This is The Do It For Yourself Podcast.  Each week I sit down with someone who is doing it for themselves and chasing a dream they just couldn’t suppress.  This is often speakers, entrepreneurs, or athletes.  They all share one thing in common, they are overcoming challenges and never giving up.  Someone who is Doing It For Themselves is not selfish in their pursuit, they are simply chasing a dream or working towards a goal because it is something THEY want to do.  They are not forging down a path because society or someone is telling them it’s what they should be doing.

 

This week I had a chance to catch up with Dan Mckelvey of Raw Essential who is using a super fruit to create what can only be described as liquid gold.  Dan is the owner over at Raw Essential where they focus on creating wellness to assist individuals who are on a journey to taste wellness.  

 

Dan started his early life on a small farm with his family in upstate New York.  Oddly enough Dan left NY when he discovered how much money he could be making in the casino industry as a dealer.  This journey eventually took him out to Las Vegas where he was making some great money dealing blackjack to some pretty high rollers.  While out in Vegas Dan realized that the late nights partying and bad eating habits that come along with this lifestyle started to take a toll on his health.  Around this time, Dan found himself stumbling into a local juice bar and falling in love with the idea of juicing.  He quickly realized this new love came with a cost though.  Dan being the guy he is, he figured, why not just start making these juices instead of buying them every day and so he did.  

 

Dan's coworkers started to notice he was bringing these juices to work and they wanted to try them as well.  Before he knew it, Dan wasn't only bringing juice to work for himself but for his coworkers as well!  This is where it all began.  Dan took a leap of faith and bought a juice machine and before he knew it, he was renovating a property in Baltimore to open his first juice bar.  Dan ended up building this business to two locations in Baltimore before he was bought out by his partners.  

 

Dan then found himself back in Delaware and wondering what he was going to do next.  He knew he loved the juice bar and helping people get and stay healthy so he decided to launch his second business here, called Raw Essential.  

 

Dan is a big advocate for wellness being a journey, not a destination and he reiterates that in our interview here.  I really enjoyed sitting down with Dan to open up this book of his journey and I hope you enjoy the story as well.  

 

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