Meet Sarah Kupec | Owner, Mom, and Chaos Coordinator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sarah Kupec and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sarah, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?

I was born and raised in Northern Colorado. Growing up we were always a very outdoorsy family. We did everything from riding dirt bikes and camping to fishing and hunting. My whole family from my Dad, Grandpa, and my Uncles are hard working business owners. So, I was trained and groomed to run my own business from an early age. I always knew I would own my own business. I just never seemed to find the right one that I wanted to take a leap of faith on.

Then, Covid hit. My husband and I were both in the oil field and we both lost our jobs. We have a 2 year old son and I had to find a way to make ends meet. With food shortages going on I looked into a way to preserve food long term and help provide for our family. I never even thought it would lead me to my dream job. I am now blessed to be able to stay home with my son and make simple snacks and meals for us to all enjoy while out exploring beautiful Colorado.

What should our readers know about your business?

This whole thing started as a personal way to preserve food long term. Little did I know that it would lead to a plethora of other opportunities. Such as great camping meals, healthy snacks and the funnest one, candy. Until, one day I saw a post of someone that had done gummy bears and Skittles. So my husband and I threw a bunch in the machine and got a HUGE mess. Come to find out that there is more of a science to candy than we thought. After scraping the machine clean and doing a bit more research I figured out the tricks and we started trying different candies and sharing with friends and family. Many of them asked if we could make more.

This is when I decided to start Moose Meals. It has since turned into a fun business that has allowed me to achieve my dream. The part that I didn’t realize when I started on this journey is that my products are LOVED by kids and parents alike. I have yet to meet a kid that doesn’t devour the fruit. Even the picky eaters can’t get enough and are always asking for more. The best part (the part that parents love) is that my product retains nearly all of the nutritional value (no parental guilt when they eat the whole bag). Whereas dehydrating will only retain about 60% of the nutritional value.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?

Being a very outdoorsy family we always like to take people camping but, my best friend always insists on going to Estes Park. She lived here most of her life and tells me that there is nothing like the view of the mountains and the town right as you come out of the Big Thompson Canyon. So we always hit a few shops, stop in at the Stanley (to hopefully see a ghost) and grab an elk burger at Wapiti.

The next day we head on up to Cameron Pass to go camping. Along the way we have to stop at Mishawaka to grab a beer and eat over the river. The rest of the trip we are zipping up and down the trails enjoying the great views hoping to see a moose.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My family deserves all of the credit for my success. Without them and their support I never would have even taken a leap on starting my own business. My Mom and Dad taught me to work hard for what I want and never give up. My husband let me take the leap and is working extra hard while I am getting this business up and going. My brother and brother in law are my mentors. My son is my motivation and drive to push further every day.

Website: https://moose-meals.constantcontactsites.com/

Instagram: moosemeals20

Facebook: @moosemeals