Today we’d like to introduce you to Courtney Richardson.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Also known as Ya Meal Prep Shawty – a food enthusiast and meal prep connoisseur. I am a New Orleans native and have always loved food but decided to make better health conscious food choices after discovering a family history of health conditions. This motivated me to find my joy for cooking! After moving to Houston almost six years ago, I began meal prepping breakfast, lunch and dinner options to save time on cooking every day and eating out at restaurants during the week.
The best thing meal prepping did for me was kickstart my health and wellness journey. I began to share photos and videos through social media which sparked the idea to introduce Ya Meal Prep Shawty. I received compliments on how delicious my meals looked and suggestions to share recipes and provide meal prep services. Currently, Ya Meal Prep Shawty serves the Houston area, offering affordable delicious, organic, all-natural meals with a Cajun, New Orleans twist. Through meal prepping, Ya Meal Prep Shawty creates a soulful experience that motivates others to live a healthier lifestyle one meal at a time.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My love for food motivates me to find interesting ways to enjoy healthy eating. Being able to share my love for food with others through Ya Meal Prep Shawty makes it an easy task. While this may seem challenging for some individuals, it’s my stress reliever. Mix music with cooking in the kitchen and getting at least 10,000 steps and I am content! As a healthcare professional, I am dedicated to helping others live a healthier lifestyle. My experience in successfully developing an engaging, corporate wellness champion program helped alleviate a lot of the stresses that may come along with networking, advertising or managing the services offered through Ya Meal Prep Shawty. In the initial launch of Ya Meal Prep Shawty, I experienced challenges such as managing a full-time role as a Human Resources professional in the Texas Medical Center, completing an intense 18-month professional MBA program and providing meal prep services for 10-15 clients. I believe in managing your expectations and setting yourself up for success, so I quickly learned that time management and effective communications needed to be my best friends in order to overcome these temporary obstacles.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Ya Meal Prep Shawty – what should we know?
Ya Meal Prep Shawty is a Houston based business that offers healthy tips, recipes and meal prep options with a spicy, New Orleans-cajun twist. I engage clients through social media using videos and photos of the meal prep process, what I like to call Meal Prep Sundays. I provide weekly menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner meal prep options at an affordable price. Along with my meals, you receive powerful affirmation messages that help motivate you to live a healthier lifestyle, one meal at a time. Ya Meal Prep Shawty began as a sweet, New Orleans girl with a passion for food and has grown to be a motivation for many to be the best version of themselves.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I believe it is important to practice what you preach. I began my health and wellness journey because I saw the negative impact food had on my loved ones and I wanted to change the narrative. I moved to Houston, Texas in January 2014 and my mother passed away shortly after in June 2014. It was very difficult to cope with the loss of my mother as she was my inspiration for being successful in life. After researching the health conditions she suffered with and other health conditions that were prevalent in my family, I decided that in order to actually motivate others to make better choices, I needed to do the same.
My faith and belief in Jesus Christ is what I would contribute the success of Ya Meal Prep Shawty to. I believe that God allowed me to experience certain things in life that ultimately brought me to the state of understanding my purpose in life. My belief is that God has placed me here to fulfill a purpose of helping others in need and I have made a commitment to help educate others about their health and well-being. Through my success story and experiences, I can share my journey and motivate others to explore what living a healthy and whole life looks like for them. It’s not about the success, but the lessons learned along the journey. I often like to refer to this Bible verse, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16, English Standard Version).
Contact Info:
- Website: www.yamealprepshawty.com
- Email: gleauxondemand@gmail.com
- Instagram: @yamealprepshawty
Image Credit:
Photos were taken by Courtney Richardson
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