We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sylwia Vaclavek a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Sylwia , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

Oh, my journey with photography started many years ago. To cheer me up after a dental procedure, my husband gifted me a DSLR camera. He has been an avid wildlife photographer for years and wanted to share his passion with me, just like his dad did with him. This was 18 or so years ago. We have been photographing wildlife and landscapes as a hobby since then.
More seriously, I became interested in food photography about three years ago. Seeing all the photos of beautifully styled food on social media, I wanted the same.
I was nervous when I signed up for my first food photography course. Different emotions and, of course, self-doubt crossed my mind. What if I can not do that? I do not have any creative genes, and it is hard for me to imagine and visualize things.
Well, the good news is that the ‘drama’ in my head did not stop me from moving forward with food photography and pursuing it further. I accepted from the very beginning that learning is an ongoing process.
We learn every day, and it is only up to us to make the best of the lessons we are exposed to. As I followed the course, I realized that not everything would make sense immediately, and I may not understand it from the start. I did not let that stop me from learning. I knew I would see the results if I did the work consistently. Putting pressure and stressing myself was going to get me nowhere. I knew I had to trust the process and let things happen naturally. This was my hobby, and above all I wanted to enjoy it, not stress about it. Big things are achieved not all at once but one day at a time. Practice, practice, practice.
Working full-time, I could only practice on the weekends. I would buy food from the clearance rack (close to expiration) and practice photographing it. Later I started to cook and photograph just the finished dish. Eventually, this past year I decided to start a food blog.
I watched free videos, listened to podcasts, and observed my favorite bloggers. Honestly, it was overwhelming. I felt lost, procrastination kicked in, and I stepped back. At the same time, we moved to another state, and I was just mentally not there. Well, my ambition and competitive site eventually kicked in. I told myself I could do this, so I did.
I enrolled in a course for food bloggers and artificial light, got help with SEO and website design, and launched My Omni Kitchen in February. And so the learning continues. The most important thing is to start and adjust as you need to. It won’t be perfect, but nothing really is. You know what they say: Done is better than perfect. This is so true!
It probably won’t come as a surprise that writing an actual blog is very complex. There are so many details to keep track of during and prior to writing. Quickly, I figured a template of sorts would be very useful. I just used Google doc and wrote down the steps. I updated it a few times to fit my needs. I did the same with the brand colors and fonts. I can now focus on research and providing valuable content instead of thinking about what the next paragraph should be about and what font I need to use. The learning never ends, and I think this is the best part of it. We continuously evolve and get better.
OMG, so I just took a little break from typing and went to look at the gallery of the photos I posted over the past 3 years on social media. Wow, what an evolution of my style and, most importantly, knowledge. All the photos are beautiful in their unique way, perfect for the time in my career when I took them.
Yeah, maybe I cringe, just a little looking at some of them, but mostly I’m proud. They may not be perfect, I may have edited them differently now, but this is the learning. You practice and you learn. You just don’t hang your equipment and call it quits. Persistence, hard work, and passion will get you results.
You do the best you can with what you know. You know better you do better.

Sylwia , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Hi, I’m Sylwia (yes, with the ‘w’ in my name). I’m the photographer and recipe creator behind My Omni Kitchen food blog.
I created My Omni Kitchen to inspire You to explore cuisines – Polish cuisine in particular, cooking techniques and dishes you may not have heard about. By sharing simple, authentic recipes I invite you to culinary adventure.
In My Omni Kitchen, you will find valuable content, including delicious recipes, mouthwatering photography, cooking tips, and possibly fun stories. Together, we will discover the joys of cooking, creativity in the kitchen, and appreciation for the cultural and social aspects of food.
My Omni Kitchen is more than a collection of awesome recipes. It is fun and engaging food blog where we can express and share our love for food.

I’m Polish, born and raised, and been living in the US for the past 23 years. I have a master’s degree in Horticulture in Ornamental plants. I came to the US on an internship in a greenhouse operation, producing various ornamental plants. When my internship was close to ending, I was offered a full-time job at the same company where I had done my internship. I had to make a decision that was possibly life-changing. Despite feelings of loneliness being so far away from home, I knew this was an opportunity I could not pass. I called home, and we talked about this, and my mom said: stay there, take the job, learn, grow, gain experience. You can always come back home. We are so proud of you and happy for the opportunity presented. You are doing something right, and people have recognized that and appreciate it. So I took the job :) and yes, this was a life-changing decision for the better. This was not the scenario I had played in my head as a kid. This was something much better. A few years later, I got married, and just a couple of days ago, we celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary.

