Today we’d like to introduce you to Monique Wallace.
Hi Monique, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My name is Monique Wallace. My husband and I are opening the first South Carolina Nautical Bowls store in Mount Pleasant, SC in late February. I grew up in South Pasadena, California, and have lived in seven states. Our plan is to make the Charleston area our final destination. I have four daughters, (two are stepdaughters /bonus daughters), and five Grands. I am also married to a South Carolinian native, a true Clemson gentleman!
While I have been an entrepreneur and sales director for a few other companies for many years, we decided to join the Nautical Bowls franchise and have plans to at least open two more Charleston area locations in the next few years. We chose Nautical Bowls because the smoothie bowls are organic, gluten-free, dairy-free, plant-based, all-natural, have no refined sugar, and are a complete meal replacement or a dessert. Quick and healthy meals fits our lifestyle.
Having grown up in Southern California, I grew up with such a healthy diet. We had an avocado tree in my backyard when I was little, and I was eating avocado toast 40 years before it was trendy. After the birth of my two daughters, I began to get sick a lot and, after five years and multiple doctor visits, discovered I was dairy and gluten intolerant. Once I eliminated gluten and dairy from my diet, I lost weight and felt 100% better. I realized that the autoimmune illnesses I am predisposed to have a connection to my diet. This was about ten years before being “gluten-free” became trendy, and it was hard to find delicious food that was gluten and dairy free. I started to experiment with recipes. Since I made my daughter’s baby food, I thought I could learn to make gluten and dairy-free deliciousness.
As my daughters grew, I purchased an existing restaurant in the Chicago suburbs, Moveable Feast, featuring Oprah’s “favorite brownies”. We specialized in catering but had a fantastic lunch service, and we introduced gluten-free sweets and began focusing much more on a gluten-free menu. Our guests loved it, and I learned to be a chef, trained by my kitchen staff. I was fortunate to have won a few entrepreneur and “Best of” awards along the way too!
A few years later, I sold the restaurant and decided to help launch a start-up boutique coconut oil company called Skinny & Company. I was the company chef and published a small online cookbook, and as the Director of Sales, we launched the coconut cooking oil and skin care line into boutiques across the USA and Canada. From there, I helped Elizur International launch a sustainable glass drinking straw start-up company, Heartstraws, out of Virginia Beach. Unfortunately, when the pandemic began, shipping from Shanghai was nearly impossible. Still, with my husband’s support, I knew I wanted to continue to be an entrepreneur, so we relocated to the Charleston area of South Carolina because of its familiarity, fantastic food scene, rich history, and because we saltwater fish!
We began looking at franchises and stumbled on this groovy company out of Minnesota. Two fantastic, smart, young husband and wife entrepreneurs opened two Nautical Bowls (a smoothie bowl restaurant influenced by time in California at college). They wanted to grow the business into a franchise. They met with Forbes entrepreneur Peter Taunton, who has opened over 6,000 franchises. The unique combination of experience and youth has created a franchise and lifestyle brand we wanted to be a part of. When we open in February, we will be the first location to open on the Atlantic Coast.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Relocations, food allergies, and Covid were definite struggles along the way, but they all opened new doors and opportunities. Since it is the beginning of a new year, I recently read, “The person you will be in a year from now depends largely on: the foods you eat, the books you read, the chances you take, the experiences you have, the thoughts in your head, the environment you are in, and the people you spend time with.” I think this is so true, and I would add to this,” the self-care and love you give yourself” will also impact your year.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For readers who might need to be more familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
Mentoring and teaching have always been part of who I am; whether I am teaching Sunday school and leading girl scouts back when my daughters were little, and now training new staff members, or educating guests and clients on food ingredients, recipes, food sensitivities, sustainability, and fishing. I am
passionate about my work, the brands I represent, and the people I work with and lead. Food is my “love language,” and feeding people is how I show appreciation and love. Nautical Bowls’ core values are truly what I believe in. I hope all of our guests who come in for a bowl will notice the energy in the air and the smiles on everyone’severyone’s faces and will love our smoothie bowls. We value “others” first, an active and healthy lifestyle, an authentic community, joyful passion, and fearless living.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
Growing up in California was very special. All my Summers as a kid is my favorite childhood memory. I spent summers reading at the library, swimming in neighborhood pools, and taking the bus with my friends to the beach and back. My childhood in California was fantastic; where beaches and mountains surround you, and it’s always 70 degrees, and barefoot at Christmas was normal. I now swim at our lakehouse on Chattooga Lake in Mountian Rest, SC, and the Atlantic Ocean. I love water, and I am happy to have now lived on both coasts!!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.nauticalbowls.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nauticalbowlsmountpleasant/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nauticalbowlsmountpleasant
Image Credits
Nautical Bowls and family members. All are on social media.
