Interview with Jolene Greene, Owner
In 2015, Jolene Greene and husband Ryan moved to Vermont from Louisiana so that Jolene could take a position as News Director for a local TV station. While Ryan was job searching, he spent a lot of time at the Essex Edge, working out and getting connected with the local fitness community. When he invited some of his new friends out for a post-workout smoothie, he was surprised to find this wasn’t an option in the area. This inspired Ryan to leave his former career as a motorcycle mechanic behind and open up Greene Mountain Nutrition & Smoothies.
Fast forward to 2019, and the Greene’s have not only a flourishing store and smoothie bar in Essex, but have added a mobile smoothie trailer and a second location in South Burlington as well. The stores were doing so well that Jolene left her career in local media and now manages a store full-time. On top of all that, the couple gave birth to their daughter Aria, the youngest Greene Mountain Smoothie employee, six months ago.
Greene Mountain Nutrition makes delicious, healthy smoothies, and also carries nutritional supplements like protein and pre-workout, protein snacks, vitamins, workout gear, and CBD products. The store is Vermont’s only independently-owned nutrition store, and carries many products and brands that can’t be found at the chain supplement stores. I was struck by the way Greene Mountain Nutrition & Smoothies really wanted to create a community and build relationships with their customers. Here is what one recent Facebook review had to say: “Place is just awesome. They have great products and the staff is knowledgeable. They are there to help you, not just sell you a bunch of products.” The Greene’s also offer a 10% discount on product for members of the military and law enforcement.
Jolene was excited to tell me about the 2019 Greene Mountain Nutrition Challenge. This is not a weight-loss challenge, but a chance for people to set their own health and fitness goals, work on those goals, receive added motivation, and potentially win great prizes at the end. Jolene said that her favorite part of the challenge is seeing the participants forming friendships and supporting one another. There is still time to take part, visit www.greenemountainnutrition.com/enter-to-win for details.
Greene Mountain Nutrition & Smoothies is located at 26 Susie Wilson Road in Essex, and has a second location at 1860 Williston Road in South Burlington. The store is open seven days a week. Find out their hours and follow the progress of Challenge contestants on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greenemountainnutrition/.
Why Essex? “We looked at retail space all around the area and kept coming back to Essex. It’s a perfect location for us. The people are supportive, there are fitness facilities nearby, and it’s a central location for the military.”
Why Essex? is a weekly(ish) column highlighting the people and places that make Essex an interesting and special place. Have an idea for the column? E-mail Darby Mayville at darby@essexjunction.org.
Photo Credits: Greene Mountain Nutrition & Smoothies