We were lucky to catch up with Heidi Gerlitz recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Heidi, thanks for joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

I think self-discovery and living a life that let me be immersed in what I valued ultimately led me to my business idea. I grew up pretty counter-culture, in the mountains in northern California, in a small town of creative people who valued health, living a down-to-earth life, art, and nature. I grew up around a lot of women who were amazing seamstresses, did pottery, baked, made their body products, and gardened, it ended up influencing me a lot. In my early twenties, I was committed to building my life and trying to figure out a career. I didn’t go to college and I wasn’t sure of what my career direction was, I also had to figure it out on my own. I ended up here in Austin Texas after some time living in Portland Oregon, and a friend’s mom asked me what I would do for free while talking about how I was feeling a little lost, it was cooking.
Throughout those late teen years and early twenties, while trying to make my way, cooking for people and taking care of myself through healthy food had been a huge anchor for me. Along with food, I found stability in my yoga practice, it helped give my days structure and eased stress. I eventually decided to earn my certification as a Professional Chef and a Yoga Teacher. From there, I kind of blindly built my business with the two things that had become crucial to me. It was one foot in front of the other, along with the support of many amazing entrepreneurial women with whom I’ve become very close. From website developers, photographers, and other personal chefs, to artists, these women fueled my idea and lent their skills.
After becoming certified, I started teaching yoga at the YMCA and I nannied for families who wanted help in the kitchen, which is how I began to build my skills. These jobs gave me a very intimate understanding of what families and people needed in their everyday lives. Taking care of our bodies and our health is a lot of work, and my business makes that easier for people to do. Although it is also a lot of work to run a business, I feel so fortunate to be offering services that immerse me in those things that have held me through life’s ups and downs. I’m so grateful for the relationships I’ve fostered with those I offer my services to and those who have supported me in doing so.

Heidi, 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 offer weekly meal delivery to people in the Austin area, as well as private yoga sessions. My services are very personalized, after a client fills out a detailed questionnaire about their food preferences I send them menus based on their answers. I aim to use as many local, in-season ingredients as possible and make all sauces and dressings from scratch. I cook with mostly olive oil and avoid processed sugar, or ingredients with preservatives in them. If my clients want something different from what I put on the menu I will change whatever they’d like me to. I do all of their grocery shopping on the day of their scheduled drop-off, then I cook their menu and deliver it to them! The minimum delivery is 5 entrees with sides, so they can reheat it throughout the week. There are some clients for whom I cook and also come to their homes for private yoga sessions. I love doing these sessions with clients, I learn so much about what they’re going through physically, and I am always happy to target that for them in class. Watching people end class feeling rejuvenated and invigorated is so rewarding. I aim to be very attentive both in our sessions and in the meals I deliver. In my line of work, I am shown some of the more vulnerable aspects of people’s lives, with their health and home life and I strive to show up for them with consideration, care, and effort. Both the dishes I curate and the yoga sessions I offer are comforting, tasteful, and nourishing.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

Word of mouth has been invaluable for my business. I have come as far as I have with the help of my mentor who has given me clients she couldn’t take on, recommendations from friends, and clients who recommend their friends or family to me. I’ve gotten clients from finding my business cards around Austin or were recommended to me in Facebook groups. I’ve volunteered at local festivities where I can promote my business and have had people tell me they have my business card on their fridge. I have also found clients on Nextdoor. It’s taken some time and trust that the exposure will gain traction, and it has. I don’t have a very strong social media presence but what I do have has made a difference. For me, it’s been about building a community that knows about me and thinks of me when a need arises. You just want to be in the forefront of people’s minds.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I didn’t go to school for cooking nor have I cooked in restaurants, so I had to build my business from very little, there was a lot of structure I had to create on my own, and fears I had to overcome to put myself out there. I decided this was what I wanted to do and threw myself into it, learning as I went. I gained clients and lost them, either from lack of experience or from their situations. After making the transition from nannying, with a couple of clients on the side to fully depending on my business, it was real, I had to depend solely on my skills to support myself financially. At one point I lost 3 of my 4 clients within a month. Although the financial reality was hard it was the blow to my ego and my faith in myself that took the hardest hit. I felt so vulnerable trying to gain new clients and putting myself back out there. I doubted myself and took the situation as a sign that I wasn’t capable. I explored different career paths and education options but when it came down to it, I was committed, this is what I chose and I had already come too far. I practiced viewing the flops as getting paid to learn, and not letting my mistakes or inexperience be a reflection of myself but a normal part of the process. If I didn’t take it personally I could focus on what I needed to to improve. It was hard, and sometimes still is when I get feedback that isn’t praise but being “successful” and good at something takes humility and grit, which I practice nearly every day… and not always by choice.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.nourishedbyheidi.com
• Instagram: nourished_byheidi
• Facebook: Nourished by Heidi
• Yelp: Nourished by Heidi

Image Credits
Lucero Photography