Introducing our International Women’s Day winners
To celebrate women everywhere on International Women’s Day, we gave 20 woman entrepreneurs a free domain, hosting, and tools to build their websites as part of our Powered by Namecheap program.
We wanted to feature some of our fabulous winners in more detail, so we reached out to see who would like to tell us more. Presenting: Memorable Meals, Foodathlon, and The CanSurvivor’s Network. We especially loved these businesses, what they stood for, and what they do on a daily basis.
Here, the owners share, in their own words, what makes their business so special to inspire other woman entrepreneurs out there to attempt a business close to their hearts.
Memorable Meals
Memorable Meals was started by Mem Davis. Mem is predominantly a writer and editor, but is university qualified naturopath, nutritionist, and massage therapist. During the lockdowns of the COVID-19 pandemic, she realized her varied skillset could be combined in the form of a new business idea.
Memorable Meals offers a chance for friends to come together around the preparation and sharing of a meal. It was borne out of the lockdowns that came about due to COVID-19. ‘I really missed socializing and sharing meals with others. I also noticed that most health regulations were focused on external protections rather than internal. As a nutritionist, I know that diet is one of the best ways to boost your health and immune system… so, why not assist people with that through an enjoyable learning experience?’
A culmination of skills
While Memorable Meals is a fledgling start-up, it is not Mem’s primary occupation — yet. ‘I love each of my roles for different reasons, and Memorable Meals is an enjoyable way to bring some of those skills together.’ Creating something positive and new out of her existing skills is, rightly, something Mem is proud of in her business.
Even before Memorable Meals, she had a unique, and diverse journey. ‘I went from being a naturopath and store manager to being a writer and editor. Somewhere along the way I trained as a doula and got an extra qualification in marketing and communications. None of these roles exclude the others — they all come with skills that can be appropriated for a different purpose. Yes, it’s scary, but you learn to be flexible.’
Getting over that ‘out of place’ feeling
Starting something new isn’t easy for anyone, and it was no different for Mem. ‘Every single time I start something new I feel out of place. I think it’s natural to be unsure of yourself — the trick was to do it anyway!’
As with all entrepreneurs, we were curious as to the advice she would give others who are planning on doing the same. She replied: ‘Do something you love – not just for the sake of doing it. You’re going to spend a lot of time working on your business, so make sure it’s something that serves you and others.’
What her new website means
As a winner of our competition, Memorable Meals got an online presence. Mem finds this new visibility crucial to her business, especially because of the good SEO. ‘A website is also the most efficient way for me to book classes and create a customer database, as well as share all the exciting events and happy testimonials.’
The business in a line…
For Mem, Memorable Meals in a line is ‘… a social experience that combines good food and cheer!’ — and we couldn’t agree more.
Foodathlon
Also successful in multiple disciplines is Georgia Demertzi. She was originally a nurse, but after relocating from Greece to the Netherlands, it was hard to pursue nursing. ‘I’m a foodie by nature,’ she says, ‘and I started writing down my family recipes ever since I was a child .’
After being diagnosed as gluten intolerant in 2018, but growing up with Greek food and cooking, things had to change. She set up Foodathlon when she had some spare time in the COVID-19 pandemic, to share her family’s Mediterranean recipes and stories — often with a twist. ‘My family’s recipes are the traditional ones, and mine are usually twisted to be gluten-free and naturally sweetened. Twisting my favorite recipes allowed me to enjoy them once again. I created Foodathlon to share my recipes with the world – to show that even after allergies and intolerances, we can keep eating healthy and very tasty food.’
What her new website means
Social media platforms can be a blessing when it comes to the reach of small businesses, and Georgia uses them too, however, they also have their limitations. ‘A personal homepage means I can keep my website independent from social media platforms. I can connect with as many platforms as I want, without the fear of my content being removed or banned. I can have my own portfolio, set up an e-shop, host advertising, podcasts, and much more.’
Existing solely on Social Media means you are never really in control of your accounts, so many entrepreneurs do feel this way. There are also levels of customization Georgia enjoys. ‘I can display the content the way I like, using my favorite colors, fonts, styles, and display options. I don’t rely on external platforms and their algorithms and updates.’
Growing Foodathlon
With any business, an important element is being able to look to the future and set realistic goals. As well as steering the business towards profitability, Georgia wants to write a cookbook of all her favorite recipes. She adds: ‘I also like educating people about the health benefits of Mediterranean food and diet. Creating recipes for brands and magazines and photographing them is also something that I’m very interested in.’
The CanSurvivor’s Network
The CanSurvivor’s Network (TCSN) was set up by Kelsey K. Smith after her own battle with cancer. It is a limited liability corporation based out of Detroit, Michigan, that offers e-commerce consulting services to small and medium-sized businesses in the cancer community and beyond. TCSN utilizes a blog and podcasts (among other things) to share stories. ‘Writing is a deep passion of mine, so anytime a potential client needs a website written, I gladly oblige! My own blog is perfect for showing others my capabilities, while the podcast is an excellent marketing tool for showcasing clients and affiliates. Bringing concepts and ideas to life shows others they can do it, too!’
More than just the chance to share stories and support, TCSN is a network of organizations and initiatives that offer products, services, or educational tools that are created by cancer patients or survivors.
Where it began
TCSN started as a video blog. ‘I was 29 at the time of diagnosis, living across the country from my hometown, so the initial goal of TCSN was to give loved ones from afar a real, raw perspective on going through a stage two breast cancer diagnosis and treatment,’ Kelsey says. As she did so, she found others facing similar difficulties. ‘It became clear my story wasn’t unique. What was missing was a cohesive network of vetted initiatives started by individuals in various stages of cancer and treatment. With my background in sales and marketing, it has become my life’s work to close these gaps while showing the world that a harrowing diagnosis can be turned into something purposeful.’
What her new website means
As well as the blog and media platforms, TCSN offers organizational development services in the e-commerce space, including consulting, web design, logo, and brand management. The website helps provide a hub for all the elements of TCSN, as well as somewhere to direct potential clients to. ‘Having Namecheap in my corner allows TCSN to employ a lean-startup methodology when onboarding clients. Marketing is notoriously expensive, and so are medical expenses; therefore, we have to save as much as possible in case an unexpected surgery or economic downturn is lurking around the corner. It is critical to provide a tangible website to attract clients and keep others updated through the blog.’
To all our (Em)powered by Namecheap winners…
Congratulations to these three winners, and all the other 20 who are currently building, or improving their websites thanks to Powered by Namecheap. We love to see our products and services being put to great use and having a positive impact on both their owners and communities at large.
