Today we’d like to introduce you to D. Natasha (Chef Beee) Brewley, PhD, MBA, HHC.
Hi D. Natasha (Chef Beee), we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My name Dr. Denise Natasha Brewley but folks call me Chef Beee. The Beee stands for Be. Empowered. Energized. Engaged, a mantra I live by and that grounds my business. The “Beee” was coined when I was a mathematics educator and students started calling me Professor Beee. It then shifted to Chef Beee when I moved into the culinary and wellness space.
My background is in mathematics education and I originally started Nyansapo Wellness Institute, Inc. under a slightly different name (Nyansapo Educational Services) and the focus was mathematics educational consulting in 2014. My real passion is health and wellness though, so three years after I started the business, decided to pivot to this sector and that is when I changed the name to Nyansapo Wellness Institute, Inc. Honestly, I became a business owner because I wanted freedom and to create meaningful change in my community. I wanted to be able to control my income because as an educator, we just don’t make a lot of money. I also wanted to REALLY make a powerful impact in my community around health and wellness outcomes. I am from Guyana, South America and often in my community, I see so many people struggling with diabetes, hypertension, obesity and other chronic diseases and really felt that I could inspire change by showing people a different way to take care of themselves. Specifically, how to eat to live and NOT how to live to eat. Actually, the real ‘Aha” moment for me was about ten years ago when I was taking a course at an Institute. This place was teaching me how to cook, eat and think differently about food. It was the most inspirational thing that I had ever done for myself and I remember saying, “I want to do this. I want to do this type of work in my community. This feels so natural and good.” And that was it! I haven’t looked back since. So grateful for taking a chance and leaping out there. I am learning so much on how to support people and I am seeing that people are at so many different levels in their wellness journey. For that reason, that is why we offer a few different services. I recently took the leap as of December 2022. So now I work full-time in my business.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I was a college professor of mathematics for many years (almost 30 to be exact). The challenge of juggling a full-time job and being an entrepreneur has been scary and exciting all at the same time. I think that you have to decide what really matters to you and go for that. Although I enjoyed teaching students mathematics, I found more excitement in coaching and teaching people on how they could improve their lifestyle, eating and wellness habits. In December 2022, I decided to step down as a professor and focus on building my business full-time. It has definitely been challenging. The decisions and sacrifices that you have to make as an entrepreneur have been eye-opening and a bit challenging. The good thing is that I am not starting from scratch. I was fortunate to be able to do both things at the same time until I could break off and leave teaching. I wouldn’t change this experience for anything. The work that I do is grounded in deep cultural roots to the Caribbean and Africa, passion and celebration of plant-based foods and a genuine love for others to see them become the best versions of themselves.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Nyansapo Wellness Institute, Inc.?
Nyansapo Wellness Institute, Inc. is a full-service health wellness brand that nourishes health seekers that are working professionals from the inside out with plant-based food services and experiences. We like to say that our pillars are Culinary, Cleansing, Coaching and Community. We help people who are seeking to be well, understand the importance of transitioning to a more healthy plant-based diet. As a professional from higher education myself, I understand that while many people want to do better with their health they may often be confused or may not know where to begin in the process. What sets Nyansapo Wellness Institute, Inc. apart from others is that we have a high-touch approach to the services offered forming deep relationships with clients so that they can be served well. We offer a variety of services that meet our clients where they are on their wellness journey. One of our offerings is Essential Meals 2Go!, which is our weekly plant-based meal prep program. Essential Meals 2Go! offers internationally inspired plant-based meals that are all made with whole foods that are primarily organic. Our meal service is your stepping stone to incorporating more nutrient-dense plant-based foods into your diet.
We also offer a health coaching program called Healing Me First. In the program, you explore different ways that you can improve your wellness using lifestyle medicine and plant-based foods. We also offer culinary education and cleanses (The Palate Reset and our Transform and Thrive culinary program), monthly wellness meet-ups and international wellness retreats. We have a retreat scheduled in June and then again in December called The Palate Reset. The goal of the retreat is to give folks an opportunity to unwind, spoil them with good food and provide healing experiences that will help them remember to prioritize self-care. We will be launching our membership program before the end of 2023, and that is called Healing Me First. It is a culmination of many of our current offers into one bundle. We are excited about rolling this program out.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
I would say keep going and continue to invest in yourself and knowledge. Many years ago, I went to graduate school and earned an MBA in Finance. Much of that knowledge was in a container and I didn’t have a business at the time to apply the principals I was learning. Today, I have a greater appreciation for entrepreneurship. When you decide to become an entrepreneur, you definitely are surrendering to what you don’t know. It is critical that you continue to meet new people and learn new strategies to grow your business. So invest in yourself. Go to workshops, apply to accelerator programs, get a mentor, stay connected to others that are doing what you are doing and have gone further than you have gone. You may not see the payoff now, but it is right around the corner. Also, I would say, keep going. There is an old Guyanese saying, “Every day is fishing day, but not every day is a catching day.” You may get discouraged if you don’t see enough traction in your business right away, but you gotta keep going. The fruits of your labor are awaiting, but it just needs you to put in enough work to reap the harvest. So keep going no matter what!
Pricing:
- Essential Meals 2Go! Meal Prep Ranges from $155- $205 (not including delivery or shipping)
- Monthly Meet-ups (Range in price from Free to $100)
- Retreats about ~ $3000
- Monthly Membership Program ~ $100 per month
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ChefBeee.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamchefbeee
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iamchefbeee
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dnatashabrewley/
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/iamchefbeee
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@iamchefbeee
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@iamchefbeee
Image Credits
Maurice Evans Denise Natasha Brewley
