Lynn Parker is the only person to graduate from The Academy twice.

She was one of the first people to participate in our 10-week entrepreneurial program. But then, just earlier this year, an invite to our Masterclass hit her inbox.

Somehow, with the transition to a new CRM, her email had ended up back on The Academy Waitlist. So she came. And then, by some crazy chance, she was accepted into The Academy for a second time.

“I was like, okay God, I surrender. Because I didn’t apply for the program when I thought I should have done it, and now it’s been such a blessing for me and my business.”

She runs Food 4 Life Meal Prep, a vegan and vegetarian prep business serving Nashville and Clarksville.

So Lynn has seen The Academy in its first moments and at its most recent height, after booming growth the past couple of years.

“I remember my graduation… It was at some little place, we had one room and it was crowded. I got a little certificate, there was some punch and that was it. But now it’s – whoa! I would have never ever imagined that it would have grown to this magnitude. Shana Berkeley has been doing an amazing job. I’m thankful to Will for having the foresight to actually create this program. So it’s just totally amazing because the opportunities that you have to grow your business after becoming an Academy Alumni are just exponentially over the top. So I am grateful.”

Lynn had memorized all the words to her pitch perfectly. But when she called her best friend to share the pitch over the phone, her friend said, “The pitch is great. But I don’t hear you. Where’s Lynn?”

“I was like ‘What?’ When she said that to me, a light bulb went off and I just decided to have fun with it. Because Food 4 Life Meal Prep is my baby. I am here, I have arrived, and this is what is on the road that I’m on.”

So she rewrote her pitch, re-memorized it, and after the last-minute changes, she was ready to take the stage.

“I will say though, maybe one or two people might have seen me wobble because my legs felt like spaghetti strings afterward walking down the stairs!” 

But up on stage during her pitch, we all heard Lynn. We heard about her passion for Food 4 Life Meal Prep, and she ended up winning second place in our Compassionate Pitch Contest. 

So what’s up next for Lynn and her business?

“I’m in the process of creating a weekly meal prep that people can choose from and I’m gonna launch it very very soon. [You can find Lynn’s meal prep options here now!!] I have the ability to give people a culinary experience.

“The best compliments I’ve received are changing people’s minds about certain foods. Like a gentleman saying he doesn’t eat spinach, but loving my frittata with spinach and mushrooms. Or a man whose wife had been trying to get him to eat fresh salmon for about 25 years, and then he couldn’t get enough of my salmon croquettes!”

In addition to changing hearts and minds (and pallets!), Lynn is hoping to dedicate more time to live cooking videos to engage with her audience on social media.

“I’ve done the 9 to 5, I am 54 years old. And I’ve never, ever been this free in doing something that I love – ever.”

Because entrepreneurship is more than just working for yourself – it’s the freedom to pursue your passion, to turn your dreams into money-making realities.

But entrepreneurship isn’t for everyone.

“It’s rough. It isn’t for the squeamish or the weak, I can tell you that much. But for the people willing to put in the effort and the work: Do The Academy. It is worth it. It will change your life. The facilitators are amazing, and they walk you through each step, and if you are struggling and you need some kind of guidance, they’ll be there for you.”

Our entrepreneurs who sign up for The Academy, walk across that stage and continue to better their businesses through The Academy Amplified are some of the most dedicated and driven business owners. They constantly put their businesses first because they believe in themselves and their missions, and we’re there rooting for them every step of the way.