I Almost Gave Up...But I'm Still Here: What's Next For Meal Prep by Cort?

Cortrice Boone
18 hours ago
6 min read

There have been so many moments when I wondered if I was really going to make it.

Moments when I questioned whether I was doing something wrong.

Moments when I looked at my business and thought, Maybe this just isn't going to work.

And then there were moments when something happened that reminded me why I started in the first place.

That is the part of entrepreneurship that people don't always see.

They see the business.

They see the meals.

They see the social media posts.

They see the catering events.

They see the wins.

But they don't always see the person behind the business who is trying to figure it all out while navigating the ups, the downs, the disappointments, the lessons, and the victories.

That person is me.

My name is Cortrice, and this is my journey with Meal Prep by Cort.

The Journey Has Not Been Easy

Over the years, I have worked hard to get Meal Prep by Cort to the next level.

I've tried different things. I've made mistakes. I've had successes. I've experienced failures. I've had moments where I felt confident and moments where I questioned everything.

And if I'm being completely honest, I've been stubborn.

There were people who gave me advice. People who suggested things I should try or changes I should make. Sometimes I listened, and sometimes I didn't.

And then, somewhere down the road, I would find myself doing exactly what they told me to do in the first place.

Looking back, I can laugh about it now.

But I also understand something I didn't understand back then.

Sometimes, we aren't refusing to listen because we don't value the advice. Sometimes, we aren't ready.

I wasn't always ready.

I had to experience certain things for myself. I had to make mistakes. I had to learn lessons the hard way. I had to grow into the business owner—and the person—I am today.

And I'm still growing.

I Decided to Invest in Myself

One of the best things I have done for myself and my business is continue to learn.

I have attended business cohorts, workshops, training programs, and other opportunities that have allowed me to learn more about what it really takes to build a successful business.

And let me tell you something:

It works.

You have to be willing to learn.

You have to be willing to sit in rooms where you don't know everything.

You have to be willing to hear things that may challenge you.

You have to be willing to take notes, ask questions, and sometimes go back and do the things you were told to do years ago.

Every cohort I've attended has given me something.

Maybe it was a new connection.

Maybe it was a new idea.

Maybe it was information I didn't know I needed.

Maybe it was simply the encouragement to keep going.

I have learned that investing in yourself is never wasted.

Sometimes the return doesn't come immediately.

But eventually, you look back and realize that every lesson was preparing you for something.

Not Every Customer Stays Forever

One of the biggest lessons I've learned in business is that not every customer is going to stay.

I have continuous clients who continue to support Meal Prep by Cort, and I am incredibly grateful for every single one of them.

Then, I've had customers who ordered once and never came back.

For a long time, I might have looked at that and thought, What did I do wrong?

But I've learned not to take every "one and done" personally.

Business is personal because I'm the person behind it—but every customer has their own needs, preferences, schedules, budgets, and reasons for making the choices they make.

Some people will stay.

Some people will come and go.

Some people may leave and come back years later.

My job is to continue to provide the best experience I can, listen to my customers, improve where I need to improve, and keep showing up.

Because every customer teaches me something.

Every order teaches me something.

Every experience teaches me something.

And every lesson helps me become a better business owner.

Then Came Catering

This year, I decided to take another step.

I started catering in April.

And I'm going to be honest with you.

In the beginning, I wasn't sure if catering was going to work for me.

I questioned myself.

I wondered if I was stepping into something that was bigger than what I was ready for.

I thought maybe this wasn't my lane.

But I decided to keep going.

And something happened.

It started working.

The thing I was unsure about started becoming another opportunity for Meal Prep by Cort.

That experience taught me a lesson I think I will carry with me for the rest of my entrepreneurial journey:

Sometimes you don't know what you're capable of until you give yourself the opportunity to try.

If I had allowed my fear or uncertainty to make the decision for me, I may have never discovered that catering could be another part of my business.

And now I'm asking myself:

What else is possible?

So… What's Next?

That's the question I keep asking myself.

What's next for Meal Prep by Cort?

And honestly…

What's next for Cortrice?

I don't have a perfect answer.

But I'm okay with that.

For the first time, I'm learning that I don't have to have every step figured out before I take the next one.

Maybe the next chapter includes growing my catering business.

Maybe it includes expanding my granola into local stores and markets.

Maybe it includes more cooking classes.

Maybe it includes vendor events, partnerships, collaborations, and opportunities I haven't even imagined yet.

Maybe it includes something completely different.

Whatever it is, I know I'm going to be ready to learn.

I'm Not the Same Woman Who Started This Business

The biggest thing that has changed over the years isn't just Meal Prep by Cort.

It's me.

I am not the same woman who started this journey.

I have learned how to listen.

I have learned how to adapt.

I have learned that failure doesn't mean the end.

I have learned that success doesn't always look the way you imagined it would.

I have learned that sometimes you have to pause.

Sometimes you have to start over.

Sometimes you have to change your plan.

And sometimes you have to admit that the way you've been doing things isn't working—and be willing to try something new.

I have learned that building a business isn't just about building a brand.

It's about building yourself.

And I am still building.

I'm Still Here

When I look back at everything that has happened over the years, I realize something.

I may not be exactly where I thought I would be.

But I'm not where I started either.

And that's worth celebrating.

Meal Prep by Cort has survived the good days and the hard days.

It has survived the seasons when things were moving forward and the seasons when it felt like nothing was happening.

It has survived my mistakes.

It has survived my stubbornness.

It has survived my doubts.

And most importantly…

It has survived because I refused to give up.

I don't know exactly what the next level looks like yet.

But I know I'm closer than I was yesterday.

So, what's next for Meal Prep by Cort?

I guess we're about to find out.

What's next for Cortrice?

I'm still figuring that out, too.

But I'm excited.

Because now I understand that the next chapter doesn't have to look like the last one.

I can grow.

I can change.

I can pivot.

I can dream bigger.

I can listen more.

I can try again.

And I can continue to build something that I believe in.

To every customer who has supported me—whether you ordered once or you've been with me for years—thank you.

To every mentor, business coach, cohort, program, friend, family member, and supporter who has poured into me, challenged me, encouraged me, or simply reminded me to keep going—thank you.

You have all been a part of this story.

And to the person reading this who may be building something of their own and wondering if it's ever going to work:

Don't count yourself out too soon.

You may not be where you want to be yet.

You may have made mistakes.

You may have taken a few wrong turns.

You may even have to start over.

But that doesn't mean your story is over.

Sometimes, the next chapter is waiting on you to believe that you are still capable of writing it.

And as for me?

I'm still here.

I'm still learning.