Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Mairene Branham, Co-Founder of The Meal Prep Co., located in San Diego, CA, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

We are in the Nutrition Planning & Meal Prep business. We help and inspire clients to reach their fitness goals by providing nutrition information specific to their goals while also providing customized meals.

Tell us about yourself

We started our first meal prep service in 2013 to create awareness in the health & fitness industry. We started our second meal prep business, which included more nutrition guidance, in 2015, and launched our third meal prep business that catered to clients who just needed a convenient service in 2018. In the course of that time, we have had the opportunity to work with so many awesome businesses in San Diego, as well as amazing people. Every connection made has kept us loyal to our commitment to our community, employees, and customers. We find our motivation is staying connected to the network we've created through the years. We genuinely enjoy working with our clients to help them reach their goals.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Proving that staying consistent is key! We started out working out of our 800 sq foot apartment in a tiny kitchen, then going into our first shared commercial kitchen, too many office rentals, to now being in our own commercial kitchen with offices and a storefront all under one roof.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

One of the hardest things is to keep myself composed through many hardships. As a leader, every single person who works for you and with you is looking. One of the hardest things to do is to show up as a better version of yourselves every day. To know the responsibility placed on yourself by yourself. In our case, we made a commitment to ourselves to show up better than how we left. That is hard in business.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Do it! Just simply do, and the tasks will come one by one.
  2. Stay consistent! At the point you stand, you cannot see right away that what you are building will be seen.
  3. Be better every day. For yourself, for the future team you will be working with, and for the customers that are going to invest in you.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Entrepreneurship is a good way to advance our human experience. It teaches you so much.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://themealprepco.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themealprepco/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themealprepco/

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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