Meet Megan Haley of Happy Belly

Today we’d like to introduce you to Megan Haley.

Hi Megan, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.

In 2013, I decided to attend The Institute of Culinary Education in New York City as a backup plan. I wasn’t finding fulfillment working in the music industry, and I had always loved to cook, so I figured, let’s give culinary school a try and see how it goes! I absolutely loved it and I’m so glad I took that leap of faith. After graduating, I worked for high-end catering companies in New York and did some private chef work on the weekends.

This quickly helped me realize how much I enjoyed the personal aspect of working with a client one-on-one to develop meal plans and recipes that suit their dietary needs, health goals, and tastes. It wasn’t until I moved to Nashville and gave birth to my first son, Tino, in 2017, that I started my personal chef company, Happy Belly.

In the beginning, my vision for the company was to care for pregnant and postpartum moms, helping them through this incredible life transition that I had just undergone. But word quickly spread, “If you need healthy food, call Megan.” And now Happy Belly cooks for all kinds of individuals and families.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I certainly encountered (and still encounter) road bumps, but they helped me learn that I can’t run a business and take care of my family without help. The biggest leaps I have been able to take with my business have been because I paid someone to help me with a task at which I am not an expert. I’ve learned not to let myself get bogged down in work that doesn’t come naturally to me, and instead focus my energy where I can impart the most value. For me, that’s time spent communicating with clients, developing meal plans and recipes, and envisioning the future of Happy Belly.

I recently hired someone to take over my social media and I’m SO glad I did! With regards to hiring help: I am a strong proponent of monetarily valuing people – especially women – for the work they do. I think there are lots of small women-owned businesses out there who think they need to trade their wares as a “favor” to friends and other business owners.

But I so much prefer to value the work of friends and entrepreneurs I admire by paying them what they deserve and encouraging others to do the same. I hope this builds confidence in our community for these small women- and minority-owned businesses to value themselves highly and thrive.

We’ve been impressed with Happy Belly, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Happy Belly is a personal chef company that provides nature’s most nourishing foods to our clients. Typically, a client works with me to develop a custom meal plan, then one of our incredible chefs shops for groceries, goes to the client’s home, cooks each meal completely, packages and labels everything, neatly stores it, and cleans up.

The client’s only job is to approve the new menu I write for them each week, then open the fridge and enjoy their freshly prepared meals! We work with all diets and specialize in pregnancy nutrition, postpartum care, and unique dietary needs and allergies. In addition to being Head Chef, I’m also a Certified Health Coach and am partnered with a couple of Nashville-based dieticians who provide advice as needed.

I’m very excited to announce that we’ll be launching a limited meal delivery program in September. Happy Belly is going to offer a complete Whole30 package including breakfast, lunch, and dinner delivered to your home for 30 days, as well as community support and education from our licensed Nutritional Therapy Practitioner. We have already received an amazing response from our current clients, and hope to offer this program with a new menu each season.

What were you like growing up?
I was an adult in a kid’s body! My mom is an excellent cook and loves to host dinner parties. You could always find me at the grown-ups’ table, listening to them talk and sneaking bites from their plates.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.happybellynashville.com
• Instagram: happybellynashville
• Facebook: happybellymama

Image Credits
Britt Bremnes