We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Cheryl Englebretson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Cheryl below.

Cheryl, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. If you had a defining moment that you feel really changed the trajectory of your career, we’d love to hear the story and details.

I was working in a demanding corporate job, when my son was diagnosed with both Type 1 diabetes and Celiac disease. At the time, social media didn’t exist and the doctors sent me off with a pamphlet of materials to figure out how to navigate this new lifestyle for our family. I felt alone and overwhelmed trying to juggle my full time job, learning about living with these conditions and putting a meal cooked from scratch on the table each night.

A few years later, I remember getting called up on stage at a leadership off-site with about 200 people to share my vision for my future that aligned with my purpose. Scared to death, I told them that one day I wanted to help support people going through big life transitions like this due to a medical diagnosis. I wanted to make life easier for others and give them the kind of support I wished I had. Many people walked up to me that day and thanked me for sharing my story.

I eventually left my corporate job and started my own business, Real Food Well. I had no idea just how challenging it can be to be an Entrepreneur. I had a clear “Why” and lots of passion for the work I do. But, I quickly learned how hard it can be to wear all of the hats in a business. Most people aren’t good at or don’t like doing everything. Joining a business networking group, figuring out where I was better off hiring experts to do parts the work and learning to be more patient with my expectations of the time it might take to build the business are big lessons I have learned. When things feel really hard, I lean on my sense of purpose and I ask for advice and help from others.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I started my business to help people who want or need to eat differently find joy in cooking and eating healthy.

Getting a diagnosis of a food allergy, food sensitivity or some autoimmune conditions often result in a prescription to change the way you eat. Many people are faced with avoiding entire food groups and feel overwhelmed trying to navigate what they are going to cook and eat. They can often feel a sense of loss for the things they loved to eat. Some are also faced with cooking for themselves for the first time or may need to learn how to cook differently.

I have 15+ years of experience as a home chef figuring out to cook from scratch to work around diabetes, insulin resistance, food sensitivities and more. I know my way around many dietary preferences as well. It’s not uncommon for me to work with families where one member is gluten free and dairy free, another only eats plant-based and the others love their meat. This stresses out the cook in the family. I love to help them find the recipes and meal plans that will work for their family needs and preferences and fit with their lifestyle, time and skill sets. That is my super power!

I offer cooking classes or lessons both virtually and in-person (Twin Cities MN area). I do custom development work on recipes or meal plans for people and I cook in-home for people for small gatherings. I’m also working on some food products and cookbooks I can offer in the future to help people more easily prepare tasty, simple, healthy and inspired meals for their friends and family.

If someone needs or wants to eat differently and is looking for support or suggestions to do that, I encourage them to reach out to me directly through my website contact page at www.realfoodwell.com. I offer a free consultation to dig into their goals and what they are looking for and to answer any questions they might have about my services, I’m always finding new ways I can help people through these deeper conversations. I truly want to help!

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I started my business a few months before the Covid pandemic hit. My business model was predominantly in=person and came to a screeching halt about as soon as it started. I couldn’t cook for people or teach a class in person.

I quickly had to pivot and figure out how I was going to help people virtually. They still needed to eat, but their options were limited to their own homes. Many of them found themselves having to cook and they were dealing with food shortages. They were also feeling more isolated and craving a sense of community with others.

I learned quickly to listen to people’s struggles and meet them where they were at. I offered cooking classes and virtual gatherings via Zoom for families, friends and co-workers. Not only were they learning something new but they were interacting with other people and having some fun. At the same time, I learned how to leverage technology to reach people across the country and the globe in new ways.

Everyday, I’m still trying to listen to my client’s ever changing needs and be flexible enough in the way I work to create new services and solutions to meet them where they are at.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

The work I do is very niched. I generally work with people that have specific dietary preferences or restrictions. While I have a presence in social media and have started a monthly newsletter to help get found by potential clients, the majority of my business comes from referrals and networking.

Finding networking groups of like-minded professionals who share my ideal clients has been critical. Sharing what I’m doing with friends and family and asking them to help me spread the word has also been helpful Finally, building relationships with holistic-minded health professionals who are willing to recommend someone like me as part of their client’s support team is helping to grow my client base as well. The personal endorsement of someone you know and trust is invaluable.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://realfoodwell.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realfoodwell/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/realfoodwell
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cheryl-englebretson-401b1613/

Image Credits
Angela Divine Photography Jill Larson Photography