EP #27 Health in a Hurry: Chelsea John's Clean Eatz Revolution

Ever been handed a diet plan by your doctor with no real guidance on how to follow it? Chelsea John knew this frustrating gap all too well from her healthcare background, which is why she created Clean Eatz Fredericksburg. 

Chelsea joins us to reveal how her thriving business serves as the crucial missing link between medical advice and practical implementation. Her passion for helping others achieve their health goals shines through as she explains the Clean Eatz concept: perfectly portioned, macro-balanced meals that take the guesswork out of nutrition. "Everything is weighed out," Chelsea explains, "so it's perfectly portioned for what people are supposed to be eating."

We explore the common misconceptions about healthy food (no, it doesn't taste like cardboard!) and how Clean Eatz addresses specific dietary needs - whether you're managing diabetes, building muscle, or simply seeking balanced nutrition. Chelsea shares candid insights about entrepreneurship, revealing both the challenges and immense rewards of building a business around helping others. "Some days you're going to want to hang up your hat," she admits, "but then there's going to be so many days that you wake up with so much joy and passion that it makes it all worth it."

With locations in both Fredericksburg and Stafford and weekly rotating meal plans to keep things fresh, Clean Eatz has become a local health resource that transforms lives. Customers regularly return with stories of weight loss, reduced medications, and renewed energy - testament to the powerful impact of making proper nutrition accessible to everyone.

Ready to simplify your nutrition journey? Visit Chelsea and her team at their Fredericksburg location near the DMV or in Stafford in the One Life Fitness shopping center, and discover how convenient healthy eating can be.

Chelsea John

Clean Eatz

cleaneatz.com

[e-mail]

5426 Southpoint Plaza Way, Fredericksburg, VA

540-898-7453

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is the Fredericksburg Neighbors Podcast
, the place where localbusinesses and neighbors come
together.
Here's your host, Dori Stewart.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Welcome to another episode of the Fredericksburg
Neighbors Podcast.
Today we have a fantasticneighbor to introduce you to
Chelsea.
John is the co-owner of CleanEatz Fredericksburg in Stafford.
Chelsea.
Welcome to the podcast.
Thank you so much.

Speaker 3 (00:28):
I'm so excited to be here.

Speaker 2 (00:30):
Well, I'm excited to learn more about your business.
So let's start there.
Can you share with thelisteners a little bit about
your business?

Speaker 3 (00:37):
So at Clean Eatz, we are a brick and mortar store
where customers can come in.
We offer healthy macro balance.
So, such as your carbs, yourcalories, your proteins and your
fats meals, everything that wemake, everything is weighed out,
so it's perfectly portioned forwhat people are supposed to be
eating.
So you don't have to worryabout am I eating too much?

(00:57):
Am I not eating enough?
So everything is exactly whatyou should have.

Speaker 2 (01:02):
So this is huge to have something like this locally
.
I'm so excited that I havefound you, because my husband
and I have been on this wholejourney of clean eating and
getting healthy.
My husband has lost 40 poundssince the beginning of the year
and yeah, and so we've been.
We've been searching recipesand we're not I'm a terrible

(01:27):
cook, but trying to find recipesthat are high protein, low
calorie and, you know, to findsomething where we could order
something pre-made and make ourweeknights easier.
And you have done all the workfor us is just genius.
Thank you for this, of course,of course.
So tell us about what made youdecide to open this up.

(01:51):
Tell us about your background,your journey.

Speaker 3 (01:53):
Um.
So I decided to open up CleanEatz because I knew, um, my
background is healthcare and Idon't know how many times
patients will go to the doctor.
A doctor tells them hey, youneed to lose weight, and then
everyone is handed a piece ofpaper, um, and that's pretty
much it and you have to figureit out on your own.
And diet and nutrition is a veryscary thing and you know,

(02:16):
people are just kind of left offto their own and I feel like
we're that missing piece that wecan kind of help those, those
patients, and turn them intocustomers and say, hey, this is,
this is what you should beeating, these are the options
that we have for you.
If you're diabetic, these arethe carbs that we would
recommend for you and these arethe meals.
If you're looking to gain somemore weight and you need extra

(02:37):
protein, these are the optionsthat we have for you.
So we can kind of be thatmiddleman per se, because a lot
of times patients don't knowlike, or they might not have
insurance coverage to get, youknow, advice from a registered
dietitian.
So I feel like we're that goodsegue for them to have that
healthy balance and to be likeokay, this is what I need to do.

