Our Interview with Dini Klein
I was planning to post this interview in a few weeks but then Covid-19 hit and now we are practicing social distancing from home. Since the schools are now canceled and many parents are now working from home it’s complicated more than just our daily rituals.
So here we are at home for the next few weeks, and all I hear from the kitchen is “What do you want for dinner?”, “I don’t know, whatever you want” and we’d have some form of chicken, rice, and vegetables. Which is great don’t get me wrong, but I get bored with eating the same thing every day.
Then I “met” Dini Klein the creator of Prep & Rally. We talked about what her day looks like with three young children all while managing a growing business. We talked about her tips for working from home, her favorite kind of meals to make and how she can help you save money, eat healthier and give you back time to spend with your loved ones! Keep reading to find out how to subscribe and get a FREE MONTH and make dinner time less complicated!
Tell me a little bit about yourself, who you are and
what inspired you to create Prep + Rally?
Back when I was living in New York I was working full time as a private chef. The work is obviously very physically and mentally exhausting. I would come from a long day of work having cooked for my clients and I had zero energy left to cook for my own family. I knew I had to get organized and implement Some sort of meal plan that I could prep at the beginning of the week so that my family wouldn’t starve. Turns out the system completely saved me. It allowed me to work, and be a rockstar mom with homemade dinner on the table all week! Not only was I stress-free, and saving time but I was saving tons of money! I knew I had to share my system with the world!
Can you explain what Prep + Rally is and how it will benefit our readers, who are also busy mothers?
Prep + Rally Is a family meal prep service that helps busy families get through the week with ease. Subscribers are either on a monthly or annual plan and receive weekly meal plans that guide them through a full Sunday prep (about 7 staple dishes for the week), and then instructions on how to assemble those dishes into four completely unique family-friendly meals that are done Monday through Thursday. You are saving money because you are shopping once for the week and use the same staple and ingredients in multiple ways to reduce waste. Each meal plan is really well thought out and creatively put together. Suddenly you have more time to spend with your family and friends because you don’t need to run to the grocery store or spend hours cooking and cleaning every night of the week. Kids eat healthier and more well-rounded meals because they are involved in the process of either cooking or assembling their own dinners. The weeks are just calmer and happier when you Prep + Rally!
I did want to ask you a bit about the business side of things because that’s what I am personally interested in. Is it hard to balance creating a business with being a mom and a wife? Can you give any tips or advice that has helped you survive those tough days?
The work/mom balance is such a tricky one and something I still struggle with daily. It truly is a balancing act it takes time to perfect! I am able to stay focused and keep my eye on the prize because I am crazy passionate about my work. If there’s no passion it’s very difficult to be an entrepreneur!
My few tips for working from home:
- Set up a dedicated space for your work
- Make lists
- dedicate certain blocks of time for work and certain times for the family. If you try to do both at once you end up failing at both (and going insane!). Trust me… I’ve been there!
- Change out of your pajamas occasionally!
What are some of the struggles you have had to deal with and push through to make this business a reality?
Working on a tight budget when we initially launched. Not only did I have to be super savvy with how I build the site, but also wearing the hat of 5 employees. Now I have a little help but it’s still mostly on me. It’s been quite the hustle!
Now that Prep + Rally is out “in the world”, how do you find the time to work especially now that you are a mom of three?
Thankfully my two older girls are in school until 4 pm every day. I also hired a nurse to help with the baby so that I can continue to work while being a mama to three kiddos. It’s so important to set up routines that are conducive to your workday, and hiring help is key when you have so many responsibilities. Otherwise, you crash and burnout!
Finding time to do balance being an entrepreneur/business owner, mother and wife is the part of my life that I am currently struggling with.
That is actually how I came across Prep + Rally because I started looking for ways to manage things that took the most time in my life, like cooking good family dinners without going crazy. Most nights I would give up and we would all eat Kraft dinner or a simple salad lol. But then I found Prep + Rally and now I am looking forward to grocery shopping and making dinners again! I can finally relax about my family eating a healthy dinner all thanks to you!
yay! that makes me so happy! That was honestly how I felt before creating Prep and Rally and the system has truly changed my life!
Okay, so I also want to ask you some fun questions, so we can get to know you better.
What is your favorite meal to cook and eat?
I love making bowls! any roasted veg, protein, sauce or pesto…. the combinations or endless so it’s always fun and new! They’re also great for kids because they can assemble on their own and feel like they’re in control over what’s for dinner!
What does your morning routine look like on a “normal” day?
Wake, nurse/pump, breakfast for girls (usually homemade healthy pancakes!), COFFEE, finish packing lunches, run out the door for carpool! Home to work on the computer, nurse/pump, recipes test (some days), customer service, load content, manage the new website, etc…. warm dinner up (it’s already mostly ready to heat and serve because of Prep + Rally), continue working until carpool, home with the girls. Dinner (ready in 4 minutes) homework, nurse/pump/ read books and play with kids (no more working until kids are asleep), baths/shower for kiddos, daddy home so we have a second small dinner 🙂 with him, bedtime for kids, a glass of wine, TV time with mike/work on my computer until about 11 pm. CRASH, Repeat!
What are you currently reading or listening too?
Wish I had time for anything other than work and my kids ha
What are your favorite beauty products right now? (Lipstick, face wash, etc, and doesn’t have to be a lot just one or two if you can).
I love charlotte tilbury!!
Lastly, What are your hopes and dreams for Prep + Rally? And where do you see yourself in 3-5 years?
I hope to help busy mamas all over the world get through the week with ease and healthy homemade dinner on the table all week! This system changed my life by saving money on groceries, eating healthier, and given me more time back with my family. I hope to share that with the world because dinnertime can be so stressful if you don’t go into the week with a plan! In 3-5 years I hope to have helped thousands and thousands of people around the world. I hope to have a cookbook at some point, and a line of cookware. I TV show wouldn’t be bad either 🙂
Where can we find you? And how can we support you?
Website: https://prepandrally.com/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/prepandrally/
Youtube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf4RnmqNTVDCHqVlhx8kAZw
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/prepandrally/
Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/dini_klein/
Email- [email protected]
We wanted to thank you for being a reader, and give you a Full Month for FREE! All you need to do is subscribe using the code “COUNTMEIN” and tag us on Instagram to share all your delicious meals.
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What a great idea! I’m super passionate about meal planning so love that there is someone out there helping others with it – so right that it makes cooking much easier and cheaper!