Put your feet up and grab a warm drink! I've got some awesome announcements for you and a story I thought I'd never tell. I hope you can enjoy today's post and that it inspires you in some way.
It’s been a big month for me and this here blog.
I’ve got TWO big announcements that have my heart bursting with absolute joy. I've also got a story to tell that I have absolute knots in my stomach about, so we'll start with the lighthearted announcements 🙂
I’ve been dropping sneak peeks about these announcements for a couple of months now, so I’m not likely to shock you with the news perse, but to make it all official feels soooo amazing!
ANNOUNCEMENT #1
I’ve got myself a new partner on the blog! She’s inspiring, talented, and fearless, and I used to rock her to sleep when my mom was busy.
Let me introduce Maegan, my sister, business partner, and free therapist whenever I need to vent about various motherhood topics.
She’s also an incredible cook, freezer meal creator extraordinaire, and will add so much to the InstaFresh blog and social media accounts.
Maegan and I have been through A FREAKING LOT together over the past two years. We’re still dropping jaws daily at where this path has led us. I'll get to that in a second for those who would like to know more about that story.
ANNOUNCEMENT #2
Maegan and I wrote a cookbook!
With the close of our freezer meal business (again, we’ll get to that in a sec), we had Utah locals flooding our inbox asking if they could get our recipes + other freezer meal tips and tricks so they could stock their freezers on their own.
It’s an amazing “full circle” feeling to package these recipes into a pretty book and offer them to anyone who needs more dinner-time ease.
We will be making a cookbook for every season (similar to how we ran our brick-and-mortar business), so there are even more Instant Pot freezer meal cookbooks to come!
Our Fall Edition is now available and filled with all the cozy meals you want this time of year. The book includes everything you need to know to make your freezer meals with so much ease, that you will ACTUALLY DO IT! There is nothing worse than buying a cookbook only to have it sit on your shelf. This one will become a staple in your home, I just know it!
Learn more about our Fall Edition Instant Pot Freezer Meal Cookbook here.
Psst, it’s also for the slow cooker fans in the crowd.
THE INSTAFREEZE STORY
Now, for those who have been around here for a while and would love to know the miracles, heartaches, and devastation of the past couple of years, here is our story.
Being in the thick of mothering young kids, Maegan and I would often say, “A good meal at the end of the day really does fix a lot of things”.
There’s something so unmistakably healing about dinnertime, and our hearts longed to help other moms find ease and joy in making dinner for their families.
We got together and decided we would open a store where we could make and sell Instant Pot freezer meals so that all our fellow mamas had to do was take a meal from the freezer and pop it into the pot.
So we did just that! We found a building in Northern Utah and turned it into our brick-and-mortar dream.
Business started out amazing. We were bombarded with feedback like:
- “This has transformed dinnertime!”
- “These are so easy that my husband and kids can start dinner!”
- “I finally enjoy making dinner.”
- “These meals have been a lifeline through some major life challenges.”
And so on. We felt like we had truly achieved what we had set out to do.
Within a couple of months of our store opening in March 2022, grocery prices started to soar and as evidenced by September 2023, they never came down.
We tried to keep our prices the same but we were losing money very quickly. We bumped prices up. Grocery prices went up again. So we bumped our prices up again, and still grocery prices kept climbing. We were losing money, FAST.
Eventually, the price point of our meals became too much for the family market we wanted to serve, and our sales quickly fell.
Maegan and I fought hard to keep it going. We opened up delivery, held tasting parties, cut back on staff, shortened our store hours, took on more tasks ourselves instead of hiring help, created a shippable product, etc.
We’d get glimpses of hope occasionally that would make us think we could turn this baby around. Our passion for helping our fellow mamas and getting families back to the dinner table fueled us month after month – we were determined to make this work.
Amidst the sales challenges, we also faced a burglary, employee threats, and late payment threats, all while fighting personal mountains such as unexpected health scares, heartbreaking child struggles, anxiety, depression, etc, all while not making a single dime and draining every penny we had ever saved.
When I tell you it was intense, my friends, that is a massive understatement.
I’m so proud to say that through it all, Maegan and I have kept and grown a friendship that has proven to withstand any hard blow.
With several people advising us to “Never go into business with your family,” we came up with our motto that we would always look out for each other and if we ever started playing a negative story in our head, we were to voice our concerns before it ever took control of our emotions.
We held strong to our belief that our partnership was meant to secure our sister bond, not destroy it.
After going back and forth on whether we try to save the business, borrow more money, and keep up the grind, we decided early this year that it was time to close. We quite literally had nothing left to give, financially, emotionally, and physically.
It’s been scary, this process of closing a business. We have a loan that will follow us for many years (we call it “The House on the Lake that we will never have time to visit”) and feel the weight of broken relationships that have resulted from hard business decisions.
But you want to know the crazy thing about all of this? We haven’t ever, not once, said, “Well, that was a mistake; why did we do that?”
Because ever present in the past two years was the feeling that we were called to this mission and, despite all that happened, that there was a reason for it that hopefully we still get to discover one day.
Not to say that there weren't a few times that I yelled at the heavens to let God know how stupid I thought this was and that I wanted him to fix it (we all act like immature children sometimes, right?), but I’ve never felt so lead to do something in my entire life. For whatever purpose, InstaFreeze needed to exist for a small season. If I ever discover why, I’ll be sure to let you know 🙂
So here we are, two years later, beaten and bruised but stronger and more knowledgeable than ever and ready to take on the next chapter of our partnership, wherever that road may lead.
