AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) — WJBF NewsChannel 6’s Black Excellence 365 recognizes inspiring black individuals and organizations in the CSRA all year round. Recipients are honored with the Mary L. Jones Black Affirmation Award. This month, we honor Genessa Travis, the owner of Juice’s.

“I was scared because, you know, I had a son and I wanted to make sure he was taken care of,” Genessa Travis said.

Genessa Travis’ journey to entrepreneurship wasn’t always easy. Battling polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), she worked as a server while coping with insecurities from facial hair growth and dark spots. “So one day car broke down, had to ride with my friend, and left a makeup bag at home. I had to not work that day because I refused to work without makeup on,” she recalled.

Genessa launched her own product line, beginning with turmeric-based facial care remedies.
Inspired by the book, ‘The Clan of the Cave Bear,’ she uncovered the real-life power of plants and herbs. “I was like, oh, these plants are real,” she said laughing. “Let me see, because my mom had diabetes, that’s where the Yani product, well the vaginal products come from. So me, PCOS, lupus, him, my mama diabetes, there’s a lot of stuff going on.”

From her struggles emerged a passion … one she now shares through Juice’s Skincare.
Named after her son, she opened her first location in 20-20 on the one-year anniversary of her mother’s passing. “She was there. She wasn’t there the way I wanted her to be there, but she was there,” Genessa said.

The magic of the business lies not only in its handcrafted potions but in the transformative experiences it offers. “My customer Customers customers. I call them royalty squad. ’cause I think we all descended from royalties, so we should act as such,” she said.

Fit for royalty, Juice’s offers a curated selection of handcrafted skincare products, including hair care, lotions, body oils, soaps, and more. “I wanted to treat the type of pigmentation and slow down the hair growth on your face. But I wanted you to be able to use it on your child, too. So it had to be at a certain pH level. So I do the pH test to make sure it’s at a 4.5 for your skin.”

Her commitment to helping others extends beyond skincare. She’s involved in empowering women and couples and educating teenagers about their bodies through events like Y University. “So just trying to bridge it all together. We got good products. Now we’re gonna make sure we got a communication and we know what we’re doing with the products.”

Juices operates both at its physical store in Augusta and online, with plans for expansion to Atlanta and Charlotte. “I tell everybody, load your cart up. Come in here, let’s talk about it. If you can’t come in here, call me on the phone. Which they do a lot and make sure that you’re purchasing the right stuff.”

Because of her dedication to enhancing the lives of others, specifically through skincare education and empowerment, is why she’s honored with month’s Black Affirmation Award.