As I sat down with Jay Shetty, I immediately thought of his carefully designed studio where he’s curated heart-shaped objects to “open the heart” as he interviews some of the world’s highest achievers for his show, On Purpose. I expected to talk about what he learned as a monk, but instead what I discovered was a love story he told through sparkling tea.
“I was addicted to sugar,” Jay confessed, leaning forward with the same intensity he brings to discussing ancient wisdom. “And when I say addicted, I mean a chocolate bar, chocolate biscuit, chocolate yogurt, and chocolate ice cream nearly every day throughout college. Plus, a soda.”
Honestly – it was difficult for me to imagine Jay, who is often radiating health and mindfulness – as someone who couldn’t get through the day without multiple hits of sugar. To my surprise, that’s where this story began: a monk’s sweet tooth and a nutritionist’s patience.
When Jay met Radhi Devlukia, who would later become his wife, not only did he fall in love with her as a person, but also a new way of living. Radhi, an Ayurvedic enthusiast, noticed Jay’s sweet tooth was something deeper than an occasional craving.
“She really had to train me off of sugar and educate me on the dangers of sugar in my diet,” Jay explained, his tonality filled with gratitude. “But then when we were looking for alternatives, you couldn’t really find anything. You’d find things claiming to be healthy, but they were still packed with sugar and a bunch of other stuff.”
As our dialogue continued, I began to noticed something important about Jay’s approach about building Juni. This wasn’t another celebrity beverage play from someone with a massive following. This was the evolution of a philosophy he’d been living and teaching for a long time.
“I’ve done the education part,” he said with certainty. “I can talk about taking adaptogens and nootropics every day, but until I make it really easy for someone to do, they still have to build the discipline and habits.”
He paused, and I could see him processing the same realization that had led to Juni’s creation.
“I realize that’s hard to do when you walk into a supermarket. There’s just a million things available and everything’s screaming at you.”
This was Jay applying his “high standards, high grace” philosophy to business. The high standard: people deserve access to genuinely healthy options. The grace: recognizing that willpower alone isn’t enough when you’re surrounded by processed alternatives.
While Radhi played an instrumental role detoxing Jay from sugar – she also introduced him to a new vocabulary in nutrition and wellness. She brought an approach that would eventually become the foundation of Juni.
“Juni started as a way to modernize the rituals we grew up with, especially tea,” Radhi explained. “We wanted to honor those traditions while bringing something new and vibrant. That vision became the first sparkling adaptogenic tea with a quickly expanding retail footprint.”
Radhi and Jay wanted to create something that sparked joy and inspired connection. Each sip has their Super-5 blend as a mood boost, instead of the sugary drinks that can leave you feeling sluggish. The Super-5 Blend includes green tea or hibiscus tea plus lion’s mane, ashwagandha, reishi, and acerola cherry.
“Zero sugar, 5 calories, clean-label, and full of flavor,” she explained.
Jay was able to rattle off some of these benefits with the enthusiasm of someone who has experienced them first-hand.
“Ashwagandha for memory and endurance. Lion’s mane for stress and anxiety. Reishi mushroom to fight fatigue. Acerola cherry for vitamin C and antioxidants. Green tea for brain health and metabolism.”
Juni wasn’t developed from your typical market research, it was born from a personal need. And the overwhelming response has been something of a fairytale.
Juni achieved triple-digit year-over-year growth on Amazon, with nearly 60% new customers each month. Their repeat rate became “incredible”—Jay’s word, delivered with genuine surprise—with nearly half of customers making multiple purchases. Their recent Amazon Prime Day was 120% over the previous year and their second-best day in company history.
It was obvious that consumers were voting with their wallets. Interestlingly enough, this was also the validation of a cultural shift. The data showed customers actively searching for healthier functional beverages and non-alcoholic alternatives. The decaf line, which launched nationwide in Sprouts Farmers Market, particularly resonated with people seeking drinks without alcohol.
“The amount of times I’m in a restaurant and I’m like, ‘Hey, do you have anything on the menu that just doesn’t have sugar in it?’ And they don’t,” Jay said, shaking his head.
This is where it’s ideal to have a healthier alternative. It’s not about eliminating the need for self-discipline – it’s about having a good option when you’re constantly surrounded by bad ones.
“I just want people to have an option that means they don’t have to constantly compromise on their health when they’re out.”
As our interview came to a close, I realized that this wasn’t a blind product endorsement we often see celebrities make. For Jay and Radhi, it’s the perfect project to apply both of their wisdom at the intersection of ancient wisdom and modern convenience.
“Something shouldn’t taste bad to be good for you,” he said, “and something that tastes good shouldn’t be bad for you.”
Such a simple concept yet extremely difficult to execute on. It requires countless hours of iteration, refining and testing. Radhi’s expertise making functional ingredients has proved to be invaluable. It’s the kind of attention to detail that makes a good idea into a great product.
Click below to watch a clip of the interview with Jay Shetty: