Raine Streicher, left, studied culinary arts at Madison College. Sanaz Cordes, center, had the idea for THRIVE. Dre Nichols, right, is a former professional boxer and fitness instructor.
Raine Streicher always dreamed of owning a restaurant. While putting herself through culinary school at Madison College, she got her start in the industry working as a line cook at Tornado Steakhouse and later became head chef at The Rigby Pub & Grill. She was on her way to a career as a kitchen boss when she met Sanaz Cordes, a physician-turned-business entrepreneur.
Cordes had practiced medicine in Los Angeles before moving to Madison to launch a health tech startup consulting firm. With her busy schedule, Cordes needed to optimize her wellness routine and started looking for people to help with meal prep, personal training and the occasional therapeutic massage. “When you spend so much time in the car commuting, it’s not a luxury to have someone help you,” Cordes says.
Cordes figured she wasn’t the only busy professional in Madison who wanted convenient access to a variety of wellness services. “In large metro areas, there are companies that can be piecemealed together that cater to very busy people,” she says. “I was getting these services from separate people who I really liked and thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be great to put this together under an umbrella that really focuses on healthy living?’”
In September 2017, Cordes launched THRIVE Madison, a holistic wellness company that offers locally sourced meal delivery, personal training and therapeutic massage. Streicher is a co-founder along with Dre Nichols, a former professional boxer and fitness instructor. The business is starting to take off, in large part thanks to promotions targeting residents of downtown high-rise apartment buildings. Cordes is also pursuing partnerships with local businesses interested in offering wellness perks for employees.
Clients can choose from a variety of meal plans to fit their needs and budget. For those interested in trying the service, there’s a one-week “starter plan” offering six meals for $69. Monthly plans come in packages of 16, 24 and 32 servings, with a per-meal cost breakdown ranging from $9.39 to $8.39. Delivery is free to the client’s home or office, or meals can be picked up at THRIVE’s west-side headquarters.
Raine Streicher's take on chicken curry is a popular menu item at THRIVE.
Clients choose from a menu of about 15 meals, all of which are between 300 and 600 calories per serving. To control costs, Streicher prepares the meals in batches, rotating menu items on a weekly basis depending on what clients order. Popular dishes include chicken curry, fajitas, enchiladas, and loaded macaroni and cheese made with high-protein pasta. There are options for vegetarians and vegans, as well as those on a low-carb diet. Gluten-free meal options are available, but THRIVE meals are not safe for those with celiac disease since the kitchen is not gluten-free.
“I love it so much more than working in a restaurant kitchen,” says Streicher, who specializes in cooking healthy comfort food. “I like working for myself and my clients.”
At this point, most THRIVE clients are using only one of the three available services, but there are options to bundle. The company is also branching out into catering and special events, the first of which is a Middle Eastern cooking demonstration with cocktails and belly dancing at 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 19 at THRIVE’s headquarters at 6725 Seybold Road — a space the company shares with Dance Life Studio, which will provide the dancers.
Cordes’ connection with studio owner Arielle Juliette is yet another example of creative business collaboration. Juliette provides space for THRIVE free in exchange for a new website built by Cordes’ consulting firm. Plus, there’s the benefit of increased visibility for the studio during the day when clients come in to pick up meals.
“It’s really such a beautiful thing,” Cordes says of the arrangement. The two business owners hope to partner on more events in the future, perhaps offering party packages that combine food and dance. “Why not think outside the box and have this crazy brand differentiator?” Cordes says. “We’re kind of hoping that throwing spaghetti at the wall will tie back to revenue and business.”
