Alexis Oladipo, a graduate of Media and Culture from Roehampton University, is a young lady who had to settle with a job as a cleaner when she failed to secure a job in the industry she was passionate about. However, her love for cooking and experimenting with different ingredients in the kitchen led her to become an entrepreneur who runs a thriving alternative healthy snack brand.
Making that transition was not an easy feat. Alexis suffered from anxiety and depression during what she describes as the most difficult period in her life.
“I was getting over a very embarrassing, emotional break up, had two medical procedures, no money, lost a lot of weight and I was a cleaner with a degree but couldn’t get a proper job.”
This, however, did not stop her from believing the best. Alexis had her eureka moment when she noticed that there was no healthy snack to eat in the vicinity where her gym was located. Since she loved to play around with recipes, she decided to try her hands at creating healthy snacks that people could eat after a workout. That marked the beginning of Gym Bites.
After working day and night, attending business seminars with the Prince’s Trust and hiring one of the best branding agencies, Gym Bites fully took off in 2013. The brand soft launched in August 2015 with a range of healthy, delicious and nutritious salads for people to grab and go after a workout. Six months , Selfridges, one of UK’s leading luxury departmental stores approached her with a request to stock Gym Bites on their shelves.
“I still can’t believe it happened and the way it happened. They saw our product on Instagram and went crazy over it. Before I knew there was an email in my inbox asking questions about cost price, shelf life etc. I was in so much shock, me, my mum and my best friend were crying tears of joy. When I first saw my product on the shelves, I didn’t say I just looked at them, sitting pretty and thanked God. It was a surreal moment, one that I will cherish forever.’
