Voyage Denver: Life and Work with Jessica Emich

So, before we jump into specific questions about what you do, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I am one of the triplet sisters. Together, we have walked an amazing journey of sisterhood, healing and business. We grew up in a big Italian family where food was the centerpiece of our lives. We came together in both highs and lows over food. Food has always signified connection for us.

The three of us pursued this passion of connection over food by going to UNLV for Hotel Restaurant Management. Throughout that time, we worked in a restaurant and in Hospitality both individually and at certain times, even together! We saw the power of us working together. We witnessed how each of our strengths in business played well together, and together we thrived.
After UNLV, Jill and I continued to pursue our passion for food by attending the California Culinary Academy in San Fransisco.

As I was living and working in San Fransisco, I quickly fell in love with the fast-paced and creative life of cooking in restaurants. I was hooked!

After school, the three of us decided to move to Boulder and open up our own restaurant called TRILOGY at the age of 24. This was quite the undertaking. The learning curve was HUGE! The space was big. We had a farm to table style restaurant as well as a music and events venue. It quickly became a Boulder hotspot.

We had this restaurant for about 10 years. During this time, I was running the kitchen and working pretty much day and night. I was dedicated to using local food which was not quite as accessible then as it is now. I was back and forth to various farms and I had farmers pulling up in pick up trucks after the farmers markets. I was clear, the only way I wanted to do this business was if it served the community on every level.

During this time, I also started noticing more and more people coming in with food sensitivities and allergies. As a head chef, I felt the need to really understand what was safe and how to accommodate. This was part of the way I wanted to serve the community. It was important to be the food was healthy, healing and delicious.
I decided to get my Masters Degree in Holistic Nutrition.

Getting my degree led to a deepening of my passion for food and how healing it can be. It stoked my desire to be a teacher and advocate for food that heals from the inside out.

At about this time, we had decided to sell Trilogy. It had run its course and we decided to sell while things were still going well. We were ready for a life change. During this time, I taught at Bauman College. I taught Holistic Nutrition and Chef Instruction. I also got married and had my first child, Sofie. Soon to follow was her sister, Amelie

I enjoyed the space from the restaurant, but there was also bubbling up for myself as well as my sisters to create a new space that aligned with who we were at that time. We created SHINE Restaurant. SHINE was about shining from the inside out. The food continues to be local. It also has more of a health-driven mission. We call it Nutritionally Inspired Comfort Food. We also launched our Potions. The intention behind the potions is to have a delicious healthful beverage that also has energetics as part of the experience. With my degree in Nutrition, I had studied herbs extensively and created formulas for each potion using potent herb combinations and organic juices along with, flower essences, gem essences and even sound to attune each beverage to a specific function. They are playful and delicious and they were very well received. SHINE Potions was taking off. It was at this time that we decided to bottle them and sell them at grocery stores.

My passion for serving the community is stronger than ever. Being a mom, entrepreneur and nutritionist has given me a strong foundation and understanding of food and beverage and the role it plays in our lives. My sisters and I are continuing our journey to have SHINE Potions, as well as SHINE Restaurant and Potion Bar, be a vehicle for bringing the community together and feed people food a beverage that is healing, healthful and delicious.

We believe the world more than ever needs connection and community to thrive.

Read the full article on Voyage Denver, originally published November 25, 2019.

From our humble hearts…

We are Jill & Jessica – the Shine Sisters – your guides to living your shine every day.

With our 40+ years combined experience in certified dance, yoga, reiki and nutrition ~ we are here to build community, empower from within and help you live your best life!