We were lucky to catch up with Amanda Vinet recently and have shared our conversation below.

Amanda , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.

Before starting Fully Fit Meals I sat on the idea for a very long time. I was so afraid of looking “stupid”. I was terrified to start at the bottom and build. I was coming from a place of insecurity and I often worried what others would think of me.. “oh look at her little business” “she’s really trying to meal prep” “meal prepping isn’t profitable” “that will never grow enough to ever be something” “she’s broke and has to sell plates to feed her child”, were the thoughts that ran through my head all of the time! I could literally hear what people would say about me and I let it stop me from pursuing my goal for way longer than I would like to admit! I always had a passion for cooking and I was very much into fitness and cooking healthy meals for myself and I got a lot of positive feedback from those close to me, but still that wasn’t enough to quiet the negative thoughts.

My sister was always a huge supporter of mine and she was also very tech savvy (which I was not, and I’m still not lol). One day we were talking about it and she said, “I’m so tired of hearing about you wanting to start a meal prep business, are you gonna do it or not??”
I brushed it off and then she said “you know what? You are gonna do it. I’m gonna make you a flier right now and we are gonna post it and just see what happens” … I was terrified! There was no stopping her though, so I let her make the flier and she actually posted my first flier for me. Right when she hit “post” I think I took off running and did a few laps around her house out of sheer anxiety and just the stress of worrying AGAIN what people would think! But to my surprise people were actually very supportive of what I was doing and a lot of people were messaging me and telling me how perfect I am for something like this so it encouraged me!

I started meal prepping in my tiny apartment kitchen with only 6 customers- but it felt like 100 because it was something I really was passionate about and I was excited to see what could happen if I kept going. Each week it kept growing…. 20 customers, 40 customers, and at that point there was no way I could keep doing it at home because it was taking over my entire apartment lol! I was able to find a kitchen for rent and worked on all the necessary things to continue my journey. Now 7 years in business and Fully Fit Meals has grown to become soooo big! I now have 16 employees and we are feeding and helping more people in their health journey than I ever imagined possible!
I overcame me standing in my own way by just taking the risk and going for it. I have learned that if there is no risk there is no reward and if you follow your own vision and goals that are on your heart you can go way farther than you think. Staying true to yourself is where it’s at. I think everyone is afraid of starting at the bottom and looking “stupid”. I think a lot of people sleep on their own dreams and goals by letting that negative voice take over, but you just have to go for it and keep your eyes looking forward.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Fully Fit Meals was born out of a need. My need for a sustainable way of eating while I was on my own health and fitness journey.

I was sick and tired of canned tuna, dry chicken and steamed broccoli! I needed more. The foodie in me needed more!

I realized that way of eating wasn’t sustainable and without some delicious comfort meals I would fail. So I tweaked my favorite meals to make them healthier while staying on track with my fitness goals. It works!

The focus is on preparing meals with whole food ingredients as well as locally pasture raised meat from High Cotton Meat & Farms and locally sourced items when possible.

Variety is the spice of life so each week a new menu is posted to keep food boredom at bay! I work hard to calculate and include the right macros to make sure each meal is balanced as far as fat, protein and healthy carbs. Many meals are gluten and/or dairy free but still full of flavor which adds to the balance. Plant based and vegan options are prepared with whole, non-processed foods.

I started Fully Fit Meals with the vision to provide healthy, delicious and sustainable meals for like-minded fitness enthusiasts but it has evolved to include busy people of all walks of life who just don’t have time to cook but still want to eat tasty, healthy meals that are convenient.

Convenience is key and to make it as convenient as possible for my customers, meals can be ordered A’ la Carte or by non-contract monthly subscription.

Fully Fit Meals currently serves and delivers to Baton Rouge and surrounding areas with plans to expand in the future.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I think the biggest factor that has helped build the Fully Fit reputation is that we offer a true chef inspired, home-cooked comfort food experience. When you eat FFM, you feel like you’re at your Cajun grandmother’s house, but we’re doing it in a much healthier, balanced way!

I like to give dishes I grew up eating a healthy spin. I do a lot of healthy/Gluten Free, Cajun and southern food. My customers have come to know that they don’t have to sacrifice flavor to live a healthy lifestyle.

Fully Fit Meals will never be mundane! We’re passionate about food and it comes through in every meal we prepare and serve our customers.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Social media has been a huge tool for me and has grown my business substantially. One thing I have learned is that people buy from people, and your audience wants to feel like they know you. Something that has really helped my platform is practicing what I preach. I actually eat the meals we make at FFM. I have also openly shared my personal struggles with consistency, and I have pretty much been one with my audience. I am by no means perfect in my fitness journey and I think being raw and sharing my struggles really helped my audience relate to me. Being 100% all the time is impossible, and I think people like knowing that and it makes them feel more confident in their own journey. My audience knows it’s really me behind my social media pages, and not someone I hired. I am not against that at all but I do feel like these days people are more likely to pay attention if it’s personable.
Also I am a perfectionist when it comes to pictures of my meals and presentation truly does rule the nation. Lol! You can always find really nice looking pics of my meals on my page and I like to present them in a way that I would want to be served because we eat with our eyes first. Bright colors, organized plating, and food that just looks tasty is what I am all about!

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.fullyfitmeals.com
• Instagram: Fullyfitmeals
• Facebook: Fully Fit Meals

Image Credits
Lennon James Photography