By Renée Hartleib |
Nevell Provo’s Mom wanted to make sure her son was eating healthy, so she made him a few meals. Short on time as a busy student athlete, Nevell enjoyed the meals, thanked his Mom—Karen Provo—profusely and posted a few photos on Instagram. That’s when the questions started coming: “Where are you getting that food? It looks amazing!”
This prompted Karen to expand her meal production, sharing food with some of Nevell’s friends who quickly became wild about it too. “I started to realize it wasn’t just me that loved my Mom’s cooking,” says Nevell. “Everybody loved it!”
As word spread, the mother-son duo realized they were on to something. They decided to test it out more broadly, sending meals to fitness influencers and body builders around Halifax. “We got incredibly positive feedback,” says Nevell. “And requests to make more meals for more people.” It was obvious they had stumbled on a niche in the food marketplace.
Fast forward just over a year, and that first handful of meals has turned into 15,000. And it’s not just Nevell and Karen anymore. Their whole family is involved in the company that they founded. Nevell’s brother is the COO, his sister helps with digital marketing and social media, and his Dad is the logistics guy, the one who keeps the place in order.
Based out of Dartmouth, Smooth Meal Prep is a healthy meal delivery service that Nevell calls “the heat and eat plan.” He adds, “We take care of every step of the meal equation for you: the grocery shopping, the food prep, and the delivery. You don’t need to think about anything else.”
Each of Smooth Meal Prep’s customers receives 12 meals, delivered in two batches, on Sundays and Wednesdays. Over the last year, the company has served over 700 customers and amassed more than $200,000 in sales. Now, that’s a special kind of magic.
Talk to anyone who knows Nevell and they’ll tell you that this special brand of magic started young. At age 5, he began playing competitive basketball and was so talented, he later attracted the attention of recruiters from a nationally ranked prep school in the United States. “I was chasing the NBA dream and there were lots of sacrifices I had to make, like leaving home on my own at age 14 to live in another country. I definitely grew up quick.”
Nevell ended up spending eight years in the States, going on to play competitive college basketball and ultimately scoring a spot on Team Canada in the world championships. In 2018, he returned to Nova Scotia to finish his business degree at SMU and earlier this year, played his last ever basketball game at the AUS Finals.
According to Nevell, the transition from a basketball career to a business venture was made easier because Saint Mary’s is well set up to support entrepreneurs. “Every single course I’ve taken has helped me build the company to where it is now.” And it wasn’t just theoretical knowledge. When Nevell learned something in class, he would immediately apply it to his fledgling business. And that’s not even counting the massive step up he received through The Entrepreneurship Centre right on campus. “I think I owe them about $200,000 in consulting fees,” he laughs.
As a guy who’s always been a dreamer, it’s no surprise to find out that the 22-year-old has huge plans for his company. “I’m aiming for Smooth Meal Prep to become Canada’s nationally recognized healthy meal delivery brand,” he says. That means franchises from coast to coast and healthy meal hubs in every major Canadian city.
Covid-19 hasn’t changed Nevell’s goals, but it has altered the company’s safety protocols and expanded their offerings. Prior to the pandemic, Smooth Meal Prep catered to those who were fitness focused, wanted to eat healthy, but were short on time. They’ve now added a family meal option, offering well-balanced meals to families, while putting the safety of their customers and employees first.
These employees include 10 people who are not a part of Nevell’s immediate family, but who feel like family. All are residents of North Preston, Nevell’s home town, and being able to give back to his community in this way is something he’s incredibly proud of.
He’s also hopeful that being one of only five young black men in North Preston to graduate with a degree in the last ten years will inspire others. “I see myself as a bridge between our community and a university education,” says Nevell, who is also the first person in his family to achieve a university education.
“My world opened up when I came to Saint Mary’s. The University helped translate my big dreams into a reality. I want to do the same for other young people.”