For now, that looks like a cookbook and a food blog where we can continue our mission of “Bringing Families Back to the Dinner Table.”
With the many hardships our families have endured recently, we stand strong in our belief that dinnertime is essential and a place for joy and healing.
Before I wrap up this essay of a blog post, there’s one more thing I wanted to leave with you.
A neighbor asked me, “What have you learned from this business venture?” I’ve had a couple of weeks to think about this, and here are my top 5.
5 THINGS I LEARNED BEING A MOM IN BUSINESS
1) ASSUME THE BEST: Whether it is customers, employees, or family, assume there is a loving person in everyone. We’re all humans just trying to be better humans, and sometimes we’re not that great at it 🙂 Dealing with conflict is much easier with that core belief.
2) WORK FROM PASSION: Our passion was to help moms. Money and fame would have never been enough of a motivator to carry us through the challenges we endured. Find your passion motivator and come back to it often.
3) FOLLOW YOUR GUT: When you’re working with someone and something “doesn’t seem right” 10 out of 10 times, it’s because something isn’t right! Dig deep, figure out what it is, and if necessary, cut the ties immediately (before they’ve taken advantage of your trust and money).
4) PRAY LIKE YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT: I used to consider prayer and faith in God something “nice to have.” But now? My dependence on God and his loving direction feels like an absolute essential to merely existing on a day-to-day basis. Never turn your back on God. You can be mad at him and yell like an immature 4-year-old on occasion about the trials you’re struggling through, but there will never be a better, wiser friend.
5) WORK WITH SOMEONE YOU LOVE: Work is a lot more fun when you’re doing it with someone you love who has the same motivation as you. Working with Maegan is a true “1+1= A MILLION” experience. Even when it was hard, it was fun.
Okay, I think I’ve said all I can say about this.
If you still have questions or things you wonder about, Maegan and I have decided to be open about our journey in hopes that our experience can bless and direct someone else.
Here’s to a hope-filled journey ahead!
Whether this new path looks like a new blogging adventure with my sis, a rebirth of our freezer meals somehow/somewhere, or a lottery winning that allows Maegan and I to take a year-long vacation, I’m here for it all (especially that vacation part – that sounds nice)!
Thank you for being here, my dear friends. Your support and emails have been a true treasure.
Get excited for cookbooks, new recipes, and Maegan's fabulous social media content!
ALLISON says
Thank you so much for your honesty in sharing your story. I followed your store journey and wished I had lived closer to be able to shop there! 🙂
The costs of food has affected our family tremendously, too. WIth 18-20 year old boy athletes in the home, who can eat enough for at least 6 people, the food supply goes up every year, and the budget has not changed. :/
I love the stories you 2 sisters share, and I am happy to support your business and have already purchased the Fall cookbook. Keep working – I am so grateful for your tips and recipes, and I am praying for you both. <3
Isaiah 40:29-31 NIV
He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Marci says
Allison, thank you for your kind words and scripture. It still feels heavy at times and I love the vision of “soaring on wings like eagles”. It made me catch my breath when I read it❤️
Mary says
What an adventure you’ve had – all the ups and downs. I am sorry that the downs ended up prevailing – and that you have a beautiful lake house you won’t get to visit. That made me sad AND smile. I like the way you and Meghan have pivoted together – and am looking forward to receiving the cook book – and some freezer tubs! I bought one for myself and for my two young new mom friends – hoping they’ll find them to be useful as they launch their next chapter with kids!! Thank you both for sharing your talents with us all! 🙂
Marci says
Mary, I could give you the biggest hug right now! Thank you for sharing the books with others. It makes me feel like we can still contine the mission we set out on through the efforts of others. Thank you!
Rebecca says
I’m so sorry about your business. I thought it was a great idea and something I wish I had here where I live. With that said, you’re spot on about the cost of getting a decent meal on the table. It truly is getting harder and harder. It has to slow down at some point right? 🙂 I hope and pray you are able to find success.
Marci says
Rebecca, we kept saying the same thing, “prices have to stabilize at some point, right?” Every now and again we’d see a bump down and then it would go even higher. Sigh. But I’m feeling more hopeful this week. Even the rough stuff had a purpose 🙂
Christie says
Sometimes it’s just whatever it takes to get us back to God, Really Back. We are here for His plan not ours. And His Plan is always better. He’s got you!!!
Marci says
Christie, So so true. Big hug to you. Sometimes that thought alone makes the trials seem purposeful.
Jen says
We were so sad when you closed! Especially with how my last meal delivery was packaged (it took up soooo much less space)! But I am thrilled to have the cookbook on order and glad you have found a new path.
Marci says
Jen, you were one of our biggest cheerleaders, thank you so so much! I’m excited for you to try out the book and prep your meals at home! You’ll have to let me know how it goes.
Maria says
Thank you so much for sharing your journey! I love reading about your sister bond. I am sorry that your business dream hit so many bumps, but your wonderful attitude is an inspiration. I totally agree with you that the dinner table is important foundation for strengthening the family!
Marci says
Maria, Yes, our sister bond has definitely proved to be unbreakable. If a tornado can’t break you :). Good things to come!