We recently connected with Javonne Sanders and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Javonne thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

One day I ass driving in my car, and I was asking myself what business I wanted to start. And at the time, I was craving a salad; with stuff like Kale , Arugula, onions and spinach, and as I was thinking about making this salad and what my business would be, I heard on the radio, “there’s a. huge epidemic of high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes that’s effecting the community”. And I said, ‘that’s what I’m going to do, see lord! I’m going to start a salad company. But I need a name that POPS, so that everyone in LA can know it”.

Moments later the song “Toss It Up” by Tupac came on and the opening verse answered me; “lord have mercy, father help us all, if you supply your phone number, I can’t help but call”.

And I said then, that I was going to Toss it up. I was going to Toss up the epidemics and toss up the food desert in South LA so my community could have a healthier option.

Javonne, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I was born and raised in South Los Angeles, I graduated from Crenshaw High School, and I have degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with a minor in Sociology from Cal State Dominguez.

My education didn’t get me into what I do, my passion to give back to my community and to the people I have been around my whole life did. I saw too many die from diabetes and high blood pressure, and I see an over saturation of fast unhealthy food. One day, I decided to be the change!

I founded Toss It Up over 7 years ago. For the first 3 years I did this by myself. I sold salads to my former coworkers at Gardena Transit, where I was a relief bus driver. They supported me when no one else knew I even existed.

After those 3 long and hard years, I met Matthew N. Crawford, my partner and my Chief Operations Officer. We met through salads. I put a post on Facebook asking people to buy. And he “slid in my DMS” asking what olives on put on my Greek salads. When I responded with Kalamata, he was excited. He came out to the very first Saladbowl Sunday pop-up on 2nd Ave and King Blvd and he hasn’t stopped coming since!

He donated the first Toss It Up website to me and shortly later, we became a couple. We also grew Toss It Up together to feeding thousands of Angelenos across the city and more across Southern California!

Now we are the Salad Dynamic Duo and we have touched so many with just lettuce, a vision, and lots of love.

I love what I do. And I encourage people to find something that they like, that’s effecting the community. And then solve the problem. That’s what I did. And not only did it bring me joy, it brought me a partner and it brought me growth.

If you are on the right path, things will come to you and help build you up.

Toss It Up is the first black owned salad company in California. I started something no one else who looks like me dared to do in this state before. And together with Matthew, we have made the Toss It Up logo stand for something. I’m proud of that.

Do something you, and our community can be proud of. Toss It Up does one thing and one thing well; we don’t just make salads. We make South LA healthy again!

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

My upbringing was very teaumatic and really engrained in me resiliency, but also lack of trust in men.

When I met Matthew, my Chief Operations Officer, he asked me if I needed help. He was the founder and CEO of his own marketing company and a truck driver at the time. He would come out on layovers to Saladbowl. Sunday and keep me company.

I was always taught that men only want one thing. And I thought this about Matthew too. So when he asked if I needed help, I just responded with the typical “strong woman” answer of “oh no, I don’t need any help, I got it.”.

When I got home with all the equipment to unload, I looked up at the stairs and said to myself “I could sure use some help.”

But just as soon as I finished that thought, I scolded myself and said “dummy! That man asked you if you needed help!” so I decided that if Matthew asked again id find him someway to help me.

And next Sunday, he came and he once again asked if I needed help. And I eagerly said yes.

I had to unlearn that every man is only out got one thing, and that some men do want to help. They can beleive in me too.

I am glad I unlearned that. Because I could then allow other men to give to my vision without judgment, without drama, and without past pain getting in the way.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Matthew handles all the social media and as a marketer, he has been a very valuable and pivotal part of Toss It Up’s growth.

I refused to give Matthew a marketing budget and he never complained. He started posting on Instagram and sharing to Facebook. From there, he’d share our daily posts to about 28 local Facebook groups. These had people living in various areas in and around the city of Los Angeles. He posted everyday for over 2 and a half years.

To date, Toss It Up has more than quintupled it’s total followers on Instagram, and nearly quadrupled its followers on Facebook.

The lesson here that marketing is very intentional and requires consistency. Don’t neglect your marketing.

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.tossitupinc.com
• Instagram: Tossitupsalad
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Tossitupinc?mibextid=ZbWKwL
• Threads: https://www.threads.net/@tossitupsalad