Stephanie Wageman is no stranger to hard work and community connection. As a mom of four and owner of a unique Auntie Anne’s + Jamba Juice co-branded location in East Lansing, she weaves together her passion for family, food, and service in everything she does. In this feature, we’ll dive into how Stephanie found her path into the business, what running a co-branded store looks like, and how she balances entrepreneurship with motherhood. Plus a peek at her seasonal favorites and what she’s most excited about this fall.
Welcome to Great Lansing Area Moms, Stephanie! We are glad you are here!
Hi! I’m Stephanie. I grew up in Haslett and where I currently reside with my husband Matt and our 4 kids. Other than an 8 year stint in Champaign, Illinois, where I went to college at the University of Illinois and started my career, I have loved being a part of the community in Haslett and the Greater Lansing area!
How old are your children?
I have 4 boys ages 14, 12, 10 and 7 years old.
What do you think is one of the best parts about being a mom?
There are so many amazing things about being a mom, but my absolute favorite part is getting to know who each of my kids are; and finding ways to bond with them doing what they love! I love how different each of my boys are. I also love watching and nurturing the relationships they have with each other!
What is a piece of advice for new moms you wish you would have known when you were a new mom?
“Don’t sweat the small stuff!” I am sure my mom told me this a few times and I wish I would have listened and not worried quite so much about the little things. Each of my kids did things differently and on different time lines: food, sleep, play, learning, and other developmental skills. Now, I try to just enjoy the journey, soak up the moments, learn more about them and how I can best be there for them.
Of course, it’s still hard not to worry, but I always want to choose “present over perfect!”
Would you mind sharing a mom trick another mom will be happy to learn?
I always love learning new mom hacks! One simple and silly one I learned way too late for my littles was to pull off the white backing on a sticker sheet for easier access to stickers for little hands.
For our large family of all boys, I have also found a sock hack that works great for us… we have all our boy’s socks in the mud/ laundry room in two baskets (one clean & one dirty). They can throw all the dirty socks in that basket, and I’ll wash a load of them whenever needed and just throw them in the clean bin. It makes my sock laundry so much easier!
As the leaves change and the air gets crisp, is there anything you’re especially excited about this fall?”
This fall, I am looking forward to a golf trip with my dad, brother and oldest son to Sand Valley Golf Club in Wisconsin. We all share a love of golf and this will be such an awesome experience at a beautiful place and with some of my favorite people!
Our family also loves fall and some of our favorite traditions of visiting Country Mill Orchards in Charlotte picking apples and a visit to Barkham Creek Farms for Pumpkins, donuts & cider!
Please tell us more about Auntie Anne’s and Jamba Juice!
Auntie Anne’s is known for their delicious homemade pretzels and Jamba is known for their nutritious and delicious smoothies and bowls! Jamba has been well known on the West Coast for a while, and is starting to move to the midwest! One thing many people don’t know about Jamba is that we offer a free boost of protein, vitamins, or energy of your choice with every smoothie! The companies have joined forces and we now have this co-brand location where we can offer both products in one store! We love brightening our guest’s day with great snacks!
How did you become involved with this business?
My mom started the Auntie Anne’s locations in the Lansing Mall and Meridian Mall 29 and 25 years ago, so I grew up with the amazing pretzels and learning about the business. In 2022 I joined my mom in business and in 2024 we purchased the co-brand location in East Lansing.
What are a few of the most popular items on the menu?
Our Original pretzel nuggets are the most popular pretzel, followed by cinnamon sugar. Our most popular smoothies include the Mango A-go-go and Strawberry Wild, as well as our Acai Smoothie Bowl.
Any new flavors or items coming soon?
Both Auntie Anne’s and Jamba have limited time offers multiple times a year! Currently Auntie Anne’s is trying “Flavor Blst Nuggets,” with Sour Cream & Onion or Honey Mustard seasoning. Jamba has monthly mystery smoothies, with a new smoothie to try each month! You can jump on the website or app to find out what each month’s new smoothie flavor is!
What’s one thing you hope your kids learn from watching you run a business?
I hope my kids learn that hard work and perseverance pay off when it comes to accomplishing their goals. I hope they learn how important it is to serve others and care for people both on your team and in the community we serve.
I hope that by watching us go for our goals, they learn to set and go for their own goals, even when it means taking a risk and facing challenges along the way!
How do you balance – or integrate – being a mom and owning a business with multiple locations?
First, through an amazing community and teamwork! I am so thankful for my team members at the stores who work hard when I am not there to provide our community with a great snacking experience. I also have a great group of moms around me that I can lean on to help when I may need to be working or with individual kids.
I try to be helpful when I can as well; I have embraced the “it takes a village to raise a child” mindset and am thankful for the one we are surrounded by! I also know that I can’t do everything: there are some seasons in our business where I have more time to volunteer and others where I can’t quite as much. I have learned to be flexible with what I can commit to in different seasons, and work towards moving in the direction I’d like to go if it’s not in the balance I’d prefer at that time.
Are there another local business or mom-owned business you admire?
I am blessed to call the momprenuers at Flex Fitness in Lansing and Barre3 in East Lansing friends. These are both great fitness studios for women and mom’s!
Here are a couple of this or that questions to get to know you better 🙂
Early riser or night owl? Early Riser
Book or eBook? – and what’s the last book you read? A book and “Part of Your World” by Abby JImenez
Netflix or Hulu or Max? Netflix – Virgin River is a current favorite of mine
Meal prep or takeout? Meal Prep – with 4 active boys we do a lot of crock pot meals!
Screen time limits or go-with-the-flow? We try to keep off screens as much as possible during the school week unless it’s for school work or communication. Friday nights are movie nights, and weekends are much more flexible.
Carpool queen or solo chauffeur? Carpool for sure!
Pancakes or waffles on weekend mornings? Pancakes
What’s your favorite Greater Lansing-area place to spend time as a family? Pinball Pete’s indoors or Meridian Sun Golf Club outdoors.
Stephanie’s journey reminds us that blending passion, purpose, and motherhood isn’t always easy but it’s always worth it. From satisfying cravings with pretzels and smoothies to raising four boys who watch her hustle, she’s creating something meaningful in our local community.
If you haven’t already, drop by her Auntie Anne’s + Jamba Juice in Downtown East Lansing, try one of her favorite menu picks, and show some love to a fellow mom doing great things here in Greater Lansing.
Stay tuned for more “Meet a Mom” features! There are many more inspiring stories in our community waiting to be told.
Do you have any suggestions for those headed to Auntie Anne’s and Jamba?
Our Auntie Anne’s and Jamba apps are great tools to earn rewards and discounts! When you sign up for the Auntie Anne’s rewards app you can get a free pretzel with your first purchase. Sign up for Jamba and get ½ off your first smoothie!
And visit Freshly Baked Soft Pretzels: Auntie Anne’s Pretzels and Welcome to Jamba to learn more about both!
Viist Auntie Anne’s online here: auntieannes.com/
Auntie Anne’s social media below
Visit Jamba Juice online here: jamba.com
Jamba Juice social media below
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