Now that all the food has been donated, the floors mopped, and the delivery bags scattered around town, what's next for The Real Good Life?

Short answer: who knows?!

Long answer: so many options that keep focus on our values - food, time, and people.

First up, I (Maggie, the owner) am going to focus on family, Christmas decorations, and my TBR pile of books for the rest of 2024. I realized before I "fill my cup", I need to fix the cracks in said cup. This brief opportunity to refocus my time, finances, and priorities is needed before I get to the fun part - STRATEGIC PLANNING SEASON!!

No, I do not have a big business anymore, but I do have a life with many components. If that doesn't call for strategic moves, I don't know what is.

Here are a few professional-adjacent projects I am considering:

1. Work On A Cookbook

I know enough to know I won't be able to publish a cookbook in 2025, but I'm definitely going to get started on one. With all the recipes The Real Good Life perfected for large quantities, I've got a lot to work with. Want to see the start? Check out our Recipe Box.

2. Blogging/Podcasting/Substack?

I have a very specific topic I want to dive into in 2025. If it was 2010, I would just turn my blog back on. If it was 2022, I would do it all in a podcast. Since it's 2024 and we're in the Midwest, slow to pick up on trends, I'm thinking maybe Substack? 

Where do you go to consider a new perspective or learn something these days?

3. Ride the Wave of Connections!

I just finished Ina Garten's memoir. (Sidenote: its as glorious as you'd expect. Get it ASAP.) The title is "Be Ready When The Luck Happens" and that's how her life has played out. She just kept taking meetings, having conversations, and stumbling into the room where it happened. Even though I love a plan (see above with the personal strategic plan), I am amped up for the the idea of giving myself a year to just see what happens. TRGL started because of a random meeting with a lunch lady. Who knows what will happen next?!

4. Bottle the Sauces

If all else fails, I know I can do the farmers market circuit with a collection of our sauces. Golly, those were good.

So no, meal delivery isn't in the cards for the future of The Real Good Life. Instead, we're focusing on the lowercase real good life. Can't wait to see you there!

It’s not breaking news to say Costco can be a life-saver. I mean, where else can you buy car tires, a new TV, and a 50-pound bag of sugar all at the same place where you get a hot dog and a soda for $1.50? What a great time to be alive!!

That said, a trip can be horribly overwhelming if you go in without a plan. Also, you might leave wondering, “Was that really a deal?” Here is a list of what we buy at Costco.

Dinner doesn’t have to be difficult. Want me to prove it? How about these 10 meals you can get on the table lickety-split probably using what you’ve already got in your pantry, fridge, and freezer?

When people think of The Real Good Life, they think of fresh, delicious, made-from-scratch meals delivered right to their door. They think of the relief that they don’t have to cook dinner and the excitement of the change of pace from their dinner stand-bys. While this is exactly what we think too, there’s more to us.

Our word of the year is COMMUNITY, and we are living that in full force.

Last week I told you all about what I, as a human, am doing to protect the earth in hopes it inspires you, but this week I’d like to tell you about our eco-friendly business practices here at The Real Good Life.

I attended several sessions of the Women’s Entrepreneur Week last week. I learned a lot, but even more importantly, I met a bunch of Milwaukee women you need to know. The list is extensive, but here are seven you should follow immediately.