Alex is a social media influencer and the foodie behind The Defined Dish. Alex has hundreds of thousands of followers, engaged with her incredibly tasty healthy and paleo meals. Two years in, with no traction, she was faced with the choice to shut down or to keep going; she stuck with it, and eventually The Define Dish took off.
With 50,000 followers on her blog/instagram, Alex had a great time doing a live show in-front of real humans who showed up to share how her work changed their lives.
It was very overwhelming because people wanted to see Alex as if she's a celebrity, while she never thought of herself that way and just wanted to share valuable recipes. From then on, she's decided to create events that would deliver more value to the audience.
It was strange for Alex Snodgrass to know that people wanted to meet her. Why would they? Her husband suggested that maybe she was in fact giving something that was valuable to people. Maybe she was inspiring someone to cook for the first time, or to eat healthy. Whatever the reason, she was adding value.
He was very supporting and encouraged her to go 110% on it, to make sure that it would turn into a valuable business, instead of slow-burn her time.
It took a few years for her to realize that although she was a food blogger, it didn't mean she had to do what everyone else was doing. As soon as she found her niche, and started to produce recipes specifically for them, the site took off.
The more you grow, the bigger the audience, and the bigger the demand to engage. Alex benefited a great deal from hiring people to take on the non-core parts, and focusing on her recipes.
Alex loves what she does and she is 100% focused on making recipes that she enjoys. Her followers know that and come for the special feel.
Some random person on Instagram tried to shame Alex for spending too little time with her kids. Of course that was not true, but unfortunately "mom shaming" is a real thing, and strangers feel like it's their duty to give unsolicited baseless advice.
It's impossible to not offend someone, when you have so many followers. You just have to accept that.
Yes. They negotiate on your behalf and know how to create partnership that benefits both parties. Using a management firm, Alex has been able to leverage her status for more income, while still only working with brands and partners that she approves.
It makes sense to get a management company once you've streamlined your product offering and can use them to amplify your growth.
(1) Study abroad was a great experience that broaden Alex's world view and connected her to her ambitions.
(2) Getting pregnant early into her marriage put a temporary damper on her ambition, but then later lead to (3) Starting The Defined Dish.
Alex struggled with anxiety after having her child. She realized she had to take care of herself before being able to take care of the people around her. Things tend to come up around the house, and it's hard to balance work, motherhood, and random distractions. It was tricky to let go of the day-to-day parenting chores, but it also enabled Alex to work on her business and to be a good role model for her kids. You have to draw line in the sand and to stick with it.