Today we’d like to introduce you to Destiny Melton.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Playing Special Foundation: This journey started on January 8th, 2013 when my mother gave birth to my twin baby brothers Damani & Damauri. My mother was going through things that neither of her other three children had any idea about. She gave birth to a baby boy who she was informed had been diagnosed with Down syndrome.
Later we found out that she had been dealing with this, going to therapy, trying to wrap her mind around caring for a child with special needs. She knows she’s an amazing mother, and she is, but she needed to make sure she was ready, willing, & able to give this child everything he needed. Once my mother told me about this the way my heart & brain work I’m just all in.
I began to educate myself on it & ways that me & my family could embrace our new journey with Damani. My entire family are athletes. I played ball at the college level, & still, currently play in the women’s drew league and Basketball Beauties, My mother played, my sister played, my little brother, is currently in the NBA. So it’s in our blood.
With that being said, Damani’s twin brother Damauri is already ready for the big leagues. I wanted to create a world where Damani can also show off his talents to the game. He loves it so much. So I created playing special to not only give back to our youth but to teach the love and passion that me and my family have for sports to children with special needs. Damani is the happiest kid of earth, and with just a smile he brings so much life. We want to share that with the world.
Cafe Ital Juices: This journey began in summer of 2016 when I decided to take my life and my health back. I had reached my largest weight of 280pounds. I was unhealthy, was always having shortness of breath, and couldn’t even play the game I loved like I used to.
So I decided for once I’m going t believe in me & it’s not just about the weight it’s about my health. I’m going to take better care of myself. I began on my journey which was a full year of the hardest work I’ve ever done. I had also just met the man who would later become my boyfriend, Jahwarn, & he was with me the entire way.
Through my year, I lost up to 115pounds by him helping introduce me to juicing. It not only helped with my weight loss but helped with his eczema and from then forth we started Cafe Ital Juices to change the lives around us. We plan to take our juices to the youth to get them implemented in schools, & work to change the health of our peers.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Started anything is always hard. Everyone doesn’t support and the world we live in today; sometimes it’s hard to get the funding you need as well.
I lost my job in March of 2018 went the whole rest of that year with no job trying to get businesses off the ground. It makes you question what you’re doing and how you’re going to get it done. Not to mention paying rent & bills.
Losing my job was the hardest yet the best thrilling that could’ve happened to me. It made me grind harder than I ever have. Because if I didn’t move my money or my dreams wouldn’t.
Please tell us about Playing Special Foundation & Cafe Ital Juices.
Playing Special Foundation is a foundation that provides Basketball Clinics to children special needs. We also work to give back to any family that may need help.
Recently, we surprised a 17-year kid named Luke tucker to a Phoenix Suns game to meet his favorite player of all time, Devin Booker. That was our hands down biggest and most proud moment. Being able to pull that off meant the world to me. We were featured with TMZ, House of Hoops, and Channel 12 news in PHX.
Cafe Ital Juices is a company that provides fresh pressed Juices, smoothies, & lemonades to our local communities. For our sweetener in our lemonade, we use agave, so there is no added sugars at all stop our juices or smoothies besides the natural sugars that the fruit provides. Everything is organic. We make them custom to every customer. We also deliver.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
Never. The journey made me appreciate where I am and what my businesses are today.
Pricing:
- 8oz $5 , 16oz $10, 32oz $20; Cafe Ital Juices
Contact Info:
- Phone: 8184155474
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @cafeitaljuices // @playingspecialfoundation
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