We recently connected with Charles Lovejoy and have shared our conversation below.

Charles, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. So, one thing many business owners consider is donating a percentage of sales or profits to an organization or cause. We’d love to hear your thoughts and the story behind how and why you chose the cause or organization you donate to.

Lovejoysbrand was founded by charitable principles. We started by bottling the mix and donating them to a Non-profit my mother founded. Her mission and ours is to help our community with housing insecurities and supporting our youth. We believe uplifting our communities starts with a solid foundation. A home.

We are a socially conscious family-owned and operated enterprise. We give back a percentage of our total revenue.
We have been averaging 5% of revenue given back over the last 4 years. Although we donate cash and products to many different charitable organizations, our most recent beneficiary is https://face2face.org/

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m Charles Lovejoy founder and CEO of Lovejoy’s Bloody Mary Mix Inc. I am a 28 year veteran of the hospitality industry. I’ve curated many cocktail programs throughout the Twin Cities. Lovejoy’s Bloody Mary Mix, Inc. (“LBMM”) is a socially conscious, Black-owned beverage and sauce company. We operate in a field where there are not many people of color. We are setting  out to create a recognizable brand of unique and exceptional products that serve businesses and consumers. 

LBMM products are award-winning and handmade in small batches. The recipes are the result of trial and error and listening to the feedback from countless patrons.

We use unique, fresh ingredients taking the traditional cocktail 

mixer and turning it on it’s head, making this a premium Bloody Mary experience. Our original mix features fresh Green Pepper, Strawberries and Tomatillos. 

Our Thai Basil mixer is Pho Soup inspired! We use fresh Thai basil, ginger and allspice to create a  completely original beverage. 

We also craft an amazingly addictive hot sauce called ;”Burn Yo Face”, that is made with among other ingredients Carolina Reaper peppers! Also a rim seasoning that is so versatile you’ll soon be using it in all your favorite dishes!

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

 This first question has plagued me since I started! Lol. I think the easiest way to put it is… I became a small business owner because I had beautiful examples of how entrepreneurship looked; how it operated. It was the putting of people before profits and mission before any ego-driven goals. 

My mother was a single mother of four for most of my upbringing. We had everything we needed, but times were still pretty tough. She managed to put herself through school BA, MA, (eventually an EDD) while raising children and working full-time. At first, her work simply paid the bills, but in 2000, my mother sobbed when she learned what homeless women with children did during the day when shelters were not yet open to them. By 2001, the crying had stopped! She founded and opened Ramsey County’s only day center for homeless families. All of her children grew up helping wherever we were needed. She was an entrepreneur! She provided services to people who needed them; 89% of her clients were Black. She was making the lives of Black people better. She is my inspiration. 

As I raised my own children and worked as a bartender, I knew there was more good that I

could be doing. I started looking for ways to help my mother, so I began thinking, what is my strength? How do I use it for good? I made a mean Bloody Mary! … The rest just fell into place. My sister (a serial entrepreneur) gave me seed money and assistance; we learned the business together. I recruited my wife, friends, and family to help me along the way. It has been a journey of love. I established my company as a Specific Benefit Company to ensure we have our mission of giving back to the Black community as the core of our model. I hope that I can inspire other entrepreneurs to do the same. 

How’d you meet your business partner?

Susanne is my big sister! We met 47 years ago. Susanne is a force of nature and a wonderful example of entrepreneurism. She is an inspiration to so many.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.lovejoysbrand.com
• Instagram: @lovejoysbrand
• Facebook: lovejoysbrand
• Linkedin: Charles Lovejoy