Business Owner, Helpers in our Community
Julie Khanna
Shawn Woods / August 6, 2020
Meet Julie Khanna! Her list of contributions to our community is a mile long. She sits on the advisory boards for 2 nonprofits benefiting children and families in Palm Beach County – Community Partners and Camelot Community Care. Not only does she volunteer a significant portion of her time to causes she is passionate about, but she is also a business owner, and mom to 3 bright, independent & entrepreneurial children. Her business, Khanna Connections, LLC, helps professionals and small business industries with brand expansion, strategic marketing, and social media. As a former registered nurse and wife to a Physician, she has a niche in the health and wellness markets but she is not exclusive. She is a brilliant connector of people and generous with her time and her knowledge and seems to know just about everyone. Her talents make her the perfect person to connect small businesses with all of the right people!
Julie has 3 amazing children and believes in fostering the next generation of business owners and, especially, the independence of a female enabling them to stand on their own 2 feet. Her eldest daughter is 17, is a licensed business owner and owns L Khanna Productions, a full videography, and social media agency. She works with several non-profits and private businesses as well. She just graduated from Dreyfoos School of the Arts. Her son is a student at Bok Middle School and is a communications major. He uses his technology and training to do videography for the family businesses and builds their websites. Her youngest child, Devi, owns Devi Masala, a homemade, handcrafted spice blend business. She started the business at age 9 has 3 spices and a line of aprons. She has sold in 4 countries all with online sales and minimal promotions. She earns a nice steady income this way and outsources a lot of the work to her brother and sister. They are both stakeholders in the Devi Masala business and help with videography, promotion, and social media. Mom is hands-off but taught them at an early age if they want to generate an income, they have to work. The saying in the house is “Only work on the days you want to make money.” Before they go out into the world, Mom makes sure they know how to introduce themselves properly, hold a conversation properly, and network themselves properly. The Khanna household is full of motivation, inspiration, and implementation.
As you can probably now see, Julie is a powerhouse! She throws her time, talent, and intellectual resources behind worthy causes. She truly believes in her kids, the grassroots efforts of the organizations she supports, and chose them specifically because she feels her skillset can bring them the most benefit. She is driven by her heart and looks for ways to make the biggest impact in our world.
Thank you, Julie, for taking the time to chat with us and share your inspiration and insights into what makes The Palm Beaches a special place to live.
Q: What inspired you or led you to your current career?
A: “I was actually an Oncology nurse. I have a B.S. in Nursing and oncology is my absolute passion. I think that the general persona of oncology nurses is so strong. They are good innate advocates and I feel that they will weed out the bad ones. So, I feel there are no bad oncology nurses because you have to truly walk in what’s best for your patients. I loved it. But, I did get pregnant. My husband at the time was a Physician and he said, ‘no way you’re working around chemo.” So, I went home, finished my pregnancy, with the intention of going back to work. I got pregnant again and then committed myself to be a stay at home mom for a few years. That’s where my business took shape because I did what I normally do and gave 100% of my support to my family. That included helping to grow my husband’s practice. We were a little bit new in the western communities and the traction just wasn’t there. So I got out there and I started hustling. I found every opportunity for him to grow or to be highlighted or to be recognized. And in the end, here we are now, we have a great relationship because we still believe in each other’s accolades and we pour that into the kids. I am still one of his biggest cheerleaders. Other people recognized what I was doing for him and from that, my company was born. He is an infectious disease physician so he has been very busy lately.”
Q: What is your favorite restaurant in Palm Beaches, and what do you love there?
A: “My favorite is Indus. Well, actually my favorite is my house first. Indus Indian and Herbal Cuisine on Palm Beach Lakes. They have a great buffet there. The owner, Jacob Lawrence, if ever you’re unsure, will come right to your table and will give suggestions based upon what you’re preferences are. They have a tandoori oven there, too.”
Q: How long have you lived or worked in Palm Beaches?
A: “I got here in 1987 at the age of 4 so I have literally grown up here.”
Q: What are your goals?
