We were lucky to catch up with Sierra Heller recently and have shared our conversation below.
Sierra, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
Back around 2014 I was working out regularly and had just started to get interested in bodybuilding. I knew nothing of the sport and decided to hire a coach. Other people in the gym, coworkers and family had watched me transform overtime and started asking me to help them with their goals. I knew just training wasn’t going to get them to where they wanted to be. They had to fuel their body right, so i started offering my services and would make meals for them every week.
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.
After getting out of the military in 2012 I was unsure of my next direction in life. I had moved to a different state and was working 3 jobs trying to make ends meet. I started working at a local gym as a janitor and was thrilled to have the opportunity to work at the gym. Even though I was just cleaning the facility I made sure to do it to the best of my ability, military style. After a short few months I was promoted to a manager just as our new gym location was opening. Around 2014 I had started competing in bodybuilding shows and doing pretty well. Members from the gym and other co workers would ask me to help them reach their goals. I knew the problem with them achieving their goal was because of food. If we could control what they were eating and how much they would see a drastic difference. So i started cooking for people part time, I would post it on my facebook and instagram and took all the orders on scrape pieces of paper and would try to do the math for a grocery list. Fast forward to 2018 I finally had enough working for employers that didn’t truly care and i quite my other jobs. The very next day I remember telling my significant other “ We’re just going to make it happen”. We would set up tables all around the kitchen and built out our garage with industrial fridges. Twice a week we had delivery drivers just circling through the driveway to pick up orders. Once covid happened we were scared that everything would crumble and all these thoughts came tumbling in. However the exact opposite happened for us, since most people weren’t going out and were getting serious about health our business grew quite a bit. Eventually we started cooking out of a community kitchen, bought a old step van and flipped it into a food truck. However we decided to sell the food truck before we ever turned on the gas. With the money from the food truck we were then able to finally find our own brick and mortar location.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
I think what really helped build my reputation within my market is the fact that i actually live a healthy lifestyle. My clients and people who live a healthier lifestyle know that I’m not just selling meal prep, but I’m offering a solution to one of the most important part of anyone’s life. They have watched me change over the years with diet and training as well as watching win several shows and overall titles.
How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?
When it came to funding the business I had no money, I was working as a bartender/ waitress at a sports lounge working 14+ hour days and at a vitamin shop. When i quite my jobs I literally had less than $200 to my name and no savings. I sold the sound system in my jeep, my couch, kitchen table and other random things to get the money to buy the food and Tupperware for my first round of orders.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://vbfitfuel.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vbfitfuel/
