Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Rachel Lessenden, Founder of Health My Lifestyle, located in Denver, CO, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I am the founder and recipe developer behind Health My Lifestyle, a plant-based website and meal planner. Through Health My Lifestyle, I aim to arm people with the knowledge and resources needed to eat a healthy, whole food plant-based (WFPB) diet, including recipes and meal plans to take the guesswork out of what to eat.
The meal planner is a subscription application with now over 600 easy recipes and customizable meal plans with automated shopping lists to help users save time and eat better. What sets it apart is that the Health My Lifestyle Meal Planner is geared towards those who want to eat a healthier plant-based diet but don't want to compromise taste or spend forever in the kitchen. Most recipes can be made in 30 minutes or less and receive a 5-star rating from our members—these are recipes you'll actually want to eat!
Tell us about yourself
I originally started my website to share my weight loss journey, but once I learned about the Whole Foods Plant-Based (WFPB) diet, my whole mindset shifted. I had finally found something that was sustainable and truly a lifestyle, not just another fad diet. At this point, I shifted the focus of my website to share this lifestyle and started sharing posts on Instagram. As my social media grew, so did the requests for meal plans. I quickly realized that not everyone is like me and enjoys meal planning, some people just like being told what to eat and not have to worry.
I have a bachelors in Bakery Science and an MBA, but I knew I wanted to share more of the nutrition aspect, so I became certified in Plant-Based Nutrition from eCornell and the Center for Nutrition Studies. I worked alongside some personal trainers and a registered dietitian to develop meal planning and nutrition guides, but as more and more requests came in, it became clear that something more sustainable was needed. This prompted me to design and build a web-based meal planning application so that even if I give them all the recipes and plans, they can still customize it to their needs since everyone is different.
What motivates me is when members share their wins with me and let me know how much they enjoy using the meal planner. To know that I'm making a positive impact in someone's life is the ultimate gift. It makes me so happy to know that others are enjoying the recipes and feeling better on this healthy diet!
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Helping thousands of people learn about this lifestyle and giving them the tools needed to make it sustainable has been my biggest and best accomplishment. It's the whole reason I started my business and what drives me to show up day in and day out.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
The hardest part for me has been delegating tasks. It's only recently that I started passing off tasks that I don't like to do to free up my time. I am hoping by reinvesting in the business, we can grow it to reach even more people. Taking that leap has been the hardest for me to do, but I know that it is necessary in order to take things to the next level.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
There's never a perfect time to start, so if you have a great idea or you're really passionate about something, go for it! Try to learn as much as you can about running your business early on or find a mentor. Allow yourself some vacation and try to find some work-life balance to avoid burnout.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://healthmylifestyle.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/healthmylifestyle/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/healthmylifestyle/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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