Today we’d like to introduce you to Danika Brysha.
Danika, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Model Meals began in my tiny apartment kitchen in New York City’s West Village. After doing the Whole30 Challenge in January of 2014, I was left in awe at how much my life could change in just 30 days by changing what I ate. I emerged from the challenge 15 pounds lighter, with a level of mental clarity and energy that I’d never before experienced. I had gotten so used to my old “normal” that I had no idea I had the capacity to feel that good. I knew I never wanted to go back to the way I used to feel, and so I committed to making clean-eating my new lifestyle.
I used my new levels of energy to make other lifestyle changes. Armed with new self-care practices like fitness, meditation, gratitude, and more, the food I was eating gave me the fuel to completely transform my life. I became more present, vibrant, and happier. As a fashion model, I saw my body, skin, hair, and nails transform. My ADHD completely went away and I was able to focus in ways I’d never before had the capacity for. I ditched all prescription pills for good. I was hyper-productive and felt like I had superpowers, and this new mental clarity gave me the ability to look deeper into my life-long struggle with food addiction (sugar is very much a drug!).
I began sharing my recipes and healthy living tips on social media and within my community. People were really interested, but kept coming to me with the same challenges: “I don’t have time to cook”, “I don’t know where to start”, “I’m facing major food boredom”, and so on. I had an idea. If I could give people that healthy high FIRST, then it would be near impossible for them to go back to how they used to feel. And I could provide the recipes and resources to help them create this lifestyle for themselves long-term. If everyone was eating this way, it could completely transform the world.
I posted on my Instagram asking if anyone in NYC was interested in a healthy private chef, and was surprised at how many responses I got. As a practitioner of the “leap and the net will appear” mentality, I committed to feeding all of them… and Model Meals was born. I began cooking and delivering organic, Whole30-compliant, healthy meals around NYC by foot and subway, and would share my recipes on social media so that others could create their own Model Meals at home. The word “model” was all about education. Being a role model of how to live and eat cleaner. My landlord helped me install a second refrigerator in my studio apartment, and I spent time creating YouTube videos to educate others on how to make clean eating work for their lifestyle.
In early 2015, I decided I’d make the move back home to Southern California and into my parent’s garage so I could fully invest myself in building this business the right way. I teamed up with college friend Camille May, and in August of 2015 we brought Model Meals to life on the West Coast.
Over the last two and a half years, we’ve grown Model Meals to serve almost all of Southern California as well as the San Francisco Bay Area with plans to open more California locations, Arizona, and Las Vegas my mid 2018 and a second location in Austin, Texas in September 2018.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Definitely not. We built this business with no investors and with strictly the profits of our business. We’ve done everything there is to do in our operations, from cooking to delivery to building a website. We’ve had to get our hands dirty and with each burst of growth, we continue to learn. I would say that learning how to manage people and a wide range of personalities is the most challenging part but we have a great team and feel very optimistic for where we are headed.
I’d also say that living in my parents’ garage at the age of 27-29 was a bit of a struggle but sometimes that’s just what you have to do.
Please tell us about Model Meals.
Model Meals is the no subscription required, 100% Whole30/Paleo approved, ready-to-eat, meal prep service you’ve been searching for.
Our menu changes weekly, arriving fresh, not frozen twice a week. We use organic and locally sourced ingredients prepared by professional chefs packaged and delivered right to your door in sustainable, eco-friendly packaging, sending you text alerts all along the way.
Our meals have NO grains, dairy, added or refined sugar, legumes, soy, alcohol, or artificial ingredients. We use locally sourced organic ingredients whenever possible. Seriously the ingredients that we use are better than what you can even buy at Whole Foods in most cases. We really are using top quality across the board and we never sacrifice quality for cost.
What makes us different is that we are 100% Whole30 Approved, we do not require subscriptions, and our meals are offered a la carte so you can get what you want and avoid what you don’t like. Our ingredients come to us fresh – whole potatoes, tomatoes, fresh wild caught fish, etc. We aren’t getting frozen produce pre-chopped in a bag. We create our dishes fresh from start to finish.
I am most proud of the transparency and team we have built. I would allow anyone in our walk-in fridge, dry storage, or our kitchen. We have nothing to hide and we pride ourselves on our quality and cleanliness. We also have built an incredible team of people who are like family. I am so proud that we have been able to build this business without investors to this point (we’re not necessarily against it but it feels good to really feel like it’s our own at this point). This business comes straight from my heart. I really believe that food can change the world and that making it easier to eat in this way is key to that change.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
It’s funny, I grew up eating a lot of processed food and fast food. We just didn’t know at the time that the quick-fix food industry was having such devastating effects on us. I remember so many times sitting in front of the TV chowing down on Chex Mix and Gold Fish and Dunkaroos. I wouldn’t take that back for anything as it lead me to where I am today.
Another favorite memory is getting my first dog Kingsley. I was obsessed with dogs in a super nerdy way and Santa surprised me with a gift certificate to pick out any dog of my choosing. I was stoked!
Pricing:
- Meals are served a la carte and range from $7-15 per meal
- Delivery is $10 or free on orders over $150. If you order for both delivery days at once (Sunday and Wednesday) you only pay $5 for each day (Or nothing if over $150)
- Our minimum order is $40 and we offer a code for first timers for $25 off. Use code: FIRSTORDER
Contact Info:
- Address: 201 E 4th Street
Santa Ana, CA 92701 - Website: www.modelmeals.com
- Phone: 9496100869
- Email: [email protected]
Image Credit:
Annie Vovan
Britney Birkstresser
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