In honor of Black Business Month, ESSENCE continues thoughtful conversations with changemakers charting their own course as entrepreneurs. Next up is Beverly Beal Jr. who has a resume as unique as her name. Born and raised in the 313, Beal graduated from Clark Atlanta University before obtaining her Juris Doctor nearby at John Marshall Law School. She is the founder of The Law Office of Beverly Beal where she guides creators, influencers, and brand owners through trademark strategy, contract negotiation, and intellectual property protection.

Driven by her personal wellness journey, the proud Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. member founded Fine Line Non-Alcoholic Spirits. It is now Detroit’s premier prebiotic-infused zero-proof spirit brand. “Fine Line sits at the intersection of luxury hospitality, gut health, and modern gathering. The brand delivers sophisticated botanical flavor profiles without alcohol, excess sugar, or digestive disruption,” explains Beal.

Deeply committed to economic empowerment in her hometown, Beal also co-founded Brew-ti-ful Coffee House with her beloved mother. Brew-ti-ful serves as a vibrant and safe space in the very community where her mother operated childcare centers for decades. In addition, Beal established GiftBiz, a nonprofit initiative providing emerging entrepreneurs with legal resources.

We managed to squeeze a moment of free time from the busy mogul in the making to find out who inspired her fearlessness as a founder, what it is like to run a business with her mother and her advice for aspiring business owners.

ESSENCE: You are truly a serial entrepreneur — you’re an IP attorney, you own a coffee shop with your mother, Brew-ti-ful and you’re the founder of a mocktail brand, Fine Line!
BEVERLY BEAL JR.: Running multiple businesses isn’t about constantly being busy or living in chaos. For me, it’s all about having good systems, clear priorities, and surrounding myself with great people and a great team. 

I wouldn’t call it journaling, but every night I do a complete mind dump. I write down everything I accomplished that day and everything I need to tackle tomorrow. It helps me clear my head before bed, and in the morning it’s the first thing I look at, right after checking my investment portfolios, bank accounts, and seeing what the stock market is doing.

I’ve also learned that you can’t do everything yourself. Whether it’s Brew-ti-ful, Fine Line, or my law practice, I invest in strong teams, trust the people around me, and build systems that allow each business to keep moving forward.

ESSENCE: Who inspired your drive and gumption?
BEAL: I will always scream from the rooftops, is that my mother is and always will be my biggest inspiration. Watching her own and operate childcare centers in Detroit taught me what genuine entrepreneurship looks like long before I entered law school. She built a thriving business, created a safe haven for local families, and invested in a loyal staff that cared for the community just as deeply as she did. She modeled resilience, heart, and leadership every single day.

ESSENCE: As an attorney, you seem to have a creative spirit.
BEAL: I completely agree with that observation. People often place law and creativity into separate boxes, assuming law is purely analytical and creativity is entirely unstructured. In reality, effective legal strategy requires immense creative problem-solving.

While living in Atlanta, I ran a fashion and lifestyle blog. Being surrounded by brilliant influencers and designers showed me that many creators were building massive brands without knowing how to safeguard their work. My legal background became a bridge to connect with fellow creatives and build genuine friendships. I loved being the person who understood their artistic vision while making sure they owned their intellectual property.

ESSENCE: Tell us how you came to launch Brew-ti-ful with your mother.
BEAL: The funny part is that neither my mom nor I actually drink coffee. We are tea and matcha lovers through and through. But my mother noticed elders and working neighbors walking to local gas stations just for a cup of coffee and a moment of human connection. She recognized that our neighborhood deserved a true gathering space.

We have a shared desire to pour back into the Detroit community that raised me, even though we had to learn the coffee industry from scratch! My mom recognized that our neighborhood lacked a clean, welcoming space where neighbors, remote workers, students, and elders could sit together and fellowship. We didn’t want our community to have to leave their own neighborhood to experience a high-quality coffee house. Brew-ti-ful Coffee House was built to prove that urban neighborhoods deserve beautiful, inspiring gathering spaces that celebrate local culture.

ESSENCE: Beautiful. Now, tell us how your mocktail brand Fine-Line came about.
BEAL: Fine Line was born at the intersection of my personal health transformation and a glaring market gap. When I chose to cut back on alcohol during social outings and networking events, I was disappointed by the non-alcoholic options available. They were almost always sugary sodas, artificial juices, or basic sparkling waters. I wanted an elevated, botanical drink that matched the sophistication of a luxury cocktail without the hangover, sugar crash, or disruption to my gut health.

When I couldn’t find it, I decided to build it. Fine Line is Detroit’s first prebiotic-infused zero-proof spirit line. It bridges the gap between luxury social rituals and functional wellness, giving health-conscious consumers and mindful drinkers a sophisticated option.

ESSENCE: When you’re not working (which is likely rare), what do enjoy doing?
BEAL: I love staying active and spending quality time with my family and my dog, Biggie. Golf and tennis are two of my favorite ways to unwind, and I’m a bit of a wellness enthusiast, always interested in trying new ways to stay healthy and perform at my best. Whether it’s Pilates, cold plunges, red light therapy, or a good sauna session, I’m always exploring habits that help me stay energized, focused, and sharp. I also love traveling, as it gives me the chance to recharge, gain new perspectives, and come back feeling inspired.

ESSENCE: Share your advice for emerging small business owners.
BEAL: Too many brilliant founders, especially Black women, pour their hearts, savings, and creativity into their brands, and rush to launch on social media before securing their trademarks, domain names, and foundational contracts. As an IP attorney, I see it constantly: a brand goes viral, and suddenly someone else registers their name or copies their product.

Protecting your brand name, trade secrets, and corporate structure from day one is how you build true enterprise value and generational wealth. Don’t just build a trendy brand; build protectable assets that investors can evaluate and buy into.

You don’t have to shrink yourself or choose between your passions. You can be an analytical attorney, a community cafe founder pouring into Detroit (even if you drink tea!), and an innovative beverage founder leading a national wellness movement all at once.

When you align your ventures with your genuine purpose, everything feeds into a larger ecosystem of impact. Most importantly, you cannot do it alone. Be bold in your vision, protect what you build, and surround yourself with a village that elevates your story to the world.