An Interview With: Perfect Provender

I've said this before but hosting other people on my blog is probably up there with one of my favourite things to write about.. I get to discover new blogs, small business and people and I'll be honest, I am a little bit nosey so I do enjoy delving a little deeper into the person behind a blog or business, what they do and why they do what they do. I love being able to share some of these people with you lovely lot who read my blog and that's why I created this series for 2019: An Interview With...
This month I have the pleasure of hosting an amazing lady who's small business I have seen grow since she launched it only a short time ago! I'll let Jodie of Perfect Provender do the talking...

WHO ARE YOU AND what do you do for a living?

I'm Jodie McGregor and I have recently launched my own brand of granola (Perfect Provender) and also run my own personal training business as well as doing a degree in Food and Nutrition at Teesside University.

what made you want to go into this business?

When I left school I was actually running a professional competition yard of event horses, I always thought that would be my career as I had represented Great Britain at Junior level and was fully absorbed in the 'horse world'! I made the decision to come out of that for a number of reasons but decided to go into personal training. I have always loved fitness and it seemed like the perfect route for me to take; I love working with my wonderful clients and it's a very rewarding job! Working with people to improve their health led me to the nutrition degree; I want to be able to give credible advice but also have a much deeper understanding of food and how it effects us.
At Teesside Uni they have an amazing scheme called 'Launchpad' to help students with a business idea get it off the ground; I had been thinking about launching my brand of granola for a little while and this scheme has enabled me to do that!

with regards to your newest business, perfect provender, what inspired you to take the leap and start this brand?

Having worked with a lot of people trying to eat a healthy diet but also being rushed off their feet, I wanted to provide a breakfast option that ticked all the boxes. So many brands of cereal and granola are packed with sugar and are actually very unhealthy, even though they are marketed as a healthy option! I developed my recipe as an honest, instant breakfast option for my clients and they seemed to love it!
At the start of 2018, we decided to try and do all of our food shopping plastic free; the only product I couldn't get was granola. All the other brands were packaged in plastic or not that healthy. I therefore decided to combine my trusted granola recipe with the idea of biodegradable packaging and bring it to the market! It's always a risk doing something for yourself; having been self employed since I left school, I know how scary it can be not knowing when you'll get paid or if these risks will pay off. I do however, also know how amazing it feels when things come together and can't wait to see where the Perfect Provender journey takes me!

WHO WOULD YOU SAY IS YOUR CORE AUDIENCE OR THOSE YOU'D HOPE TO REACH OUT TO?

My product is aimed at people who care about their health and see the food they eat as an investment in their health; my target audience are also those who care about the environment and their community. I want to use my social media as obviously a way of connecting people with my product, but also with each other and the greater world. I am running some events that revolve around breakfast or brunch and include an activity such as a walk or yoga and really want to bring people together through the power of food, community and the earth. Perfect Provender is not just about granola! It's about creating an impact on a larger scale so I hope that my social media reflects that!

THERE IS SAID TO BE A HUGE SENSE OF COMMUNITY BETWEEN people in the health and wellness industry; HOW DO YOU THINK SOCIAL MEDIA HAS IMPACTED ON THIS?

Having grown up and lived in rural parts of Yorkshire, people with similar passions and interests are often few and far between! Social media was my first insight into the greater fitness and wellness community and has given me so many wonderful opportunities and allowed me to connect with people I would otherwise have never met.

on your website you share lots of different types of content; do you have a particular favourite thing to write about?

I really enjoy sharing content about all aspects of health and wellness but like it to be relatable and realistic. There is a lot of content out there but sometimes it can be very 'exclusive' (to a certain age group or fitness level) so I like to think I provide a balanced approach to everything from eating local, seasonal food and the benefits of getting outdoors to the benefits of spending time with the people you love to help you feel good! I like people to be able to take just a little piece of info and feel like they can use it to make their lives better. Sometimes fitness and health can seem very intimidating and like you have to live by very strict rules and have washboard abs to be classed as 'healthy'; in reality this is far from the truth and healthy comes in a number of shapes, sizes, ages and certainly isn't exclusive!

you FEATURE recipes HEAVILY ON YOUR BLOG AND of course with your new perfect provender brand; WHAT FOODS DID YOU GROW UP WITH AND HAS THIS INFLUENCED YOUR RECIPE WORK?

I have been lucky enough to grow up with home cooked meals and a wholesome approach to food; I grew up on a farm so meals were at the same times every day and were important because we were always busy working outside. My love of food and cooking definitely started with learning to bake at my grandmas house on a weekend; collecting eggs from the hens and baking cakes for 10 o'clocks!

WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF YOUR Business?

Meeting people and seeing the effect my business has on others...whether that's bringing people together for breakfast or a lovely email from a customer saying thank you for giving them a healthy, gluten free breakfast option!

WHAT'S YOUR LEAST FAVOURITE PART OF YOUR Business?

When things are going wrong and there is only you to pick up the pieces! Sometimes it's easy to make yourself feel very lonely and trapped when you've been working your bum off and things still don't go to plan. This does also however teach you to appreciate the good times and make you savvy when it comes to problem solving!

IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE YOUR Business, WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'D BE DOING INSTEAD?

I'd love to have my own cafe! A little healthy eating hub, so maybe I'd be doing that. I really love working on different exciting projects so I'm sure it wouldn't be an office job!!

FINALLY, IF YOU COULD GIVE ONE PIECE OF ADVICE TO SOMEONE WANTING TO START their own health and wellness brand, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

Make sure you are REALLY passionate about it. This will shine through when you start the business and when you start to sell you product, if you're doing it to be rich as your number one reason...then don't do it...go and manage a hedge fund or something! Do it because you love it and because you care.

Note: All images provided by Jodie :)

Amie xx

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about me

THE GIRL BEHIND FITNESS FORSTER

My name is Amie and I am the face behind Fitness Forster.
I am a freelance recipe developer, content creator and qualified personal trainer. I developed this website to share my passion for healthy recipes, fitness and travel.