A: “My family is always first, I need to make sure that they stay on track and maintain momentum and growth. Professionally, I hire stay at home moms to help with the remote work. I think it fosters a network of commerce, we keep it within ourselves and we grow that way. I’d like to grow and expand. I’m always looking for new clients because I have a team to support that.”
Q: Who is the most interesting person you’ve met here in Palm Beaches?
A: “Vanilla Ice. He is incredibly interesting in the sense that he is dichotomic. He has such an interesting, exciting, fast, & fun type of life. I was across the street from 2 sites that he developed while he was filming for his TV show, The Vanilla Ice Project. You never knew what you were going to see next. It could be a crane coming by one day or another celebrity the next. It seems to me like he still stops to smell the roses. He always had a hello to say to my kids. If something super wild was about to happen he would call the kids over to watch. He never drove past one of their lemonade stands without stopping for a glass of lemonade. As a parent, that is a way to communicate to me that you love my kids and that gives me the highest respect for you. He never seems to lose sight of himself.”
Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would it be? And why?
A: “I would go to Spain. I’ve never been there and we have a rich family history there. I just love the language and I would love to solidify my learning of Spanish.”
Q: What is your favorite movie OR what is the first movie you remember seeing in a theatre?
A: “My all-time favorite movie is Out of Sight with Jennifer Lopez and George Clooney. Parts of it were actually filmed in Miami and Belle Glade. Is is an old movie but it’s great.”
Q: What advice would you give a crowd of people?
A: “My advice would be that if you’re not helping, you’re hurting. Everybody has something to give. It doesn’t have to be money. It can be your time, your knowledge, your resources, your network, your advice, or your mentorship. But if you’re not helping, you’re hurting. Silence is an answer!”
Q: What is something on your bucket list?
A: “I’d like to conquer my fear of roller coasters because I’m sure I totally like them. If I would actually get on one I would probably like it.”
Q: What is your favorite music/ 3 bands you would like to see (dead or alive)?
A: “I’m very expansive here. Garth Brooks is my all-time favorite. I got to see him once after his retirement but I’d love to see him again. Tupac because I think he is a phenomenal lyricist. He is a true poet. And Sublime, I love their music.”
Q: What current/former local business makes you the most nostalgic about Palm Beaches?
A: “The Palace! It was a roller skating rink in Central Palm Beach County that we grew up in on the weekends. Towards the end of the night, they clear the rink and it would become a total dance party with house music. That was the place to be.”
Q: Choosing anyone alive and a non-relative with whom would you love to have lunch? Why and where would you have lunch?
A: “Dr. Shefali Tsabary. She’s my icon. She’s a motivational speaker & very intuitive. She reminds me of Wayne Dyer. She’s very insightful and amazing. I will take her to Indus because she’s Indian.”
Q: What is your favorite thing or something unique about Palm Beaches?
A: “Definitely the diversity. You don’t have to go far to find your village. That has changed exponentially over the years.”
Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 or 10 years?
A: “In 7 years, I’ll be an empty nester at the age of 43. I have been a parent all of my adult years. I would like to believe that I will have a more balanced life of work, play, and rest. I’d like to be teaching some of these industry standards to other professionals and of always continuing to grow my team and further my reach. I definitely see myself moving towards a more online platform in the future.”
Q: (Even for friends or family), what is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
A: “Most people don’t know that I actually jump in my car and drive down to FAU occasionally a few times a week. I take executive education classes at the College of Business on the FAU campus. I’m always learning and I believe in being a forever student. Usually, they’re 9+ weeks series and surprisingly I find myself in the company of people about my age. It’s very relevant and current industry knowledge.”
Q: What 3 words or phrases come to mind when you think of the word HOME?
A: “Peace, Sacred, and Safety.”
Q: If you had a full-time staff member that was fully paid for, who would you choose? Chef, Housekeeper, Driver, Coach, Physical Fitness Trainer, or Nanny?
A: “Totally a driver! I’m a multi-tasker and driving is an inconvenience because I have to make myself unavailable.”
Q: If you were cast into a major motion picture and had your choice of anyone to be your co-star, who would you choose?
A: “Madea because I can’t get enough of her. She’s my all-time favorite character, ever. She’s Tyler Perry’s most famous character. He is a genius.”
