EO Member Spotlight: Dré Slaman, Founder, Farm To Fit

They met getting master’s degrees in acting, then Dre Slaman and her husband G. Scott Brown created a business around the art of food. In 2011, the couple moved to Oregon and founded FARM TO FIT, LLC to deliver locally sourced, healthy and delicious meals to families and organizations throughout Greater Portland, Salem and Washington.?

Tell us about yourself??

I was born in San Diego into a Middle Eastern immigrant family and like most immigrants, my parents were entrepreneurs. My father’s side is from Lebanon and my mom was born in Jaffa, Palestine. Her family fled in the middle of a war and were nomads for six years before ending up in the United States.?

My mom owned coffee shops in the San Diego area for over 25 years—there’s one left and she still goes in every day!? I started working for her when I was 15—she pulled me out of my first job at Baskin Robbins and said, “You're working for me now.” My dad is a serial entrepreneur—during my young years he shipped prefab houses and built them in Saudi Arabia.? He was building residential units in 2008 when the recession hit. He had to do what all small business owners do: pivot. And pivot fast. So he turned the half-built apartments into assisted living facilities and got licensed as an owner/operator, essentially quadrupling his revenue and creating a new career for himself. It was a true lesson for me to see firsthand how to turn lemons into lemonade.?

I received a BA in theater arts in college and then earned a Master of Fine Arts in Acting at Northern Illinois University. That’s where I met G, my future husband and business partner. After graduating I moved to LA and got, what we call in show biz, a “survival job” in property management. By the end I was managing a 1,200-unit apartment building in North Hollywood—and it was soul sucking. I kept trying to leave but they’d offer me more money, so I’d stay. I didn’t love working in that corporate environment—the rules got to me the most—but I learned that I was really good at selling. In retrospect, I realized it was because I was a good listener.

Eventually I quit and rented a theater where I would produce shows or rent it out to other producers. I was in my 20s and that was my first introduction into actually running and operating something that was my own.?

“I didn’t love working in that corporate environment—the rules got to me the most—but I learned that I was really good at selling.”

Why did you start your business??

When G. Scott and I moved to Portland, we were looking for a place that would deliver fresh and healthy portion-controlled food. But we couldn’t find anything, which really surprised us. With so much bounty here in Oregon—how could something like this not exist?

We were doubly motivated because we were looking to create a life where we could make our own schedules—have the flexibility to audition, rehearse, and perform without having to “punch in” on someone else’s timeclock. So, in 2011 we started Farm to Fit and focused on sourcing fresh food locally and making people’s lives healthier and easier.?

Growing up, I didn't know that owning a business or being an entrepreneur was any different than what anybody else did. There was always a feeling like we were on the edge, but the idea or the risk of being a business owner didn’t scare me. Being a business owner was innate for me; it wasn’t something I had to reach for to understand.

“Being a business owner was innate for me; it wasn’t something I had to reach for to understand.”?

Is there an obstacle you faced that helped you get where you are today??

Small business owners have so many obstacles to overcome, but one of our biggest was in March 2020. Of course, COVID was hard for everybody, but we were navigating COVID while being fully operational because we were essential workers. And as we were figuring that out, in May of 2020, our long-time chef died unexpectedly from a sudden cardiac event. He was only 38. It was such a huge loss for us, personally and professionally. It was terrible. I was trying to carry the team through this deep loss while also navigating the unknowns around operating a business during COVID.?

Ultimately, it was so impressive the way the team came together and continued to persevere and grieve…together. As a business owner, it gave me real faith in my team. I learned that I could lean on them and not just have them lean on me. It was a really important lesson that helped the company through a very difficult time.

“I learned that I could lean on my team, and not just have them lean on me.”

How has being an EO member helped you??

Early on in the business, I would turn to my dad for advice. I’d be stressed out and we’d look at the numbers and he’d tell me, “Don’t get too far ahead of yourself. Just get to the next goal and it’ll be OK.” I’ve learned so much after joining EO that the tables have turned a bit. Now, my dad calls me for an ear!

EO helped me become a much better leader, so I could build a company for the team, and not just for myself. EO has made me strong enough to give away control—empowering the team to make decisions, weigh in, and feel like they’re truly part of the company. I had to have confidence in my leadership in order to give that control away.?

“I’ve learned so much after joining EO that the tables have turned a bit. Now, my dad calls me for an ear.”

What would you tell an entrepreneur who’s considering joining EO??

As a business owner, you can often feel alone—in your challenges, in the millions of daily decisions you must make. By joining EO, you have a couple hundred people who understand what you’re going through, who truly get it, and who show up every day for you.?

Our theme this year in EO Portland is “lift others up.” How do you lift others up in your work or life??

I try to be benevolent to my team, by offering them kindness, by taking things off their shoulders if I can. My love language is acts of service—whether that means saying, “How can I help?” if someone is overwhelmed or, say, just jumping in and doing dishes if I know that will boost morale. I want them to know that I'm here as their support, and I hope that lifts them up.

“My love language is acts of service.”

What lies ahead for Farm to Fit??

We’ll continue to scale and eventually exit. Entrepreneurship is, essentially, a continuous act of creation and I’m excited for what evolves.?

#entreprenuers?#courageousleadership

This is an interview series by?Talie Smith,?EO Board Chair for Chapter Communications,?featuring Portland EO members who lift others up through their grit, talent, and courageous entrepreneurial spirit.

Interested in learning more about Entrepreneurs' Organization?

Visit our website at?eopdx.org?to learn about us.

Get in touch with EO Membership Chairs?Augusto Carneiro?or?Allen Hardin?to learn more about becoming a member.