Meet the maker: James Long
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Photos: Courtesy of James Long
Welcome to Meet the Maker, a series dedicated to shining a spotlight on local creators of all kinds.
Meet James Long, an Indianapolis juice maker whose passion to live a healthier life blossomed into a business that helps other Hoosiers do the same.
The inspo: Long told Axios his journey to officially launching The Live Project in 2020 began with a trip to the doctor in 2016 where he learned he was pre-diabetic and suffering from high blood pressure.
- Expecting to be placed on a strict pill regimen at the end of the visit, his doctor instead suggested that he try juicing to bring his health issues under control.
- "After he told me that I put together my first drink which is our flagship drink called 'The Fountain of Youth.' It's got kale, cucumber, spinach, green apples, pineapples, lemon, ginger and orange juice."
Zoom in: Long said he was a special needs educator at the time, and his students actually played a major role in getting the taste of his first drink just right.
- The students also encouraged him to try selling the drink to others, so Long started by selling juice out of the trunk of his car.
- Today the business features five flavors, is a fixture at a number of local farmers markets and runs on the motto: "Live today so you can live tomorrow."
Fun fact: Long said juicing also resulted in him losing 40 pounds.
What he's making now: A stop at a farmers market near you. The Live Project participates in The Original Farmers Market on Wednesdays, the Fort Ben Farmers Market on Thursdays and the Carmel Farmers Market on Saturdays.
- The Live Project also delivers.
Check him out: On The Live Project's website.
Do you know a maker we should meet? Tell us about them at [email protected].