Meet Diane Temme-Stinton: a devoted mother of two small children and the visionary CEO of a prominent manufacturing company in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Balancing the demands of parenthood with her professional responsibilities has always been a juggling act, but Diane saw a pressing need for innovation in her own life and the lives of countless other young, busy mothers. That's why she embarked on a journey to create a groundbreaking menu planning app designed specifically to streamline the daily challenge of meal preparation, called “Anchovy.” With her unique perspective as both a parent and a corporate leader, Diane has brought together her entrepreneurial spirit and deep empathy to develop a solution that promises to revolutionize how families manage their meals amidst their hectic schedules.
We sat down with Diane and asked her a few questions about why she designed this app and her life in general as a busy mom.
Macaroni Kid: How did you identify the opportunity that led to starting Anchovy?
Diane: I had just had my second child in December 2022 and I wasn't really getting a lot of sleep. I was taking inventory of my life and trying to figure out why getting food on the table was such a chore. I was convinced I just needed to find the right tool. After downloading a number of apps, I just wasn't excited by the experience and features they were offering so I decided to create my own.
In the development of Anchovy, the first thought I had was — how can I be more present with my family as a wife and mother? I think the mom-guilt is very real for many people and we don't really talk about it.
So, the goal of Anchovy is to help the process of getting food on the table easier so you can really enjoy the moments that matter — to connect with your family and feel like you are crushing it. It's also about local community and supporting friends and family and reclaiming the joy in our kitchens together.
Macaroni Kid: Do you maintain a work-life balance?
Diane: I don't think I do. I'm very fortunate to have my parents to help support me on the family side. I think it really takes a community to care for children and even more so if you are a working parent. I get my kids (ages 4 and 1) ready for the day, sometimes I phone conference while I'm driving my kids to the nanny. I'm usually either in team meetings or meeting with potential partners or businesses, or thinking about all the ways to make Anchovy even more helpful for mothers with young children.
Macaroni Kid: What is different about the Anchovy app versus the ones already out there?
Diane: Not only can you save and share your recipes, but you can select recipes to auto-generate a grocery list. There’s a meal planning function which auto generates from your collection of recipes, so you also have a dinner suggestion, instead of trying to decide what’s for dinner. It helps to consolidate everything you have whether in physical, handwritten recipe cards or bookmarked webpages, turning them into a user-friendly digital format that can easily be saved and shared.
Anchovy app is available at the Apple Store and on Google Play.
