We were lucky to catch up with Audrey Heine recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Audrey thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What sort of legacy are you hoping to build. What do you think people will say about you after you are gone, what do you hope to be remembered for?
My greatest hope would be to leave a legacy of giving. To be known and remembered as one who would help out others no matter if I knew them or not, no matter the circumstance. I absolutely love helping others. I have tried to incorporate that into my business life as well. I give food to anyone who needs it. My clients, associates and friends know that if they come across anyone in need of meals, all they have to do is reach out to me and I am happy to provide the amount of meals that will best help them out. My thought has always been, money and material things will not make me happy. When I am able to reach out to those around me and just be there in whatever way I can, that is when I know true joy.
Audrey, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
It all started like a fairy tale: I married my high school sweetheart. We had our daughter, and then years later adopted our son. I was blessed to be a stay at home mom for 20 plus years.
Suddenly, the fairy tale dissolved. After 30 years of being together, we got divorced. I found myself walking into an unknown adventure; I had no degree and no work history. I had never even paid a bill before. Within a short time, I sold our house, built a new house of my own, bought a car, learned how to pay bills, went to school – and then dropped out of school to start my dream business. I had originally started my meal business back in 2012 and never really got it up and running. I started talking up prepared meals to the gym I was at and just like that I had found my niche. This was the birth of We’ve Got You Covered.
This was my dream, my new fairy tale: I wanted to create a meal preparation service that was affordable, environmentally conscience and different from the other companies out there. I landed on a price point and have since then worked hard to keep our meals affordable. I pride the business on almost zero waste. I also grow a lot of what we use, so if it has a root base, it gets put back in the dirt to grow again. I chose containers and insulated bags that can be reused for each client. Not to mention, all of the protein and vegetable trimmings are saved and made into dog food.
With WGYC, you have peace of mind knowing you don’t have to think about what to eat for the week. We plan your menu and then use your paperwork to semi customize each meal just for you. By doing that, you won’t ever get anything you don’t like. This also helps keep our clients on any meal plans they may be following from doctors, coaches, nutritionists and any dietary restrictions they have.
Here’s the long and short of it: I cook prepared meals for anyone who eats. I offer healthy options as well as family-style meals that tend to be more on the comfort side. My thought as always been, if you are going to eat it, you may as well like it. Want to know what sets WGYC apart from the rest? Well, quite simply, me. I take pride in what I cook, and I’m always changing it up. I’m not one to take the quick and easy option to just getting things cooked. I go the extra mile to create different tastes and textures in each meal. I really do want people to like what they eat and be excited to eat it.
Have you ever had to pivot?
For 30 years my life was on a very predictable path. Then I got divorced at 46. I had volunteered for many things but had never had a paying job. So I had to figure out what my next step was. I was presented with the opportunity to restart a business I had let go. So I just jumped in and haven’t looked back. I had no mindset for business let alone owning and running one. But every time I encountered a problem or I didn’t know my next steps, there was always someone that came along side of me that had just walked through whatever it was I was looking for help with. I wasn’t afraid to ask many many questions. I wasn’t afraid to admit I didn’t know many many things. I just approached it all humble and eager to listen and learn. When Covid hit, we learned to pivot once again. It was at this time that we introduced our Family Meals. We listened and learned that families were extremely busy and pulled in all different directions and just needed a homemade meal that they didn’t need to do anything to except heat it up.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
There have been many times that I thought for sure my business would go under. When clients would stop their service and our revenue would dip so low, in the beginning, I would fly into a panic. I have since learned just to let it go. I get up every day and do the work I know I need to do and just keep moving forward. Looking back at those slow times, it was always a time when my life was extremely busy and the dip in work made that time go much more smoothly. Now I know to appreciate the dip. At the end of the day, I know I have done all I can do and I have learned I can rest in that fact that I have done my best and it is what it is.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.wevegotyoucoveredllc.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wevegotyoucoveredllc/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wevegotyoucovered
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/audrey-heine-aa21a790/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/weve-got-you-covered-gilbert
- Other: https://www.alignable.com/gilbert-az/weve-got-you-covered-llc/prepared-meals https://www.bbb.org/us/az/gilbert/profile/meal-prep/weve-got-you-covered-llc-1126-1000085532 https://g.page/r/CcGW5tZt_TgfEAE