"Don’t compare your first chapter to someone’s 20th" with Rachel Lessenden

Rachel Lessenden is a vegan and plant-based food specialist and founder of the Health My Lifestyle Meal Planner, an online meal planning application aimed at providing easy recipes and meal planning tools to save users time and take the guesswork out of what to eat. Certified in Plant-Based Nutrition and with extensive research into the health benefits of a whole foods plant-based diet, she has helped thousands of people transition to a sustainable and healthy plant-based diet. Through online summits and workshops, she teaches others how to implement and cook easy and tasty, balanced vegan meals. 

Can you tell our readers about your background?  

I started out in a completely different industry doing consulting for telecommunication companies. After learning of the health benefits of a plant-based diet and how it can prevent and in some cases even reverse America’s number one killer of heart disease (heart disease runs in my family), I immediately made the switch. Not only was I feeling more energetic, had better digestion and clearer skin, but I lost weight effortlessly. That’s when I knew this was more than just a diet – it was a lifestyle. I started sharing what I had learned with friends and family and saw them seeing the benefits as well. That’s when I knew I wanted to help as many people as possible to feel their best. 

I completed the Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate in 2018 from eCornell and the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies so that I could better understand the health benefits and provide the best advice possible.

What inspired you to start your business?   

I started my business because I saw that as more and more people were turning to a plant-based diet for whatever reason – for their health, to reduce their environmental impact, or to reduce exploitation of animals – there was a need for a resource to help them transition to this lifestyle in a sustainable and practical way. Many people come to a plant-based diet unprepared. They remove animal products from their diet without filling the gaps, risking under-eating, and nutrient deficiencies. I realized that with the right tools and guidance, they could avoid making those common mistakes and actually thrive on a plant-based diet from the start.

Where is your business based?  

My business is based completely online. This allows me to work from anywhere, which is why my husband and I decided to move to Mexico. We have lived in Cancun, Mexico for the past two years working from home.

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took? 

It all began when I started sharing recipes and tips for new vegans on my social media channels and blog. Many of my posts started taking off. That’s when I knew I was on to something. As my social media following grew, many people started asking if I would make them custom meal plans. They needed something designed for them because generic meal plans weren’t cutting it. They wanted something to fit their taste preferences, their schedule, and their fitness goals. After receiving several requests, I created a landing page for it on my website, marketed it to my email list and social media following, and made several sales in the first hour.

As the requests grew, my time to focus on other things dwindled. That’s when I realized, a meal planning application that could essentially “replace” me would be more efficient and allow me to help more people while providing a more affordable option. That’s how the idea for the meal planner was born.

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?  

Social media has been a huge part of raising awareness for my business. It’s where everything started for me. A big part of it has been growing my social media presence and networking with others in my niche. Saying “yes” to speaking opportunities has also played an important role in raising awareness. I try to participate in as many of these opportunities that I can.

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?  

One of the biggest challenges I have faced is overcoming the obsession with vanity metrics. Yes, likes, comments, and followers help boost you in the algorithms and reach more people but they’re not the end all be all. Just because a post has a lot of likes doesn’t mean it translates into more clients. Once I gave myself permission to not care about vanity metrics so much, it was a huge weight lifted off of me. Now that energy can go towards tasks that actually convert to clients without having to worry about whether a post is performing well or not. Figuring out what matters and what doesn’t is a necessary lesson to learn in the long game. 

How do you stay focused? 

I stay focused by breaking down tasks into smaller, more manageable chunks. This allows me to get more done instead of being overwhelmed by the big looming task and risk procrastinating. When I can see the finish line for a task, I’m much more likely to start it and finish it. I also make sure to take breaks as needed. Burn out is common so I’m trying my best to listen to my own advice and take mental breaks when needed. I need to be better at giving myself permission to take the day off.

How do you differentiate your business from the competition?  

Once I had come to the conclusion that a meal planning application was the best solution to scale my business, I made a note to look at what other similar applications were lacking. I saw a need for an easy meal planning application that is fully customizable and specifically designed to be whole food plant-based. Many of the meal planning applications available are either not easy to customize or use mock meats and cheeses that are expensive and hard to find. I wanted something that anyone can use. No matter where they live, no matter the ingredients available to them, I wanted to create a resource to bring them healthy and affordable recipes.

One size does not fit all. Everybody has access to different stores and foods. Everybody has different schedules and needs for their family. What sets my meal planning application apart is how robust it is to account for all of that. You can easily adjust your schedule to fit your needs, scale recipes to feed your unique family, find recipes quickly that works for your taste preferences, and dietary restrictions.

We pride ourselves on being the only whole food plant-based meal planner that gives you full control to create weekly customizable meal plans to your liking. No other planner allows you to create weekly schedules with daily totals of the full nutrition information so that you can easily fit it into your lifestyle and fitness goals. It’s truly the flexibility that sets us apart.

What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?   

Similar to bringing awareness to my business, my most effective marketing strategy to grow my business has been networking and partnering with like-minded individuals in the same niche. We are all working towards the same goal – helping people transition to a plant-based diet in a healthy way – so why not work together? This has mainly been through building out my affiliate program but also through supporting and engaging with each other’s work. I truly believe the more we give, the more we get.

 What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?  

If you’re an aspiring entrepreneur, the best piece of advice I can give is to remember that no one succeeds immediately. It takes time, hard work, and lots of learning. Don’t compare your first chapter to someone’s 20th. As long as you’re passionate and persistent, you’ll get there. Don’t lose sight of why you’re doing this. 

What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?  

My favorite app is Trello. It’s how I organize my workflow and plan out my content strategy. My favorite blog is Millennial Revolution. Their story of achieving early retirement in their 30’s is inspiring. I have learned a lot about managing money from them and making sure that I’m investing in my future wisely. My favorite book right now is Fiber Fueled by Dr. Will Bulsiewicz. It’s a new groundbreaking book on gut health, rigorously researched, approachable for all, and a lot of fun to read.

What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why? 

My favorite business tool is Canva. I use it to make infographics across all my social media platforms. It’s the tool I attribute most of my success to because it has allowed me to make so many graphics with ease that are shareable and have reached so many people. I can’t do my work without it.

Who is your business role model? Why?  

It’s hard to name just one but I’d have to say my friend Juanita Johnson, founder of Personify Enterprises, a marketing consulting company that specializes in working with start-ups and small businesses. She works hard but she also knows how to have fun and live life to the fullest! I’m lucky we crossed paths in Mexico. She is truly an inspiration. 

How do you balance work and life?  

This is still a struggle for me but I’m trying to be more mindful of it. I try to keep set work hours so that I can relax and decompress in the evenings. I also try to say yes to more things on the weekends to get myself out of the house and away from my computer. This has been harder lately with stay at home orders and most things being shut down.

What’s your favorite way to decompress?   

Working out is a huge stress relief for me, but also just going on a long walk. My husband and I go on a long walk most evenings. It’s when we catch up with each other about our days, talk through our struggles, bounce ideas off of each other, and dream of our future. It’s my favorite part of the day.

What do you have planned for the next six months?  

In the next six months, I am focusing on other areas of social media to grow. I’m planning to focus on building out content for Youtube and TikTok to reach those audiences and help more people through visual media. I also love working with fellow vegan and plant-based bloggers and have some exciting partnerships coming up.

How can our readers connect with you?  

Readers can find me as @healthmylifestyle on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Youtube, see my latest recipes and transitioning tips on my website, or check out the Health My Lifestyle Meal Planner.