Surfside,

FL

Transcript

The Fresh Diet

Hi, my name is Zalmi Duchman and I am the founder and CEO of The Fresh Diet, America's premier at-home meal delivery company. When I started The Fresh Diet in 2005 I was twenty five years old with a credit card in my pocket, a day job that paid the bills, and a remarkable wife whom despite being seven months pregnant would prep and cook while I would shop and drop. My initial investment was only $500.00, but those three initial resources proved to be vital and garnered me my first three clients. While I made my nightly deliveries I found myself dreaming about the company's growth, the creation of jobs, and eventually being able to build a national brand, but I knew I would need financial assistance and couldn't rely solely on my credit cards to bring my dreams to fruition.

After much research, I applied to the SBA for my first loan and fortunately it was granted. The expansion of The Fresh Diet was underway. Over the past six years my team and I have accomplished making my early dreams of becoming an entrepreneur a reality. Since our inception, and with the help of the SBA loan, The Fresh Diet has produced millions of meals countrywide and is now a national brand competing in the majors. We employ over 300 people and provide thousands of clients with a healthier lifestyle. The Fresh Diet would not have become the company it is today without the assistance of the SBA and as a business owner I am eternally grateful for the opportunities they afforded my start up, including naming The Fresh Diet one of the SBA's top 100 companies in 2011. While I have made many of my ideas a reality through hard work and with the support of the SBA, despite my success I still have dreams. Namely, with the SBA's continued support perhaps The Fresh Diet could be a future IPO ringing the bell on Wall Street.