Food photography became a hobby of mine about three years ago. This was a spur of the moment after seeing all those drool-worthy, beautifully styled foods on social media. I wanted the same. At that time in my life, I thought I might need to change careers (due to a move), and I thought of food photography as a great option to pursue. Having some knowledge and experience in photographing wildlife and landscapes, I already knew I liked it and just needed to learn about food photography.
As a Pole living in the US, I miss authentic Polish food. Cooking traditional Polish food and sharing it on social media was a natural progression of my passion for food photography.
I started My Omnim Kitchen – a food blog to support my food photography journey and create an even deeper connection with the reader. Many people (unfortunately) still don’t know much about Poland, polish cuisine, the foods we enjoy, and the traditions we carry.
Infusing Polish heritage into the recipes I share came naturally. I do not want to overwhelm readers with Polish history and traditions but give them a taste (pun intended) of what we Poles are all about. I wanted My Omni Kitchen to be a meaningful way to share my background and passion with my readers. It’s a great way to create unique, personal content that stands out.
I’m very proud of my achievements as a food photographer and blogger. Both things are very demanding and require continuous attention and learning. Yes, the thought that I’m too old to start a food blog lingered in my head for a split second. There is too much (Polish) delicious food that people need to know about, and I’m here to share all about it :) in My Omni Kitchen.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

Managing people is challenging but doable. There are multiple things you need to do to achieve good results. I learned a lot from working – managing a team of 100 people.
You need to listen, and you need to work with people. Often, our personal feelings and opinions get in the way, and unfortunately, they make us fail. Our team will think we are unapproachable and cannot be trusted.
Don’t worry, there are things you can do.
Throughout years of managing the team, I learned that open communication and empowering people are imperative to maintaining good morale. We all come from different backgrounds and education. Sometimes, the basics are not so basic for others. Showing compassion and understanding will result in dedicated employees striving for excellence.
Regular check-ins, but not micro-managing, engaging in open conversations, and providing constructive feedback will create trust and commitment. Setting clear goals and expectations is key to avoid confusion and frustration. Be realistic, thus. Set attainable goals that are not out of reach. You need to know your team and play to their strengths but also make it challenging enough so they have the opportunity to grow. Offer brainstorming sessions and resources so they feel empowered and take ownership of their work. Encourage them to contribute confidently and share their ideas.
Always celebrate the wins. Acknowledging achievements, whether it’s a huge project or someone knocking out a task early, is a great morale-boosting strategy. Public recognition boosts confidence and makes people feel valued.

At last, let’s talk about the elephant in the room, the difficult conversations. My approach when speaking with an employee is always to thank them first, to recognize their work and commitment, even if the outcome is not desirable. You never want to point out their failures, errors, or shortcomings from the get-go. Imagine if you were on the other end, receiving this sort of feedback. It is not pleasant. Easing out into the difficult conversation is the key.
Let them know you appreciate their efforts and ask if they may need additional resources, training, or support to perform better.
At the end of the day, you always lead by example. Be respectful, kind, and objective. Don’t procrastinate addressing any issues. Be honest and admit when you made a mistake, propose corrective action, and take the lead to ensure it happens. You best strategy in maintaining high morale while managing a team is to really focus on the people. Get to know them, understand who they are and what support they need from you. They are your best resource.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Ohh, where do I start? The most obvious, of course, is the creative freedom. As I create more photos, recipes my creative freedom expands. When I started I was more preoccupied and worried about rules that already existed. Slowly I figured out it is all about my own vision, feelings and how I want to present it to the world. I also found creativity to be a great way to express emotions and ideas that may be hard to put into words.
Expressing myself through food photography or writing a blog helped me create wonderful, meaningful connections with others. It is very powerful to see that my work resonates with others, sparks memories, or inspires them.
For me, being creative is also a way to keep learning and growing beyond my full-time job! It’s amazing how photography and blogging have opened up new worlds, giving me a creative outlet and connecting to the community. It is so rewarding that it offers personal growth, feelings of fulfillment, and the possibility of inspiring others.
During my creativity journey, I discovered more about myself. Pushing those internal boundaries not only developed new skills but also gave me a deeper understanding of who I am. I feel empowered and confident! Stepping out of my comfort zone led to personal growth, and it’s not as scary once you take those first few steps.
The curiosity about what it may be and the passion for creating are the best drivers to keep going. The creation process can be challenging, but the result makes it worth it. In this digital era creating value and positively impacting readers is my commitment is my goal.
Whether it’s through food photography or writing a blog, sharing what’s in my heart or head is deeply rewarding.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://myomnikitchen.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sylwiavaclavekphotography/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sylwia.vaclavek/
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/svaclavek/
  https://flipboard.com/@SylwiaVaclavek?from=share&utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=curator_share

Image Credits

All images were taken by Sylwia Vaclavek