Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Daniel Beck, owner of Midwest Meals, located in Eau Claire, WI, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
We are health and fitness enthusiasts trying to lead a healthy lifestyle, just like YOU. We were frustrated with fad diets and gimmick supplements and wanted an option that just made sense. We don't believe in secret foods that magically make you look like a model. Instead, we believe in HAVING GOALS, CONSISTENCY, and HARD WORK!
We advocate taking a balanced approach to your diet so that you can sustain your progress long term. One of our core values is anti-fad dieting. One of the MOST important things to know about Midwest Meals is our WHY. More important than what we do is why we do it. This is what drives all of our decisions and how we operate. This why can be boiled down to a simple statement: We exist to fight obesity. The obesity rates in the US are staggering, and we exist to help you develop a healthy long-term relationship with food that allows you to control your body composition and live a healthy life.
Tell us about yourself
My name is Daniel Beck, and I am from a small town (think 3,000 people) in northern Wisconsin. I grew up a skateboarder and, at 16, co-founded a non-profit organization called the Ladysmith Skatepark Coalition. We successfully raised enough money to build a new skatepark in my hometown, giving me the entrepreneurial bug.
Fast forward to studying at California State University at San Bernardino, I quickly learned that the fitness culture on the coast was just different. Here I was introduced to my first meal prep company. Upon returning home to finish my degree, I realized that there were no meal prep services in Wisconsin at the time. Thus, the idea for Midwest Meals was born!
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I think my biggest accomplishment is making it successful for 5+ years and through the midst of a global pandemic. I went from bootstrapping to building a state-of-the-art commercial kitchen and facility.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
For me, the hardest thing when I was getting started was understanding who I should take advice from and network with. Coming from a small town in Wisconsin, my immediate network was not the most ambitious group, and it took time to cultivate my network to surround myself with successful people.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Start now. Your first iteration is going to be embarrassing in retrospect. Get over it and get started.
- Start as lean as possible to prove your concept. One of the greatest connections I made in college was with a finance professor. He really helped me understand the importance of sorting out cash flow before expanding.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
Always have the humility to be wrong and fail - it is what ultimately allows you to test things and move forward. This was something that took a long time for me to realize.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://midwestmeals.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/midwestmeals
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whoisdanbeck/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beckde/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.