Today we’d like to introduce you to Joshua Willingham.
Joshua, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I spent 20 years of my career in the banking industry. The majority of this time was spent in management, most recently as an Executive Director managing a few hundred employees in numerous locations. It was early in my career in banking that, I caught the entrepreneurial bug and knew that one day I would own my own business.
Over the years, my wife and I considered many different businesses and concepts never finding anything we believed would be both something we could be passionate about long term and financially successful. Then a few years ago, I made a change in the way I approached my health as I was dealing with high blood pressure, high cholesterol and family history of heart disease that quite frankly, scared me.
As I started this health journey, I learned a person’s diet was every bit as (if not more) important as physical activity. It was through this journey to a healthy diet that we discovered Vitality Bowls. Vitality Bowls fits perfectly into our entrepreneurial passion and a healthy lifestyle.
We opened our location in Frisco 6 months ago and have been quickly embraced by the local community. Frisco (and I believe, many communities) was starved for a truly healthy option.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It has not always been a smooth road. Owning your own business is not easy. In fact, it is a lot of hard work, juggling numerous tasks. Your ability to both prioritize and execute timely are extremely important. One of the biggest struggles along the way is not knowing what you don’t know. There were numerous times as we were preparing to open the business that I encountered an obstacle which I had no knowledge of nor had the network to help support me. Whether it was working with the city on inspections and permits, partnering with general and sub contractors or securing all of the different types of insurance required; there were a number of struggles along the way.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Vitality Bowls is a superfood cafe offering acai bowls, fresh juices, smoothies, panini, salads and coffee. We specialize in acai bowls – acai is an antioxidant-rich berry from the Amazon that we use as a base for most of the bowls (other bases include vitamin-packed pitaya, graviola and acerola). The smoothie-like blend is then topped with granola and other superfoods like bee pollen, cacao nibs, gogi berries… etc.
What we are most proud of is that all of the cafe’s items are made with no fillers, all fresh ingredients — made to order in an allergy-free kitchen. We are a truly healthy option for our community.
The business is a franchise that originated in Southern California by Roy and Tara Gilad with more than 45 locations across the country
What were you like growing up?
I was always driven to excel in anything that I did and that started with school. From the beginning through high school, I was focused on doing the best I could in school. Learning always came easy to me and I enjoyed problem solving, especially those involving numbers. It was during this time that I started to realize I needed a constant challenge in my life to stay fully engaged and to enjoy what I am doing. In high school, I worked 30-40 hours a week while finishing as valedictorian.
I also had a passion for sports at an early age with football being my top interest. I played football from elementary through high school. This passion for football has led to being a lifelong fan of the University of Oklahoma football team. In fact, I saved my money in high school to buy my first season tickets to OU football tickets which I have renewed each year since I was 16. My passion for football grew into other sports and has made sports a part of my everyday life in one form or another.
After high school, I attended the University of Oklahoma as a finance major. I began my career in banking while attending college, working full time. I received my BBA in Finance and continued my career in banking.
Contact Info:
- Address: 5105 Eldorado Parkway Suite 160
Frisco, TX 75033 - Website: https://vitalitybowls.com/locations/frisco
- Phone: 972-987-5144
- Email: frisco@vitalitybowls.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vitalitybowls
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/VitalityBowlsFrisco/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/vitalitybowls
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/vitality-bowls-frisco
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
