Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ashlie Smith. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Ashlie, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

Let’s revisit September of 2023. I’m feeling unfulfilled in my corporate job, and feeling uneasy about my future. I was working out in my garage one day that fall, with this restless ideation of what I could do differently in my life. I thought, “the food market is so saturated….I can’t make a difference there. Is there some need that’s not being met?”

I continue my workout and start reflecting on trips I’ve been on where we rent an AirBnB, but when we arrive at our destination, I need to then make a list of groceries, find the grocery store, navigate through said grocery store, shuffle through the unfamiliar kitchen to find that there’s not enough cookware to make the food, and then miss out on time with family to prep and cook food throughout our stay. “What if there was a service where you could order some delicious foods (breakfasts, lunches and dinners) for the times we aren’t going out to eat and they were prepared by a local cook and delivered to the rental.” Not only this, but what if this cook knew how to customize for food preferences and dietary restrictions too?

I froze for a moment mulling this over and realizing how this would fill a huge gap in the vacationing and food industry. With this service, you don’t have to pay an arm and a leg for a private chef or caterer; and it’s not just Instacart delivering items. This is an in-between service where you can enjoy wonderful ready-made foods at your leisure throughout your vacation. No hassle, affordable, and it gives you more time to enjoy the actual vacation.

From there, the concept was refined to make it more experiential. Each delivery includes table topic cards that the group can talk about around the table, elevating the food and eating experience altogether. Since I’m a nutritionist, I can also meet the needs of those who want to stick with their diet on vacation or just want to have healthy foods on hand. The rest is history!

The hardest part has honestly been marketing not just a new business but marketing a whole new concept. That’s where I’m really trying to partner and find the right connections to reach vacationers so that they know about me and my services. I also offer charcuterie and grazing tables, as well as family-style meal delivery for the families that are suffering from “what’s for dinner?” Fatigue….lol!

Ashlie, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I grew up in the kitchen watching my mom (who also worked full-time as a court reporter) work her magic making gourmet dinners, I was fascinated by food, how it was made and how satisfying it was to enjoy your creation at the end. I love experimenting with new flavors and discovering what foods and flavor profiles complement each other and how they elevate the dish as a whole.

My goal is to prepare foods that are wholesome and nutritious but also delicious and gourmet. I don’t eat anything unless it tastes great. I’m not going to waste my time or calories on mediocre food. That’s why I make sure to indulge also. I use real butter and heavy cream, but a little goes a long way. I’ve learned the balance of keeping meals healthy but surprisingly scrumptious.

That’s my specialty. And, I’m bringing it to the masses by cooking for people who vacation here in the Valley or are residents but want to try a new way to eat in. If you’re looking for some cooking or nutrition education, I also offer resources and consults therein. I have my Masters degree in nutrition, so I’m well-versed in the body’s metabolic needs and how to customize dishes according to people’s dietary restrictions or palate preferences.

I love finding alternative ingredients to make indulgent treats healthier without skimping on taste. For example, I make a killer avocado chocolate mousse that everyone can feel good about.

Personally, I am married to a Nebraska boy (Go Big Red), have 2 beautiful daughters and a Shiba Inu pup. I grew up in Oceanside, CA, and was always either surfing, eating, or playing volleyball. If I’m not cooking, I’m with my family, hanging with friends from church, or traveling back to the beach in Oceanside to visit my parents.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

Spoiler alert: I don’t have great advice here because I’m still figuring this one out, but I can offer my experience so far.
My husband was pretty nervous about me leaving my steady paycheck at my corporate job to then take this huge leap. However, with this being a low-cost startup, he was a lot more willing, as long as we didn’t have to invest much.
I basically took my accrued PTO (paid time off) dollars and made that an investment in myself to start things up. I’ve been extremely scrappy, but I still have to pay a lease on the commercial kitchen space that I rent each month…that’s the biggest cost so far. The risk is that I’ve had a month here and there, especially at the beginning, where I didn’t have any orders but still had to keep paying the lease, of course.

Costs also include supplies, not to mention the insurance, permits, and licensing. But that’s all necessary to ensure a bonafide business. I want to operate at the highest standard but with minimal costs. And what I’ve learned is that this works, but it’s most likely going to take quite a bit longer to gain momentum than if I had investors or if we pulled from our savings to invest in elements like website creators, social media consultants, state of the art equipment, employees, etc.

Right now, I’m just hoping that I can continue to gain momentum (which I definitely have) to a point where I can start putting the profits toward marketing and getting the brand out there, so that everyone knows about it and recognizes its value. My hope is that someday this business will become mainstream in major cities, where local chefs cook and the employees deliver to vacation rentals. It promotes the local people as well as the food, vacation and tourism industries. Win win win!

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

There are always going to be haters or naysayers when you tell certain people about your business idea. People who think they know it all or try to undermine what you are trying to accomplish. I’ve had a few of these people who, although well-intentioned, have either criticized the idea or scoffed at me trying to build this from nothing. While this isn’t a crazy obstacle to endure, it does cause a lot of second-guessing and moments of impostor syndrome. But then I think about what the 10-year-old Ashlie would think or say. I care what she things, and she would say “Go for it.”

I’ve always been a dreamer at heart, and I know that I provide value that is unmatched, both in quality of food and customer service. Additionally, I love that my 2 daughters get to see me in action and witness what it looks like to fight for your dreams and work your butt off to achieve even the smallest of successes. Hopefully, they will be working alongside me one day and this can become a family business. Because of them, because of the younger me, and because of the skills and passions God gave me, I forge ahead and put my best foot forward. I still listen to the wise counsel and encouragement of those I trust and those that are more knowledgeable than I because I’m constantly learning and growing.

I am truly grateful to even be here, and I know I’d regret it if I didn’t go for it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Getawaygourmet.biz
• Instagram: @getawaygourmet_
• Facebook: Getaway Gourmet

Image Credits

The shot of just me is from Jocelyn Collins of Jocelyn Collins Photography.