Today we’d like to introduce you to Shanece Fuimaono.
Hi Shanece, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
My family has always been interested in prepping and food storage but in 2021 my family and I sold our house and all we had for this dream of traveling the world. We sold our home Aug. of 2021. We traveled to the States and to a couple of countries. Due to poor financial decisions and bad investments, we lost almost all our money by December 2021. We came back to the States and my husband’s sister took us in and let us stay with them for as long as we needed.
The first 2 weeks of being back in the States, I cried and cried nonstop because I was devastated. I had a huge heart-to-heart with God, and I remember saying, “I know this is part of my journey, but what’s next, what do you want me to do now?” And then, I started thinking about what was important to me. And it has always been food storage and keeping my family prepared in case of unseen circumstances.
Then, I thought of how could I help my family financially with food storage. And that’s where DIY Freeze Dry was born. My desire is to help my own family and others be prepared.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Absolutely not, this is my first time really approaching entrepreneurship in this light. I’ve had people tell me my idea was just going to Be a side gig and nothing else. When I filed my LLC it was just a Goal, I didn’t even have my first freeze dryer yet.
I’ve had some help through the UPIC (Utah Pacific Islander Chamber of Commerce) and WEA (women’s Executive Alliance) which is an arm of the Chamber Helping me learn basic business 101 and helping me connect and build relationships with people.
I recently won 2nd place in a local Pitch competition, so learning how to get over my fear of speaking and just believe in the business that I’m building.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
DIY Freeze Dry, is the first-ever rental service for freeze-dry food. This technology has been used by astronauts, The military, and survivalists for years, and now will be available to every household. Now you will be able to completely customize your long-term food storage. meals and food you know your family will eat and enjoy in case of natural disasters or unexpected emergencies.
You will be able to bring your fruits, veggies, different types of meats, desserts, candy, and liquids into the store to freeze dry. This means, now breastfeeding mothers will now be able to freeze-dry their breast milk. The option of freeze-drying your own foods is endless. Your grandma’s homemade meals you want to have in 20 years, will be able to have in your long-term food storage.
This allows people to have the benefits of a freeze dryer, without having to spend the thousands of dollars it takes to buy one.
Our motto is, “You bring it. We’ll freeze it!” It works like a dry cleaner, but for your food.
You bring your food in, you will place it on the trays, and put those trays in the machines. And we will do the rest. You can come back to pick up your food in a couple of days. You are welcome to purchase mylar storage bags from us, or use your own containers.
We will be opening the first part of the year, location TBD. The first 10 people who reserve spots when we open up the wait list will receive 20% off their first batch. Pricing will be $80. And freeze-dried candy will be available to purchase in-store.
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
One of my favorite childhood memories was trying to teach my dad to say, “camel”. He’s Samoan, and English is his 2nd language. My mom and I laughed and laughed forever. He would say, “camer” every single time. Haha!
Pricing:
- Renting a freeze dryer for $80
Contact Info:
- Website: Www.diyfreeze-dry.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/diyfreezedry?mibextid=vk8aRt
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@diyfreezedryofficial?_t=8in92e8BeQQ&_r=1
