COLUMBUS--Cleveland natives, friends and business partners Ashley Otler and Lauren Cotten first met one another two years ago, as both women were beginning their personal health and fitness journeys.

  • Two Columbus women have taken their weight loss and fitness journey to the next level with a meal prep service which delivers nutritious meals right to your door. 
  • Meal prepping is a growing trend and can save you a lot of time and energy during the week, not to mention help you maintain a healthy diet. 
  • Pink Spoon Meal Prep of Columbus serves around 200 clients per week. 

“We were working out at the same gym here in Columbus and we just quickly became friends. We both were at a time in our life when we were trying to lose weight, trying to get more active, be more healthy," says Co-Owner, Ashley Otler. 

The two first began with an online fitness blog, and then decided to take it a step further, by starting a meal prep company.

But many questions still remained for the first time entrepreneurs who love to cook but don't have a background in the culinary arts.

“How do we put out a menu, other than our friends? How are we going to get this lined out as a full on business. So we just kind of learned throughout the process. We just started and we just kept adding on pieces and layers and keep taking away pieces and layers and it turned into this," says Co-Owner, Lauren Cotten.  

They then teamed up with the folks at the Economic and Community Development Institute of Columbus and Pink Spoon Meal Prep was born.

They've been at their current location in November, serving the local community by word of mouth, their website and social media.

 

 

But word spread quickly, and now the company is serving 200 customers per week with pre-packaged health conscious meals.

“Pink spoon has been able to make their lives just easier by having those ready made options that are delivered on Sunday to them, and then they have their lunch or breakfast for the week and then they're not temped by fast food, restaurant eating, and they save money in the long run," says Otler. 

The co-owners say they're looking for a chef to take over business operations and would also like to expand outside of their 30 minute delivery radius. And besides helping their clients meet their goals, Pink Spoon ownership would also like to increase its outreach into the community, possibly open a store front in the future.

And their advice for other female entrepreneurs is simple. 

“If you want to do something, step out and do it, but find somebody else to go on the journey with you. Find at least one other person who is going to be just as passionate, just as hard working, but is also your balance. You need to find someone who is not exactly like you, but has the same drive as you," says Cotten. 

For more information on Pink Spoon Meal Prep, follow this link.