Meet Tori Rivera

We recently connected with Tori Rivera and have shared our conversation below.

Tori, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

I started back when I was a little girl, being very interested in food and cooking. From watching Food Network, cooking for my family, and knowing I wanted to go to culinary school from early on, I was set on this was what I was meant to do. Always being tall and skinny, I got lots of comments about my size and no matter how much I ate, I always struggled to put on weight. It wasn’t until I was almost 27 years old, was I diagnosed with crohns, SIBO, and a plethora of autoimmune and mental health issues. Which kind of all made a lot more sense to me, kind of made things click, why I couldn’t put on weight, why I was always so cold, my wrists would get numb easily, and so much more. From being the kid that always complained about her stomach hurting, I was finally getting the diagnosis that made it all make sense. But it wasn’t until the diagnosis, that things had already gotten pretty bad for me, and I had exhausted all options and finally turned inward on my body. I started focusing on the foods I was feeding myself and ingesting daily, and noticed that when I changed those things I started feeling better. That’s where I kind of put the two together and realized that our food can heal us, and that some of us are better at preparing it than others and can basically help those who can’t cook themselves, achieve the diet that will keep them healthy. So while it isn’t pretty all the time, and it can be going back to basics on food groups, I appreciate what all of this has taught me about how our bodies need to be fueled as the focus, and the rest is a bonus. I appreciate being able to take a step back and fix my eating habits and now help others to do the same.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

Life is busy — between work, family, and everything else on your plate, it’s not always easy to put together meals that are both nourishing and enjoyable. For many people, the hardest parts aren’t just the cooking itself, but the endless cycle of sourcing ingredients, planning recipes, preparing the food, and then dealing with the clean-up afterward. Add to that the challenge of dietary restrictions, allergies, or simply running out of ideas, and mealtime can feel more stressful than enjoyable. That’s where we come in.

Our company was created for people who want to eat well without the hassle, and for families who are tired of mass-produced, one-size-fits-all meal solutions. If you’ve ever wished you could open your fridge and find fresh, fully prepared meals that were designed specifically for you, then you’ve found the perfect fit.

Unlike meal kits or generic prep services that provide the same menu to everyone, we believe your food should be as unique as you are. Each menu we create is tailored from scratch to fit your lifestyle and tastes. Prefer to be surprised each week with chef-crafted options? We’ll take care of it all for you. Want to be more hands-on and design your own lineup? We’ll give you the flexibility to do exactly that.

The process begins with a one-on-one consultation where we take the time to learn about your dietary needs, health goals, favorite flavors, and the things you’d rather avoid. From gluten-free and dairy-free to low-carb, high-protein, or allergy-friendly menus, we can accommodate a wide variety of diets and preferences. Once we’ve designed your personalized plan, you’ll receive a preview of your menu each week before payment is due. That way, you’ll always have the chance to give feedback, request changes, or swap in a favorite dish.

When it’s time to cook, we handle everything. We carefully source high-quality, fresh ingredients, prepare every dish with attention to detail, and package your meals with clear labels so you’ll always know exactly what’s inside. All you need to do is heat, eat, and enjoy. Imagine opening your fridge and seeing a week’s worth of meals waiting for you — no grocery shopping, no prep work, and no dishes piling up in the sink. It’s convenience without compromise.

Our services don’t stop with weekly meals. Hosting a party, family gathering, or intimate event? Let us bring the same level of freshness and care to your special occasion. Our catering options are ideal for small to medium events, with menus designed to impress your guests and take the stress off your shoulders.

At the end of the day, our mission is simple: to make eating well effortless. We believe food should bring joy, comfort, and connection — not stress. With our service, you get the peace of mind of knowing that your meals are taken care of, your health goals are supported, and your time is freed up for the things that matter most.

So whether you’re managing a busy household, juggling work and wellness goals, or simply ready to enjoy food that feels like it was made just for you, we’re here to help. Let us handle the planning, the prep, and the cooking. All that’s left for you is the best part — enjoying meals that fit your life perfectly.

Our Thanksgiving menu is now live for the Holidays, so definitely check that out before we are booked up!!

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Hardwork, cliche I know but, I promise you, I would not be any where near where I am today, if it wasn’t for the beast inside of me that just kept pushing for more. Waking up and getting out of bed when that alarm went off, choosing the gym over sleeping in that extra hour, staying late to make sure everything was clean even if it meant you missing some sleep. Everything I did extra feels like it was for something now. Whether it was real estate and marketing, or managing kitchens with staff in the dozens, I don’t take back any of the steps I had to take to get here. Never being the one that says no, being the one to do the hard tasks in my eyes is why I am where I am.

Loyalty vs comfort, at the end of the day, I know there are a lot of people that have proven you can job hop and make that much more money each time, and believe me, I see they have done it. But I can say in my career, I stuck around with employers for what I thought was loyalty, but there were times that it was just comfort and scared of change. I think and important lesson, in life in general, is learning the difference between the two. Change and discomfort shouldn’t be scary, but we are so often taught to run from things like that, and I think part of my success has come from dwelling on those decisions.

Confidence, while something I am still, still working on, it was something that was made aware to me is very important to succeed in this life, especially in more cutthroat areas and industries. Not cockiness, not arrogance, not pompous, but just enough that you were aware of how capable you were to not let people sway you too easily, but not perfect either, and able to take criticism and critique. It’s a hard balance for most people, whether it’s too cocky or not nearly enough, but I struggled my whole life with people telling me the way I carried myself was confident, while I’ve never felt a confident fiber in my body lol, it’s a work in progress, life really is.

The best thing you can do, like I just said, is it’s all a work in progress and have to keep giving it the time. I can’t imagine what it’s like to be born without hardwork, but just like anything else it’s all in what you tell yourself, your daily talk. So changing what’s being said to ourselves, “I don’t feel like it”, tell yourself right after “well that’s too bad this is what we have to do”, over and over again. It’s like training, I heard a quote one time that was like an actor doesn’t just get on a stage and start performing, they rehearse again and again until showtime, and why can’t we do that with our daily lives? Work on the things we want to improve on. Same goes for confidence, very similar here. And loyalty vs comfort, similar too but here you can focus on not just identifying discomfort but more than that, pros and cons, and learning to read yourself and situations better to apply.

Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?

Physically and mentally being challenged by my crohns diagnosis and battle, like I talked about briefly earlier, I just recently received a few diagnoses that were a long time coming. But something about getting that diagnosis after so many years of dealing with it, was just such a heavy pill to swallow. I am trying my best to stay positive by blogging about it on my website, reading about others stories, sharing my struggles in therapy and with my doctor, as well as rekindling my connection with myself through breathing exercises, meditating, and a lot of internal work. I have decided to really just “take the bull by the horns” and cut back my social media usage, turn off notifications, stop needing to have a tv show or music or constant stimulation on in the background, and just be able to sit and exist and be. Which if you think sounds easy, I promise in modern society this day in age, try it I dare you. Turn off notifications, put your phone in another room, and just hang out with yourself and see how long you can make it. These are all things are add to the negativity in our lives, the constant need to chase dopamine through our phones and other areas have become so normalized now that we don’t even realize how detrimental it is to our health and long term success. I challenge you if you take literally nothing else from this article is to try to get back to your roots if you’re feeling off, touch grass, get sun, go outside, just sit and breathe in silence.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

@stephonoh
@photoheeb

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