Meet Nicia Trice | Owner & Co-Founder of Dope Ass Meals

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nicia Trice and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nicia, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I am a true believer of taking risks and have done so consistently in life and with my careers. From a very young age, I have always had a great sense of adventure and love trying new things. I never have or will live life with the regret of could of, would have, should of. I am not fearful of taking risks and when I decide to do something, I jump right in. I believe taking risks are some of the best ways to learn as the outcomes can be very rewarding while others may not be as successful. I think society has conditioned most to think of failures as a bad rather than good. Failures can really be insightful if you can extract what you learned from the experience and how to make improvements in the future. This is one trait that has helped me in my previous corporate careers as well as my transition into entrepreneurship and launching Dope Ass Meals. I truly believe in our product and risked everything to launch it in the hope of achievement. But I am also a realist and acknowledge the potential of loss if not successful. Also, I have adapted into being comfortable being uncomfortable because there is so much uncertainty, especially in these times.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Dope Ass Meals is a local family-owned meal prep company located in San Diego and provide services to San Diego and the North County area. While most local meal prep companies tailor to the fitness and bodybuilding community, our target audience are professionals with demanding schedules and busy parents and families who do not have time to meal prep and their time is a high priority. For instance, it’s currently tax season and for an accountant or tax attorney who makes hundreds of dollars or more per hour, they value our service because we save them hours in time which equals money they will not lose out on. For busy parents, they value our service because we save them hours in planning, shopping, cooking, and cleaning and they will have more time to spend and be present with their kids. Our customers want healthy meals, but they do not require them to be super clean or super fancy. We set ourselves apart by providing a great balance with “Home Style Meals Made Healthy” that are full of flavor and inspired by home cooked family recipes old and new. We also invest in higher quality cuts of meat such as USDA Prime cut brisket and higher quality ingredients such as ghee, brown rice pasta, specialty sauces and organic veggies to name a few. Because of this, our meals are offered at a premium price point compared to most other companies and average $14-16 per entrée. With that comes delivering on high quality, service, and delicious meals. Dope Ass Meals is the ideal fit for any individual’s lifestyle, and their health, wellness, and fitness goals.

Getting to where I am today has not been easy and has been an amazing journey so far. Even before the idea of Dope Ass Meals was conceptualized, my corporate career had gone through some difficulties. Previously, I was in the pharmaceutical industry as a Senior Sales Representative for 8 years and then was laid off due to company downsizing after a hopeful drug was not approved by the FDA. Then I transitioned into a career into corporate wellness for a well-known big box gym brand heading up corporate sales for 23 clubs and was again laid off due to company downsizing. So, in 2 years, I experienced 2 layoffs and was with an 8-month-old daughter. Additionally, my hubby Mike had just launched his own personal training business months prior. At that time, I was so confused and didn’t really know what I wanted to do. I had a bad taste in my mouth about going back to corporate. But I had a daughter to support now so I started the process of applying and interviewing for jobs back into the pharmaceutical industry. Each interview I went to I did good but instantly knew I didn’t really want to go back. I would go home and sob to Mike. And he said, “Babe, you can throw down in the kitchen and I have some clients that have been asking about what they should eat. Why don’t you start meal prepping for them?” And just like that a lightbulb went off in my head and I immediately signed up for courses in health coaching and nutrition coaching. I have always been passionate about fitness, health, and wellness and from what I learned in the pharma industry and the medications I promoted I know there is a much-needed gap that needs to be filled between pharmacological medicine and lifestyle medicine. This was the perfect opportunity for me to blend the two worlds. In 2019, as I was earning my Health Coach, Nutrition Coach, and Food Safety certifications. To test the concept and product, I started meal prepping for a few of Mike’s clients. The feedback was great and together in January of 2020 we officially launched Dope Ass Meals.

Starting a small business in a heavy saturated and competitive market was challenging. For starters, we launched with no investment money. But we believed in our product and as the risk taker I am, I cashed out all my 401K, my savings account and sold my designer handbags (bye-bye LV”s) I collected over the years for startup money. And then the pandemic hit and talk about turning a negative into a positive. It was a great time to launch because we became an essential business. People were scared to go to grocery stores, worried about food shortages, and quarantined. We grew an organic following and gained additional customers through word of mouth that has gained us incremental growth year over year. We just entered our 3rd year of business and are still learning and growing and have a long way to go to achieve our goals. Two of the most important lessons that I have learned along the way is to constantly be comfortable being uncomfortable and to constantly pivot and adapt. We are still new and small enough to easily make changes due to the market and customer feedback and/or demand. For example, when we first started, we did tailor to the fitness industry and offered customized meals and sponsorships but found that over time, that was not our niche. Through trial and error, we learned our true target audience and adjusted accordingly.

One of the things I am most excited to see over the last couple of years is that we have long-term customers who still place orders and have been with us since the beginning. We also have seen some amazing transformations with a few of our long-term customers who have achieved their individual goals of weight reduction while eating our meals along with fitness training. And I’m talking 30-60 pounds. So, there is proof that one can eat meals full of flavor that are not super clean but are still healthy and achieve their goals. Dope Ass Meals is a brand that believes that eating healthy doesn’t have to be bland or boring and are all about smashing goals, having fun, enjoying life, and living a consistent, healthy, and balanced lifestyle.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
These days at 43, I am fairly simple and am either working, being mom, working out or being a foodie. My friends have a somewhat similar lifestyle so when they visit, we get in some time with nature whether on a hike at one of the beautiful trails here to hanging out at the beach. My two favorite beaches here are Coronado and La Jolla Cove. At La Jolla Cove we love George’s at the Cove where we can eat some tasty food and drink some yummy cocktails along with an amazing ocean view. On other days we turn into big kids and entertain my daughter at Sea World, San Diego Zoo, or the many venues at Balboa Park. When it’s time to grub (and I get a break from cooking) we frequent our favorite neighborhood spots here in Mission Hills like Jo’s Diner, RK Sushi and Harley & Gray Kitchen & Bar. And, when night falls, we like to get fancy and go to our friend’s bar Understory in Del Mar, Nobu Downtown or C-Level near the Harbor.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My success comes from an incredible support system including my family, friends, and mentors. My daughter Ayva is my purpose, “my why.” She is what drives me daily and the reason why I work so hard and why I will never give up. I want to be the best mother and role model I can be to her. My husband is my biggest cheerleader and the best coach. He is patient, and a good listener through my meltdowns to celebrating wins. He is brutally honest with things I can improve on but also highlights my strengths. He supports and encourages my self-care which honestly sometimes can get lost between working for and running our business to motherhood. My friends offer tremendous support by being great listeners, believing in me, purchasing meals, and spreading the word. They also give feedback good or bad. I like the good feedback because it makes my day when I create an awesome dish that they found delicious. However, I appreciate the bad feedback the few times it comes, because it lets me know they truly care, and they want me to succeed. The best way for me to know what is working and what is not is their honest transparency. And my mentors are insanely helpful. They each own successful companies and are very giving with their knowledge, advice, and resources. Why spend time reinventing the wheel when you can learn from the success and failures of others that have already been there and done that?!

Website: https://dopeassmeals.com

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Image Credits
The JNGL