A 6 minute read.

My Story: From Capitol Hill to Chef Dopeness

The raw and uncut story that Meals of Dopeness was built upon. Dive into the blog and learn lessons that took me YEARS of pain to learn!

To give you the full story, we gotta go back to 2013. Where my story in DC first began— with a prestigious internship at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute—an opportunity that changed the trajectory of my life. 

As a first-gen Latina from Colorado, it was more than just a resume booster. It was the opportunity to see bigger than my hometown, bigger than what I had dreamt for myself. It was the moment I realized I had found a new home and  I was living on the opposite coast, navigating a new city full of unknowns and possibilities—but I knew I was exactly where I needed to be.

While working full-time, I finished my undergraduate degree online and threw myself into working out, mentorship, community work, and the nonprofit world. My first “big-girl job” was supporting Hispanic-owned small businesses through technical assistance and networking, working alongside a powerhouse all-woman team. I was attending galas, connecting with ambassadors and members of Congress, and feeling like everything I had worked so hard for was finally coming together.

And then, just like that, it all came crashing down.

In the summer of 2016, I was laid off due to budget cuts. I had no job, expensive rent, and no family nearby. It was terrifying. But if there’s one thing I’ve always known how to do—it’s keep it pushing. Siempre pa’lante, mija.

Funny enough, that very weekend, I unknowingly planted the seed that would sprout into my first business: Find Your Dopeness, a fitness and nutrition coaching platform built from my own journey. With nothing left to hold me back, I plunged head-first into fitness while waitressing, teaching Soca Dance fitness classes, and even going back to barbering. I doubled down on content creation and began working full-time as a personal trainer. I was changing the lives and mindsets of DMV professionals and reaching hundreds across the country with my platform.

Finding My Dopeness

My personal training was also where the first seeds of Meals of Dopeness began.

I noticed how much one of my clients was struggling with his nutrition. We had built out a solid meal plan tailored to his schedule, preferences, and goals—but the execution was where he fell short. He didn’t like to cook. And that’s when it clicked.

So I offered to add him to my personal meal prep each week. He paid for groceries; I did the cooking. 

He loved it. Of course. 🙂 It quickly became our norm.

When I tell this story, I often forget that I had cooked meals for my superiors at past jobs, I guess smelling my meal prep in the break room caught their interest, NBD *smirky face*. I hadn’t even thought of it as a “thing”just yet. So many full circle moments. 

Shortly after, I added a few more clients and close friends to the list. 

Almost a year later, on May 1, 2017, I joked on Snapchat that I was going to start “slanging Meals of Dopeness”—a little play on Find Your Dopeness, my original fitness brand. But the joke stuck, and people wanted in. Just like that, I was in business.

I certainly kept myself busy. I cooked out of my apartment, trained clients downstairs in the gym, and lived a full-on hustle life. At the time, I didn’t see myself as an entrepreneur—I was just trying to survive and was loving doing something I actually enjoyed. I poured myself into it. 

I also dove head-first into bodybuilding, competing in five shows over seven months and winning several titles and sponsorships. Meals of Dopeness began with a heavy fitness and athlete focus, but over time, I felt boxed in. So I followed my heart again, pivoting to create food that could nourish anyone—bodybuilders, moms, professionals, students, anyone trying to live their healthiest, happiest, dopest life.

But the highs came with serious lows. After competing, I hit a wall. My mental health took a nosedive. My weight and anxiety skyrocketed, and I barely recognized myself. I lost the drive to show up online, and my business started to suffer. I was meal-prepping in a community kitchen and living with a friend who, thankfully, let me pay what I could just to keep the business afloat.

But giving up was never an option.

In 2020, during the pandemic, everything shifted. We secured contracts, donated close to 5,000 meals, and kept the business alive. I focused on healing—from the inside out. I started to see fitness as a lifelong relationship, not just a physical goal, truly practicing what I preached to my clients. I reconnected with my “why,” and it reignited the fire in me. That same year, Meals of Dopeness hit six figures for the first time.

Since then, we’ve continued to grow. We’ve expanded into catering and private events, developed incredible partnerships, and built a brand that’s all about nourishment—real, flavorful, soul-hitting nourishment. And we’ve done it while staying rooted in community, culture, and purpose. As a completely self-taught chef, I’ve had to constantly overcome my imposter-syndrome and remind myself of how far we’ve really come. 

I’ve worn many hats over the years—barber, waitress, online TV magazine host, trainer, chef, dance instructor—and each one has added something to this journey. I’ve faced burnout, body dysmorphia,self doubt, and financial setbacks. But I’ve also experienced deep joy, fulfillment, and growth I never could’ve imagined.

Today, I’m proud to say we’re still here, 8 years later, doing what we love and serving our community. And none of it would be possible without you, and without my amazing team.

Whether you’ve been with me since the Find Your Dopeness days, were one of the first clients I took an Uber to to deliver meals before I had my car, or just found us in 2025—thank you. You’ve helped a first-gen Latina turn her dream into a legacy.

Now, as May 1, 2025 approaches, we’re celebrating 8 years since that first spark of an idea—and I couldn’t be more proud. We’ve grown through a global pandemic, weathered an economic recession, and remained standing as a small, woman-owned business rooted in purpose and community.

This is still just the beginning. Thanks for being part of the ride. 💫

Con mucho amor y sabor,
Chef Dopeness

Stay Prayed Up, Stay Strong, Stay Dope <3
chef dopeness

Relevant Readings:

• Starting a Business? 10 Hard Truths to Accept [From Experience]
• More than Meal Prep: Boost Your Health & Wealth with Wisdom from a Latina Bodybuilding & Business Pro