Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sarita Gelner. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Sarita, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What sort of legacy are you hoping to build. What do you think people will say about you after you are gone, what do you hope to be remembered for?
Spreading joy and enthusiasm for my craft, but more importantly, the love I have for my daughters. I am so grateful for the opportunities that I have had to use baking as a tool to inspire others to pursue their passions outside of the career or life that defines them.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I’m a stay at home Mom and homemaker. I have also had the incredible privilege to share my recipes and passion for baking through various TV shows and magazines. I started hobby baking while my kids were babies. During their naps I would bake and take photos of my creations. I never imagined I would end up having the baking journey of a lifetime! I named my blog Ritzy Mom because I wanted to make my Mom life ritzy by creating fun cocktails and beautiful baked goods. Ritzy Mom was a way for me to share all of the flair I felt when I honed in on a path I was proud of paving. I had a very traumatic childhood that was lonely and void of much love or joy. When I met my husband, we had this instant laughter and love and trust that became a time where I felt my real life and my real self began. And when we had kids, I committed to being the most loving and supportive mom I could be. I wanted to raise our girls knowing they are loved, wanted, supported, and cherished everyday. And my family of my husband and children inspired me and made me want to share my joy with anyone else who needed it. Because I truly am grateful for my life everyday and I couldn’t ask for anything else. I started sharing my recipes on several morning shows across the country and having that opportunity to give unique perspective of my craft truly lit a fire inside of me. I began creating recipes that had unique flavor profiles and this caught the attention of food producers from national food shows. While food was my fuel, sharing my joy of this passion is what made me happy! I loved chatting with the hosts and having so much fun. It’s a special part of my life that’s my own little space in a big life I live. I have troves of recipe journals that I have kept over the years. It’s so special to spend time with my daughters teaching them how to bake. And truth be told, the picked up the art of baking even better than I ever did! They are so talented and curious about the science behind baking. It’s magical to watch them and share such a special bond with them. And a gift to know they will go on to share our memories of baking together with their kids one day. Bea and Tilly even appeared on shows like the Today Show with me!
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
Being on reality shows is not for everyone! I will tell you one of the hardest parts of my journey was baking in England. I had to leave my two very young children for almost 5 weeks, with very little interaction with them due to the time difference and the rigorous schedule. I don’t know if many people realize how much of reality shows isn’t very realistic! There is a narrative they have for each person and an outline that you have to work through. It’s hard to not get a chance to really be yourself and be seen for what you represent in real life. And the mental strain and breakdowns, emotional tolls, those are real. are treated as someone who should be thankful to be there instead of someone who earned their spot. And that can be tough. Some shows have you getting on set by 5 am and working until almost midnight. I remember being so depressed during that time. I felt like I wasn’t good enough, strong enough to make it. I dropped down to 90 lbs during that time of prepping for the baking show and being on it. When I got there I had been on many TV shows and some of the people had seen me and didn’t feel I deserved the spot. Little did they know how I had taught myself from nothing and worked tirelessly, truly fought and worked my ass off to teach myself the art of baking and pastry. When I got a handshake only two people congratulated me and I was snubbed by the rest and got comments like- she got that because the judge thinks she is pretty. That was a devastating blow and I remember that sickening feeling of wondering if I didn’t belong there after all. I got so in my head from feeling like an outcast that I almost quit and went home. But I look back and see how mentally fragile I was and how I allowed so much negativity to bring me down, and I’ve grown so much since that time. I’m grateful that I can say I’m stronger because of experiences like that.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
There has to be a love for what you begin sharing. That is extremely important because it will be what people begin to associate you with. Your craft defines you on social media. So if you have something you would do even if there weren’t cameras around or someone was paying you for it, that’s your thing! Capture that feeling and fuel for whatever it is and run with it. I just began taking photos and putting them up and it grew from there. I loved food photography, but when I started making reels, that’s where I found my favorite part of social media. If you test different ways of doing what you love, you will find the one that works and draws people in. And it shouldn’t be a chore. While algorithms do reward you for pushing content, it will burn you out if you are forcing yourself to churn out content all the time. Just keep a good pace and keep some backups in your pocket for times you want to take a “break” but still post. If we have a holiday planned, I do extra videos at a time to save and release. So that way I focus on my family during my downtime.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Ritzymom.com
- Instagram: Ritzymomblog
