The First Mess: Food Blogging & Self Love

EP #119: The First Mess: Food Blogging & Self Love with Laura Wright

Do you ever read see one of those instagram profiles or food blogs that are exquisitely styled, with gorgeous colors and recipes? Do you ever wonder what goes into that and how much time it requires to develop a body of work around food, social media and blogging?  

In this episode, I talk with chef Laura Wright about what it takes to create her food blog that showcases seasonal vegan recipes with beautiful photographs and captivating stories. We talk about how she grew her business, blog + social media community over the last 10 years. As well as her process of creating her visually stunning cookbook, The First Mess. 

We cover her inspiration for creating new recipes, her favorite flavors, and her advice to food bloggers and how her business influenced her personal growth -- and taught her to love and nourish herself. 

LISTEN to this episode on:

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We talk about:

• Laura’s background in culinary school, restaurants, and how she moved into food blogging.
• Comparison of challenges from her early days, like hoping that the Huffington Post would pick up her recipe, to her challenges today figuring out how to automate some steps so that she is moe free to develop new recipes. 
• How she has chosen to grow her business and stay inspired.
• Creating recipes, and testing how flavors,  cooking method, and natural pairings are used.
• The process of developing and choosing recipes, doing her own photography and her favorite sections of her cookbook.
• How her  business has influenced her personal growth.
• What a typical week is like for her--testing a recipe every week of the year and photographing it. 
• Methods of earning an income through blogging and using her personal values to determine which sponsors to use.
• Words of wisdom for those who may be starting out or dreaming of starting in a similar business. 

FLOWER ESSENCE-INFUSED RECIPE: Cacao Abundance Coffee

Serves 1

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight and drained
1 teaspoon raw cacao powder
1 teaspoon virgin coconut oil
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
tiny pinch of sea salt
sweetener of choice, to taste
5 drops Wild Abundance Elixir
12 oz hot coffee, or an herbal coffee likeRasa (especially the Cacao Rasa) is also excellent

METHOD

In an upright, high speed blender, combine the drained cashews, cacao powder, coconut oil, cinnamon, cardamom, sea salt, sweetener (if using), Wild Abundance Elixir, and the hot coffee. Blend the mixture on high for 30 seconds, or until completely creamy and smooth. Enjoy!

More about Laura:

Laura grew up working at her family’s local food market and vegetable patch in southern Ontario. After attending the University of Toronto, culinary school, and working for one of Canada’s original local food chefs, she launched The First Mess and quickly attracted a large following. The site’s content is 100% plant-based with a focus on seasonality and sheer enjoyment of what the earth has to offer.

Home cooks head to The First Mess for Laura’s simple-to-prepare seasonal plant-based recipes, beautiful photographs, and approachable take on everyday wellness.

After features in The Washington Post, GOOP, Saveur, Food 52, Oprah.com, and Tim Ferriss’s weekly email, The First Mess Cookbook was published internationally.

CONNECT WITH LAURA:

Follow her on Instagram: @thefirstmess
Visit her Website!

CONNECT WITH KATIE:

Follow her on Instagram: @iamkatiehess @lotuswei
LinkedIn: Katie Hess
Media Kit: Katie Hess, International

Happy listening,