We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ana Tootle a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Ana, appreciate you joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
I’m a foodie at heart, and my favorite philanthropic endeavor is to help end hunger. I don’t think anyone should go hungry so I decided to “bake a difference” in our community by uniting passion with purpose. I came up with the idea that for every homemade pumpkin bread sold I would donate a portion of the sale to Feeding South Florida, an organization that efficiently helps our neighbors in need. That is how Feel Goods Foods, Inc. was born and to this day I continue to bake my loaves of love to help our neighbors who are struggling with food shortage. This system provides a win-win for all because the customer receives a delicious homemade product while making an impact in our community. In 2022, we were able to raise more than 18,800 meals and that warms my heart in ways I can’t describe in words alone.
The other arm of my business is a dba called Elevated which is dedicated to teaching the everyday busy body how to incorporate practical mindfulness tools in order to raise their vibration and become a better version of themselves. I teach these classes on the beaches of Key Biscayne called Sunrise Gratitude so that we can embrace our blessings surrounded by the splendor of Mother Nature herself. I teach my four-step recipe for mindfulness and I always host a guest instructor with a different modality each week so that the attendees have something new to learn every time they come to the class. The idea is to grow this community of mindfulness and to teach people how to elevate their frequency surrounded by the beauty of our island paradise.
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?
I am a Miami native who’s always been passionate about health and wellness and better yet how to apply those principles to empower ourselves. When our three kids were toddlers, I got certified to teach spinning in order to keep my sanity and my vibration in check. I always say that I need exercise for my mental health and that the physical benefits are just a wonderful byproduct.
I wanted to take wellness to the next level, however, and in 2010 I began an e-newsletter called Inner Universe where I would share and write about the latest trends and findings in the realm of health and well being. In short, mindfulness started to come into focus and so was the application of its practices into my personal life. But there was one exercise that I kept reading about but was not practicing just yet and that was meditation. Truth be told, I was in denial like many beginners. The typical excuses kept coming up about not having enough time and that this might be great for others but not me, and so forth. But the research kept proving over and over again that meditation was life-changing and transformational so I finally committed to trying it, without giving it up this time, and lo and behold, meditation is a practice I cannot live without to this day.
The journey was far from perfect but it taught me a lot about myself along the way which compelled me to write and teach about mindfulness and meditation to students of all levels. I began teaching my courses called Empower Hour back then to the residents of Lotus House in Overtown Miami and that was a beautiful experience and the beginning of another major chapter in my life. Answering that calling was the first step and I had only just begun. What ensued was the elbow grease needed to get me to where I am now. The path isn’t always perfect or pretty so I held on tightly to my north star, which grew louder and more acute with every meditation.
In 2016, I had the undeniable urge to put my passion to purpose. I’m a foodie and cook who also loves to help end hunger which is how Feel Good Foods was born. I got inspired to bake homemade pumpkin bread with chocolate chips and donate a portion of the sale to Feeding South Florida. This message came strongly to me during a meditation back then. Shocking, I know! And the rest, as they say, is history. To this day I donate $1 to Feeding South Florida and it is a delicious way to help our neighbors contending with rough times. Everybody wins and my heart is filled with joy knowing that I am contributing to a cause that is important to me in a practical and delicious way. In 2022 alone, we raised over 18,000 meals and perhaps nothing comes close to that sense of accomplishment and purpose like Feel Good Foods does for me. The philanthropist in me could not be any happier. I take private orders and continue to sell my loaves of love every Saturday at the Key Biscayne Farmers Market, a community market in the heart of our island paradise.
Laughter Yoga caught my attention in 2019 and I received certification to teach it and have had a great time instructing students how to laugh their way to better health. In 2021 and in a post-pandemic climate, I began teaching my courses on the beaches of Key Biscayne called Sunrise Gratitude and till this day we meet at the Key Biscayne Beach Park Friday mornings at 6:50 where I teach my 4-step recipe for mindfulness. Additionally, we always have a guest teacher with a different modality every week so that the attendees can learn something new and interesting every time they come to class. To say that the backdrop is breathtaking is an understatement further pressing the idea that we are continually showered with blessings and that there is always something to appreciate. When you see the sun rise over the ocean you can’t help but to begin to count your blessings. Sunrise Gratitude takes mindfulness to the next level so that we can all become a better version of ourselves and everybody wins. Since Covid, the world is thirsty for more love and appreciation and I am delighted to be a part of that initiative and help raise the vibration of our world.
Most recently, I was asked to be President of the Board of FemCity Miami and I am delighted and grateful for the opportunity to help women operate their businesses with a little more soul. More than a networking group, FemCity is all about gratitude and community so the segue into this role is a natural one given my passion for mindfulness.
Moving forward, I vow to continue forging meaningful relationships and providing value to the best of my ability to my clients and students. I am excited to continue to pursuing my passions like leading exotic retreats and writing books, to name a few. If there’s one thing my journey has taught me is that when I listen to my inner voice it pays huge dividends. Thanks to my mindfulness and meditation practice, that voice comes through loud and clear.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
When I decided to put my passion to purpose and begin baking pumpkin bread to help Feeding South Florida, I also had a strong urge to teach my mindfulness classes which is why the first name of my business was called Feel Good Foods and Thoughts. As time passed I kept questioning what the heck I was doing. Am I some sort of philanthropic baker who likes to teach mindfulness and meditation? I always felt like I was trying to fit a square peg into a round whole. Who else is doing this? Am I crazy? I had no role models for such an unusual business combination but the more time passed the stronger I felt about pursuing both callings. So I practiced what I preach and surrendered because the next option was to continue going around in circles in my head. I came to the conclusion that I could either entertain doubt or follow my intuition. Intuition finally won after a long hard battle with doubt, fear, comparison and worry. Now I know better. Normal or status quo is not always the best option. The best option to pursue that voice of your dreams. Better yet, I have learned that our uniqueness is one of the greatest gifts humans can give to one another.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
Transparency and sincerity helped me build my reputation within my markets. People often ask me when I’m going to open my own bakery, or ask me why I don’t bake banana bread or carrot cake. My answer is always that I bake pumpkin bread plain and simple to help Feeding South Florida. Yes, I’m a foodie and a cook but baking is not my business. Passion and community are my business.
Don’t get me wrong. I want to succeed as much as the next entrepreneur but my message is simple with Feel Good Foods. I bake simple homemade pumpkin bread without ever sacrificing quality. Customers buy something delicious. Neighbors have food on their table. Everyone is happy. That’s it. Nothing fancy. Nothing riveting.
With my dba, Elevated, I teach mindfulness courses that are simple and practical. Not because you are broken. I teach them because we are human and there’s always room for a better life. We are all busy and need practical tools to improve our lives and not because we are less than someone or some fad out there.
I am practical. I am transparent . I care. I show up. I am a work in progress and I vow to continue providing value and building meaningful relationships. My perspective is to enjoy the journey along the way together and make it fun and informative to boot. My consistency helped build my reputation within my market (s).
Contact Info:
- Website: anatootle.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anatootle/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ana.tootle
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ana-tootle/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/anatootle
Image Credits
Irina Slizkaya and Rick Gomez