Female Founders: Caroll Lee of Provenance Meals On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman Founder
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
It is not what you eat, it is how you think. What you eat is obviously very important to me, but how you think is even more important. Of course, eating nutritious food is a key foundational tool to feeling well, but so much is in your attitude. If you can train your mind to focus on what is working, to stand in your self-worth, and to approach your experiences with joy and gratitude, that mindset will affect your overall health in such positive ways.
As a part of our series about “Why We Need More Women Founders”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Caroll Lee.
Caroll Lee, CEO and Founder of Provenance Meals, is an avid cook, mother of two, and a Board Certified Health Coach with emphasis on functional medicine. Her passion in life is to feed people real food — food that is raised, grown, and prepared in ways that are good for your health and for the planet with convenience in mind.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
I was working on the e-business side of the luxury fashion industry throughout San Francisco and New York City and was feeling unfulfilled. I was spending the majority of my time selling expensive clothes and shoes online, and as much as I loved my colleagues, it was not satisfying that spark I knew I had inside me. Ultimately, I knew I had more to offer the world.
The decision to start my own business came while I was pregnant. I knew that I did not want to miss the first years of my daughter’s life while I was working every weekday. And while I was pregnant, I spent a lot of my time thinking about my next meal (although to be honest, I’m always plotting my next meal!). I was focused on making sure that the food I was ingesting was nourishing for me and for her, and I embarked on a mission to educate myself around healthy foods for the body.
After the birth of my daughter, I left my job to care for her. Once I gave myself the time to step away from my career, I realized my true purpose was to help busy, on-the-go people much like myself — whether they be professionals, parents, or both — with an easier way to eat well and fuel their best life. In 2007, I opened an organic, farm-to-table market that served products and meals made with only ingredients you could trust and I eventually went back to school for nutrition. From there, I began working as a holistic health coach with an emphasis in functional medicine. The clients in my practice began asking me if I could help them reach their wellness goals by providing the healthy meals they craved, but had no time to create, and Provenance Meals was born!
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company?
When I opened my first organic food business, I didn’t know it at the time, but I was part of a growing movement of small-batch, artisanal prepared foods. My market was carrying some very new products at the time that have gone on to become well-known consumer brands in New York City and beyond, such as Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, Hot Bread Kitchen tortillas, Peeled Snacks, and Siggi’s Icelandic Skyr.
The main products that we produced in-house were probably some of the first organic “meal kits” — packages of semi-prepared ingredients and locally-sourced meats and fish with instructions on how to prepare at home. Even thought I felt like I did not know what I was doing half of the time, looking back I find it interesting that I had put myself into the right place at the right time — my instincts were spot-on. This experience has helped me learn to trust my gut when it comes to the market and opportunity, and has led me to success as a health coach and as a mission-driven entrepreneur.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Provenance Meals finally landed our first major Hollywood actor as a regular client, a total super star and heartthrob. We were delivering to him regularly and slightly outside our normal delivery windows so I asked our staff if there was anyone who could handle the deliveries for our team. One young woman volunteered, and I was grateful to her for taking on the additional responsibility. Later, we got a request from the actor’s assistant that we send a different delivery person as the current one seemed a bit “too excited” to be there and I immediately realized my mistake.
This is just one small example, but I think the main lesson learned was developing good instincts about what tasks can and should be delegated to whom. In the early days of Provenance Meals, I really tried to take on every role. I had to learn and recognize that I am not the expert in all areas of my business, but I could surround myself with professionals who were specialists in their fields, even when it comes to something as seemingly simple as delivering a healthy meal. As CEO, I do pride myself of my ability to learn whatever needs to be learned to move the business forward, and to learn it fast, but I also know when to let other people take the reins in different areas and to be okay with letting go.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
The one person who has been with me through it all has been my husband. Early on in our relationship, we used the made-up word “potentium” — the combination of potential and momentum — to describe out budding relationship and the future pathways that lay ahead in our lives. That same concept has driven me forward through multiple challenges in my life and businesses. It’s a core belief that I keep coming back to, a belief in my own potential as a human being and my ability to uncover opportunities and steadily make progress.