Speaker 2 (03:00):
Yeah, absolutely.
I love that so much.
So do you find that there areany myths or misconceptions that
people have about your business?

Speaker 3 (03:10):
So a lot of times people think that our food is
going to taste like cardboardbecause it's healthy, oh, and
they're very surprised when theyeat it.
And I think a lot of times too,whenever you go out to eat,
we're served these huge portions.
We don't necessarily have hugeportions, we have healthy
portions, and so it's just adifferent mindset and a lot of

(03:31):
times people will be somewhathesitant to come and try our
food and then, after they eat it, they're just like, wow, that
was really good.

Speaker 2 (03:38):
And they're surprised .
Yeah, yeah.
Well, thank you for clearingthat up for us.
I can't wait to try it.
I'm excited.
So clearly you're very busywith two locations.
So first, congratulations on onopening two locations.
That's huge, and your husbandis your co owner.
And so talk to me about whenyou're not working.

(04:00):
Do you get a break?
What do you do for fun?

Speaker 3 (04:05):
So what do I do for fun?
I actually go and I work out,or, you know, at the end of the
day I do like to do some couchrotting, couch riding.
So for the most part, we'repretty busy, he and I gosh, I

(04:25):
don't even know we try to makesure that we have date nights.
So that way, even though we'resuper, super busy, we're still
staying connected and working onourselves.

Speaker 2 (04:31):
Nice, nice.
So you mentioned that yourStafford location opened in
November.
How long has yourFredericksburg location been?

Speaker 3 (04:40):
open.
So in September we'll becelebrating four years.

Speaker 2 (04:44):
Oh, nice Congratulations, Thank you.
And so, thinking back to whenyou first started your business,
what is some advice that youwould have for others who are
thinking about starting abusiness, or or what is
something that you wish you hadknown back then?

Speaker 3 (05:03):
Um.
So some advice that I wouldgive to my younger self is it's
going to be tough.
Um some days you're going towant to hang up your hat and
question why you did it, butthen there's going to be so many
days that you wake up and youhave so much joy and so much
passion for what you have thatit makes it all worth it.

(05:24):
When you build these teams andthey rally and they have the
same passion that you do, it'sjust amazing, and a lot of times
I get up because of the peoplethat work for me and also the
community that we serve.

Speaker 2 (05:40):
I love that.
It is important to have areally strong why and what
you're doing is so important.
You know you're not, you're notjust serving food to people,
which is important, but you arehelping people live a longer
life.
I mean, you must get so muchsatisfaction out of what you do.

Speaker 3 (05:57):
Yes.
So, like I said, I have ahealthcare background so I've
always loved taking care ofpeople.
So this to me, I actually getto see the results of my hard
work and my team's hard work.
When these customers come inand they're like I've lost
weight or I don't have to take amedication or I feel so much
better, or they go on vacationand you know they overindulge

(06:21):
and they're like I feel likecrap, I need to get back, and
you're here, Thank you.

Speaker 2 (06:25):
That's amazing.
So what is something that youwish the listeners knew about
your business?

Speaker 3 (06:33):
Something.
Um, we have a weekly meal planand it changes every week, so
that way you don't have to eatthe same things.
We also have our freezers fullof meals and if you have any
questions, please come in.
Ask us all the questions sothat we can help you get to
wherever it is that you need tobe.
Wherever you are in yourjourney, we want to be there

(06:54):
with you.

Speaker 2 (06:55):
That's cool.
So you can come in and pick upyour meals for a whole week yes,
ma'am.
Meals for a whole week yes,ma'am, I love that Very cool.
So if the listeners want toswing by and visit you or check
you out, where can they find you?

Speaker 3 (07:09):
So in Fredericksburg we are at 5426 Southp oint Plaza
Way.
So I tell people that we'reover by DMV.
So maybe if you have to wait ina long line at DMV or you're
hesitant to come, maybe we couldbe that bright spot in your day
to come and stop in and see us.
And then in Stafford we arelocated off of 610 and we are in

(07:30):
the same shopping center as One, life Fitness.

Speaker 2 (07:33):
Perfect Chelsea, thank you so much for joining me
on the podcast today andsharing Clean Eatz with us.

Speaker 3 (07:40):
Thank you so much for having me.
I am so, so thankful.

Speaker 1 (07:44):
Thank you for listening to the Fredericksburg
Neighbors Podcast.
To nominate your favorite localbusinesses to be featured on
the show, go tofxbgneighborspodcast.
com.
That's fxbgneighborspodcast.
com, or call 540-534-4618.