Just Date. Sells organic sweeteners made from real fruits. Business based in San Francisco.
The Journey
Share the story of how your business started. How did the idea come about? What goals did you set to accomplish?
Working as a doctor at UCSF, I was constantly seeing how chronic illnesses like diabetes, heart disease, and liver disease were rooted in the foods we eat, specifically refined sugar. My dad also struggled with diabetes most of his life, leading to three heart attacks, one of which almost took his life. I started to think about what my patients and dad needed to truly kick their sugar habit — a better-for-you sweetener that was really delicious and didn’t feel like a sacrifice. I looked to dates, which are incredibly nutrient-dense, rich in antioxidants and packed with fiber, while still being truly sweet and tasty. I grew up eating dates — my mom always used them to sweeten our Indian chutneys. Now I love using our date syrup in coffee and tea, and our date sugar for baking, and our pomegranate syrup is amazing in both savory and sweet recipes that my kids, parents and friends all love. My goal is for everyone to enjoy the sweetness they crave in a safe and nourishing way.
What does success mean to you? Have you achieved the goals you envisioned?
To me, when I started, even getting a few people to change over to a low sugar lifestyle would have been a huge win. Today, hundreds of thousands of people are using Just Date products – something I never could have imagined. It takes extremely hard work and commitment, but the messages and testimonials we receive that Just Date has truly changed people’s lives for the better is the inspiration to keep going.
The Business
What does your business offer and to whom? What problem is your business trying to solve?
Just Date offers nutrient-dense sweeteners made from real fruit so people everywhere can enjoy sweetness and feel great about it. Just Date isn’t about sacrificing the sweetness we all love and crave – it’s about experiencing amazing flavor that happens to be better for us. It’s meant for people who are already experiencing the damaging effects of sugar, for people who want to prevent the repercussions of a diet high in sugar, and for people who want to know exactly what they are putting in their bodies. The sugar and sweetener space is complex and confusing. So we’re giving people the opportunity to make delicious things that are sweetened with real fruit (no additives, no preservatives, nothing made in a lab). For many people, eating less sugar feels daunting, since sugar is everywhere. With Just Date, we’re making a lifestyle low in sugar approachable. This can be even more nourishing and abundant than people have ever imagined. A lifestyle where you get to eat sweets, that are actually good for you, every day! Just Date can help everyone along in the journey to eating less sugar, even making one tiny swap (for example a sweetened yogurt to a plain yogurt with a teaspoon of our Date Syrup) goes a long way.
Additional Insights and Advice
What are some essential qualities of a good entrepreneur/business owner?
A good entrepreneur needs to be able to leave their ego at the door and do what’s best for the business! I was a very committed CEO for the first five years of my business, but as the business was growing and scaling, I kept coming back to the adage commonly shared in business: “the right person to get it here isn’t necessarily the right person to get it there.” I was definitely the right person to take Just Date from zero to 100. And for me, “there” was the next stage of the business, taking it to 1000: growing it to more doors but also gaining more customers. I looked to an old friend with experience in marketing for global brands and convinced her to come on board Just Date as our new CEO! My best friend and now business partner, Samantha Abramson, is taking Just Date to new heights!