Becoming A Foodie – My Journey and Lessons Learnt !

The main reason why I decided to share my story is to encourage anyone out there in a similar situation and wants to start a blog or a business but before I go into my talk today, I sincerely want to apologize because this is so overdue and I did not deliver this piece at the time I promised. Quite a whole lot is happening here behind the scene. Hope you bear with me. 🙂

The Background
I studied geology and mining for my first degree at the University of Ilorin, Nigeria and all through school days, there were always thoughts deep down in me that I was never going to work with the degree. Though it wasn’t exactly clear what I was going to do because I can sing, sew, braid, and cook plus a few other things.

Though all these things ran through my mind throughout my college days, I did not have the nerve to tell my parents at that time because I didn’t know how they would feel about it. However, I told my husband (who was my fiance at the time) and he was okay with it, believed in me, and was very supportive then and till now.

 

 

 

How I chose food blogging
Like I said earlier, I could sew, sing, braid, and cook but I know I am not built to be a jack of all trades, so my husband and I sat down and made the vision clear. We narrowed all these four things down to two – sewing and cooking.

We ruled out sewing because of an unpleasant experience making a dress for a friend. Though I put in my all but she wasn’t pleased with it at all. I felt so bad about how disappointed she was and never wanted a repeat of such experience again. Perhaps, if I went that path with zeal and pushed further I could have gone past it – who knows?

I’ve always been aware of my cooking ability and even my first well paid job after school was managing a company restaurant. However, I still found it odd to share this on youtube or the blog.

I’ll simply say I took my cooking gift for granted for years because I thought everyone could cook. It took me time to understand that not only do some people need a little help in the kitchen; others also need to learn new things. I was convinced, so I started.

The Blogging Journey
The journey was not easy when I began blogging in 2014 there was a lot of sleepless nights (with the kids), and there was a lot to learn in the blogging sphere. At that time, my baby girl was just six months Old, with two other two little boys. I was overwhelmed, yet, I knew it was time for me to lunch out.

I posted my very first video in December 2014, and to me, it was a disaster; however, I noticed subscribers loved it, and were very supportive of it, and they even requested for more recipe videos. I was shocked, and this gave me the courage to do work harder.

There were a few people who never believed in what I was doing at the time. Some even teased, but I looked past what they had to say, and focused on being committed to what to my passion.

I have worked with a brand I never thought I could, and my work has also been featured in a few popular magazines in the US and abroad. I never imagined it would lead this and I’m so grateful so far. However, I know tomorrow is still pregnant, and there even more victories to be won in this journey.

Take home
You may be wondering why I’m sharing this? I’m sharing this to encourage anyone out there in a similar situation who wants to start a blog, a business, or even your own unique pursuit.

It is very important to chase purpose, not money. Focus on being committed to using your God-given gifts (what you are passionate about) and in the process; you will earn more and live a purposeful life but when you chase money, you forget the purpose easily and at the end of the day, the pay may or may not come. It will be a game of gamble and remember life is too short to be gambling around.

Remember, there is almost no ideal perfect time to start. Use what is in your hands right now and build on it. I had little kids, a small baby and a whole of other things going on when I started but I still started.

• Don’t wait for the approval of everyone before doing what you are passionate about. Some will believe in you, and some will not. Just start!
• There are going to be distractions and haters look past them and be intentional.
• Remember, it is what you start that you can build on, you can’t build on what is not yet started.
• You can attain any height in life so open your mind to continuous learning.

So that’s my short story and I hope you are inspired. I will be happy to hear yours and answer your pending questions. I love you all! XoXo.