My husband is a serial entrepreneur, so he knows firsthand the emotional rollercoaster of creating something new and putting it out into the world. Yet her always reminds me that the problems I am focused on solving are likely 20% of my business, and that there is a whole 80% that is working well. In other words, celebrate the successes while solving problems. I am grateful to him for reminding me not to lose my perspective during tough times.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. According to this EY report, only about 20 percent of funded companies have women founders. This reflects great historical progress, but it also shows that more work still has to be done to empower women to create companies. In your opinion and experience what is currently holding back women from founding companies?
First, women own more than half the businesses in the US (Source: NAWBO), meaning that women are in fact founding and operating companies in high numbers. But those businesses only contribute to 4% of revenues. Why is that? It is because money is not being invested into businesses run by women at the same rate as male-owned businesses. Do not get me started on investing into women of color. It is an uphill battle for women to gain access to capital, education, and resources, as we are held to a different and more difficult standard than men.
Moreover, the majority of businesses that women own are considered “small” or “lifestyle” businesses, and in a society that prefers headlines of VC-backed unicorns, profitable or not, women-owned businesses are often devalued.
Can you help articulate a few things that can be done as individuals, as a society, or by the government, to help overcome those obstacles?
As an individual, I know I could personally be more vocal about these issues, but I also believe that in our society, money talks. By achieving success at greater and greater scale, it will be impossible to discount the impact of female founded businesses in the near future. Particularly in the wellness industry, where we see a majority of women as both owners and consumers, we have an opportunity to lead by example and show upcoming generations that it is more than possible to create success.
As a society, I see more groups, networks, and VC firms of women supporting women than ever before. That’s the way we’re moving forward, by addressing the power dynamic and investing time, resources, and money to aid women founders on their journey.
This might be intuitive to you as a woman founder but I think it will be helpful to spell this out. Can you share a few reasons why more women should become founders?
Women-owned businesses are more profitable. Period (Source: WSU MBA Program). We also have a responsibility to be role models to future generations of girls who will one day lead businesses of their own.
What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a founder? Can you explain what you mean?
One myth is that women are not powerful. We are. There are plenty of women in business making important decisions, generating revenue, and leading companies. We need to shine a bigger spotlight on these women.
Another myth is that founders, particularly in the wellness world, are not serious, that we are living our best life meditating every morning, fitting in a lunchtime workout, having meetings with mocktails in hand. The reality is that being an entrepreneur can be both lonely and stressful, particularly when you feel the weight of a company’s success directly on your shoulders. Given the conversation around mental health and social media, and its negative effects on young women in particular, I would love to dispel these myths and portray the full picture of entrepreneurship and not just the highlight reel. Also, you don’t have to fulfill the stereotype to follow your path — if you are passionate about it, you have a place there.
Is everyone cut out to be a founder? In your opinion, which specific traits increase the likelihood that a person will be a successful founder and what type of person should perhaps seek a “regular job” as an employee? Can you explain what you mean?
The most important lesson is that mistakes are the best way to learn. A recovering perfectionist myself, I have had to teach myself that it is more valuable to fail and learn from my mistakes than to stress about things being perfect from the start. I always must remind myself — do not let perfect be the enemy of the good.
I also think it is important to connect with others and expand your network, and be open to opportunities, partnerships, and friendships. Some of my best moments as a founder are when I get to collaborate with and support other entrepreneurs.
Society is designed to create girls and women who play nice and are eager to please. While there is much to be said about being kind, we also need to establish and protect our boundaries.
Ok super. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why? (Please share a story or example for each.)
