How I Made It What working on David Bowie’s yacht taught Boost founder Janine Allis
Nov 23, 2025
Janine Allis, the founder of Boost Juice and Retail Zoo, shares her remarkable journey from a small-town girl unsure of entrepreneurship to a successful business mogul. She reveals how working on David Bowie’s yacht taught her that everyone is just human. Janine discusses spotting a gap in the Australian market for fresh juices after being inspired by American smoothie bars. She candidly talks about overcoming setbacks, gender bias, and the importance of hard work, strategy, and persistence in her success.
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Yacht Job Led To A Confidence Shift
- Janine Allis got a head stewardess job in the south of France by bluffing experience and six weeks later David Bowie bought the yacht she worked on.
- Living with rock stars taught her that famous people are just people, which removed intimidation in business rooms.
From Failed Partnership To Boost Birth
- Janine and partners started a juice business (Sejuice) where she did almost all the setup work, but partners laughed when naming her as the manager.
- She and her husband walked away, bought the name Boost Juice and opened a new store in Adelaide from scratch.
Spot Market Gaps By Comparing Markets
- Janine saw American smoothie bars used syrups and artificial mixes, which revealed a gap for natural fruit-and-veg smoothies in Australia.
- She built Boost around fresh and frozen real produce to meet that undeveloped market demand.