Today we’d like to introduce you to Irene Ouillette.
Hi Irene, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hello Orlando! As you know, life is full of unexpected twists and turns, some are beautiful and some, well, not so much. I’ve learned that whatever happens in life, is meant to happen, and there is a reason for everything.
I spent my younger years as a team sport athlete, taking personal competing to the next level as an adult. In 1985, I earned the title of Women’s National Kneeboard Champion. Soon after, I traveled the country racing personal watercraft, ultimately ranking 4th in the US.
In my later years of touring and top rankings, my health started to deteriorate. In 1991, I competed in my last race and spent the next 20+ years searching for answers. In 2013, I was finally diagnosed with Chronic Lyme Disease.
Conventional treatments and medications led me down a rabbit hole, with little success. As my condition continued to worsen, I changed course and pursued holistic treatment in hopes of healing the whole body. That journey changed just about every facet of my life, both physically and emotionally. Although Chronic Lyme has brought me to my knees many times, I am grateful for the awakening and new outlook on life.
After trying a multitude of different natural modalities, I discovered that the biggest positive impact on my physical health and healing came from eating clean food made with clean ingredients.
While traveling through different parts of the country, I became frustrated with the lack of information available to find restaurants serving clean food or at least offering cleaner options. And by clean food, I mean the origin and cleanliness of the ingredients.
The amount of greenwashing, or rather creative marketing, that leads us to believe we are eating “healthy” or “good for us” food, is deplorable. Certain criteria regarding clean food include; how it’s grown or raised, what the animals are fed, whether it’s organic or organically grown, 100% grass-fed, locally grown without chemicals, how the food is prepared or cooked, what oils are used, etc…but I digress.
These deceptions and my own frustrations planted a seed and led me to a vision of building a directory; listing restaurants that serve clean eats. I didn’t see how I could take on this overwhelming challenge or know where to start, but the idea continued to tug at my heart for four more years. A big part of that tugging was a desire to give back to those who provide us with clean food. I wanted to create an unbiased platform for them to be seen, heard and known, with the ability to promote their businesses. It’s no secret that I don’t enjoy cooking and like to say that I am allergic to the kitchen, lol. Therefore, I appreciate those serving delicious clean eats immensely and just want to shout it from the rooftops.
In 2017, after much thought, I finally took the plunge and committed myself full time to developing CleanFoodie.com. I approach it with a pure heart, passionately serving those who do good things with real food, and with the faith that if I build it, they will come.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There have been numerous obstacles and it has hardly been easy, but probably the biggest challenge is finding the time to do it all. When I started in 2017, I was oblivious to the extent of work this would require and the enormity of its undertaking. At the time, I shared custody of my then ten year old son. My intent was to travel from city to city, searching for Clean Foodie approved restaurants, on the days that I didn’t have him. Sadly, later that same year, my ex-partner tragically passed away and I suddenly found myself a single parent. My son is clearly the priority in my life and always will be. Although my travel time is limited and things have moved along slower than anticipated, that’s ok, my passion and my mission are still the same.
One of my biggest challenges is finding a way to monetize the site. Clean Foodie is a heart-driven endeavor and up to this point, I’ve funded every penny of it, but those limited funds can only take things so far. Expansion is key, more help is needed to grow cleanfoodie.com into an everyday name and a solid stage for clean foodies to be seen and promoted the way they deserve to be. I’ve found that navigating the ever-changing world of online marketing and social media is quite a challenge on a small budget.
Another challenge is being silent when we come across a restaurant that is greenwashing. I call it “Deception for Profit” and if you’d like to get me fired up, stretching the truth is a way to do it. Clean Foodie is the spreader of good vibes, good things, and those doing good, not negative energy. Every listing on Clean Foodie’s website, and soon-to-be app, has been vetted and visited by us personally. We’ve eaten the food and have done extensive homework and investigating to ensure the kitchen is doing what it claims. Each restaurant that meets our minimum requirements is rated and reviewed. The restaurants who don’t make the cut and the greenwashers simply are not listed or mentioned. Hours and hours are spent searching the internet and social media for possible Clean Foodie approved restaurants; again time is a challenge.
As you know, we’re big fans of Clean Foodie. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
cleanfoodie.com does the work for you! We provide you the ability to search for restaurants and markets serving or retailing clean food by current location, city or state – think Zagat for clean/organic restaurants. You’ll also find a growing list of informational blogs as well as a glossary of clean food terms and definitions. Clean Foodie Inc is also listed as a Benefit Corp in the state of FL. Fun fact; we travel the US in an RV, 95% of the time, finding clean food for you:)
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Social media is key but don’t forget the magic of face to face encounters where your passion can be felt.
Contact Info:
- Email: irene@cleanfoodie.com
- Website: https://cleanfoodie.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cleanfoodie_us/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CleanFoodFinder
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgWw899EYTjM8yMOTTansqw
Image Credits
Irene Ouillette