- Running a business is a marathon, not a sprint, and it will not be a straight line to success. I have learned that when I conquer one challenge, another one will be waiting for me right around the corner. Knowing this helps me take myself a bit less seriously, as well as reduces some of the stress around whatever various issues of the day are. I think of my company as a sailboat. If I am at helm, no matter how much the wind blows and how many times we have to adjust one course, my job is to steer that boat in the right direction and avoid being batted around at the mercy of the changing winds.
- Do not feel guilty for taking vacation. It is healthy to give yourself a mental break and a change in scenery. In fact, when I go on vacation, which allows me to get some distance from my company, I get a big picture view of things that need to happen next. As CEO, it is easy to get mired in the immediate situations at hand, but it’s exactly the bird’s-eye view and longer term thinking that your team needs to know what direction to head. I love to travel and get outside of Los Angeles as it’s when I can slow down, gain perspective, and think my big thoughts. I also have an incredible team that I can trust to hold down the fort (thank you, team!).
- No one wants to talk business with you 24/7, even if you think it is fascinating. I must remind myself that while I love to turn my various business challenges and issues over and over in my brain, it does not always make for interesting dinner conversation! It helps remind me to have a life outside of my career.
- Do not underestimate yourself and give away your power. People may have more years of experience in my industry, but no one knows my company and brand like I do. I once heard a founder describe her company as her child, herself as the parent, and the people who had years of experience in their fields of business as teachers. The teacher may have a different perspective on what is best for the child, and you may think that due to his or her years of experience of working with children that he or she knows best, but at the end of the day, no one can decide what course of action is best for their child more than the parent. I feel the same about my business as I welcome other perspectives, especially from other founders or industry experts who have been through it before, but at the end of the day, I have to go with my gut and hold onto the decision-making power.
- It is not what you eat, it is how you think. What you eat is obviously very important to me, but how you think is even more important. Of course, eating nutritious food is a key foundational tool to feeling well, but so much is in your attitude. If you can train your mind to focus on what is working, to stand in your self-worth, and to approach your experiences with joy and gratitude, that mindset will affect your overall health in such positive ways.
How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
There is enormous power in the idea of food as medicine. When people eat food that nourishes their mind, body, and spirit, they in turn have the energy and mental clarity to serve their purpose in the world. The opposite is also true. When you eat a Standard American Diet (SAD) of processed foods, refined carbs, and sugar, you are more likely to be hindered by health issues, anxiety, and stress. Having control over what you put in your body and knowing how it affects you is an incredibly empowering experience. As Provenance Meals continues to grow and expand, I believe we’re creating a positive ripple effect on the world leading to more self-empowerment and ultimately health and happiness.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
My mission at Provenance Meals is to continue the food revolution that is already occurring. Most people do not know how amazing their body is made to feel — I always say that the good thing about good health is that you do not know what it feels like until you have it. My mission is to help people everywhere become the most incredible versions of themselves, one nutritious bite at a time.
Overall, my goal is keep providing an alternative to the Standard American Diet (SAD — as appropriately acronym-ed) and educate and encourage people to commit to eating clean for a few days, a week, a month, or more, so that they can experience firsthand how to live better.
We are very blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
- Michael Pollan: I would love to cook a meal together, made with local ingredients, and talk about the state of food and nutrition in this country.
- Michelle Obama: I admire the work that Michelle started in the White House with her organic garden and work towards putting healthier meals on the plates of schoolchildren across the country. I’d love to discuss what it will take to take down the corporate interests that are dictating the foods that are sold and served across the country that are bad for our health and our planet.
- Dr. Mark Hyman: He is one of the OG functional medicine doctors and I feel like he would be a big fan of Provenance Meals. Lunch on us, Dr. Hyman!
- Padma Lakshmi: I once had the honor of meeting her very briefly after hearing her speak about her experiences as an immigrant, her love of food, and the roles women are expected to perform — in and out of the kitchen. I would love to keep that conversation going.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this!
Female Founders: Caroll Lee of Provenance Meals On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.