort of The Academy way back in 2016. It brings our whole team great joy to hear Kayla’s words and to see her own business embodying the same principles of connection.

When we asked her what advice she’d offer to the next generation of entrepreneurs to go through The Academy, she shared some straight wisdom.

“‘Are you creating a job or running a business?’ That’s a quote that I think of daily because anyone can cut apples and juice them into a bottle, but not everyone can get grants and connect with community members and share our mission ‘to be available to all people all over the city’. 

“So many times, there are business owners who are grinding and succeeding for three months, and then we never hear from them again. I think that’s due to burnout, from this focus on hustling and grinding and not prioritizing rest.

“I disagree with that. I think that taking the time to delegate, to ask for help from friends and family and within your network like The Academy is key to seeing persistent growth and not facing burnout.“

As a nonprofit that has had hundreds of Black entrepreneurs complete our 10-week training program, The Academy, we have heard a lot of different pieces of advice on entrepreneurship.

Kayla’s perspective really stuck out to us.

We can’t wait to see what Kayla accomplished with The City Juicery. Make sure you watch her commercial by clicking below!

Connect with The City Juicery on Instagram!