The Pros & Cons of Taking Full Creative Control As A Founder
Do you dream of being your own boss one day? It’s a rewarding experience but as we learn, the title requires a ton of grit and patience. This week in Selfmade Stories, our partnership series with Office Depot OfficeMax, we chat with emerging entrepreneur Rachel Lerro, founder of Most Hungry — a cooking and recipe site that “aims to un-basic your food routine” — on career pivots, learning to embrace social media, and how to love taking total control.
B + C: Where did the inspiration for Most Hungry come from?
Rachel Lerro: I was always cooking and taking photos, and I wanted to combine them into a resource for myself. I thought of it as a simple online cooking notebook. As time went on and I started to create a collection, I would have friends and family ask for recipes, and that’s when I decided I should share it.
B + C: Where were you in your life when you came up with the idea for Most Hungry?
Lerro: I was doing a lot of freelance work for everyone else’s companies and start-ups and I wanted to do something fully for myself. I wanted to be able to create a site where I was the only client and had full creative control to do whatever I wanted.
B + C: What has your career trajectory been that has led you to launch a food and recipe publication?
Lerro: I originally went to school for fashion design and that was totally how I saw my future. I was pretty determined back then, but once I graduated and worked in the industry, I realized it wasn’t for me. I went full-time freelance building websites and that gave me the experience and knowledge base to start my own site.
Most Hungry's Key Lime Cheesecake
B + C: In an age where there are plenty of cooking and recipe platforms, what challenges are you hoping specifically that Most Hungry will solve for readers? What sets your food site apart from others?
Lerro: I’m all about approachable food that anyone can make. Nothing fussy. I also have a unique approach to the visual elements of the site. I like punchy, bold flavors and I want to convey that to readers. I want you to be able to taste the food by looking at it. I want you to get excited to make something when you see it on the site.
B + C: At this point in your career, are you doing everything yourself or are you hiring freelance writers and photographers?
Lerro: It’s just me. I do it all. I currently do everything on the site myself from the cooking, to photography, styling and site development. I would love to hire someone for social media/promotion/advertising and outsource the site development so I can focus on my strengths: content creation and recipe development. In the near future I’m looking to expand and hire some talent to help to take some of those tasks off my plate.
B + C: At what stage are you at in your entrepreneurship and what are the current big challenges you’re facing at the moment?
Lerro: I’m a new mom — my son is now two months old — so figuring out how to balance my time between mom life and the site will be a new challenge. My other challenge is always how best to monetize and grow while also setting myself apart from every other food site out there.
Most Hungry's Fennel Salad With Blood Orange, Thyme, and Toasted Walnuts
B + C: What are some of the major wins you’ve experienced that have propelled you forward?
Lerro: Seeing my content featured on other sites and shared online always feels like a big win. I recently had some recipes featured on Brit + Co and on feedfeed’s recipe guides and social accounts. I’ve also created some content for brands like Nasoya and Instacart. It always feels like you’re doing something right if your content is getting shared.
B + C: How have you approached marketing your brand and raising awareness?
Lerro: Social media has been the best method to promote myself. I’m not particularly great at marketing, but I try to be true to myself and as authentically me as possible. I value the real connections you can make on platforms like Instagram to connect with other content creators, brands and build a community.
B + C: What are some of the ways you maintain your mental health or ways you stay focused while embarking on your entrepreneurial journey?
Lerro: Trying to just be myself and not comparing my progress to anyone else’s. It can be hard, especially with social media, but I just gotta remind myself I’m where I need to be and to keep making a little bit of progress everyday.
B + C: Who or what keeps you inspired?
Lerro: I get a lot of joy and energy from being creative. I love to experiment with design, styling, flavors, cooking techniques, cuisines, you name it. Once I make something I like, I get amped and just want to keep making more.
But on the flip side, when I put too much pressure on myself, or set unrealistic expectations, all that joy is completely crushed. I continually need to remind myself to always enjoy the process.
B + C: What has receiving the scholarship to Selfmade done to help you grow your business?
Lerro: Selfmade has helped me to create solid long- and short-term plans for growing and expanding as a business. I was able to get input from my mentors that has been invaluable. It’s also given me the opportunity to put myself out there and get some very necessary critical feedback on the site.
Most Hungry's Red Sauce Rigatoni
B + C: How have Office Depot OfficeMax services/products helped you accomplish more in your business?
Lerro: Office supplies, getting back to pen and paper. Other than cooking, the rest of what I do on the site is digital, but there are times when I need my process to be a bit more tangible. Having supplies like paper, ink, and pens on-hand is a huge help. I feel like I would often overlook how helpful it can be to get back to simple pen and paper or even cutting up photo printouts to decide on what layout and visual elements to use when creating content.
B + C: What's next for Most Hungry?
Lerro: The next big step for Most Hungry is collaborating and partnering with brands and other content creators. I also have some design updates coming in the next month and a slightly new direction for the content on the site thanks to a lot of the input I got from Selfmade.
It’s also looking like my son has a dairy and soy intolerance (MSPI), so the next year may see lots of new dairy- and soy-free recipes, plus some recipes with new and breastfeeding parents in mind.
B + C: What’s the best piece of professional advice you’ve ever received that you would pass on to others?
Lerro: Just start. Now! Keep making small and consistent progress cause those little bits will accumulate and that’s what leads to success. Find your niche and fully embrace it. Get into the nitty gritty and be an expert at what you do.
Thanks Rachel! You can follow Most Hungry on Instagram and Pinterest.
While your road to entrepreneurship may require some trial-and-error, one thing’s for sure: Office Depot OfficeMax can help you realize your small biz dreams with a full suite of business services and solutions and access to work-from-anywhere products so you can focus on bigger-picture projects.