Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Cortrice Boone, Owner of Meal Prep by Cort, located in Detroit, MI, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Meal Prep by Cort is a meal-prepping service. I shop, prep, and cook all the meals for a certain number of days and all my clients have to do is heat them and go. Basically, I am gifting time to my clients.
My clients are people who have no time to make their meals, who forget to eat because of the hectic work life they have, busy moms and dads, and health and fitness. I love what I do, and I believe eating a balanced healthy meal should also taste and look good. I thrive on that. I also love the camaraderie that I have with my clients.
Tell us about yourself
I started my fitness journey in 2015. I was 274lbs, and I wanted to learn how to run again. I started with a run group who introduced me to my trainer because my eating was not right. As I trained, I would take my meal prep with me because I didn't want to be off on my time to eat. One day my trainer asked me to meal prep for her because she didn't have time to, so I did. Meal prepping for her became a regular thing, and she would always say, "Cort, you really should start meal prepping for a living." I didn't want to do it initially for a while, but then I decided to do it. What motivates me each day to do what I do is the thought that my meals being a part of someone's health journey keeps me going to help that person keep going.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment as a business owner is that I am still a business owner. Giving up can be easy but because I want my business to thrive, "Giving up is not an Option" Have I thought about it? Plenty of times! I'm three years deep, and I will continue operating my business.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
The hardest part of being a business owner is you are truly the head of every aspect of the business. Some Accounting, Marketing, content creator, Public Relations, Owner, and even dishwasher. Some of the aspects I do have help on too. It's a lot of hats that I have to juggle daily outside of being a wife, mom, etc.; trying to find time for myself while continuing to push my business forward in growth and revenues is the hardest aspect for me.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
Don't do it to become rich, have a great support system, and have fun! Being an entrepreneur is hard work with daily challenges and struggles. Most of the time, I want to quit, but for whatever reason, I don't. Okay, my support system won't let me quit, but sometimes I want to! I love having different people I can bounce ideas off of, help me during pop-up events or even help give me tips to push forward and keep me motivated. This business is something I could do to get "rich," but I know it won't happen overnight or without a lot of hard work. There have been times when things are going great, and the refrigerator breaks or the food price has increased, making me have to adjust and become creative.
After everything I've been through, I could tell you many crazy things I've learned while being an entrepreneur…. At the end of the day, it's been a lot of fun. I've learned a lot about myself and pushed myself further than I imagined.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
When starting out, please be coachable. Listen to advice from the one that your trust and who is there with you. Last but not least, BREATHE.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.mealprepbycort.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mealprepbycort
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mealprepbycort/
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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