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

Candace, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

In 2012, I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease, and I turned to the internet to learn how to completely overhaul my life. It takes a lot, and I needed to learn how to cook gluten-free meals for myself. Food blogs saved me because I used their recipes and didn’t have to come up with everything on my own. I ended up falling in love with cooking, and quickly started creating my own recipes.

I came up with the idea for my food blog not even thinking of it as an actual business. It started as a hobby and a way for me to help other people with Celiac Disease in the same way those food blogs helped me. Over time, I grew to love it so much, and as my audience grew, so did my business.

It is very overwhelming to be diagnosed with Celiac Disease, and I wanted my website to be a resource for those that were struggling. It is a perfect way for me to have the flexibility to work from anywhere, and still be able to be home with my two girls more! I love being a business owner, setting my own schedule, and getting to be creative everyday.

Candace, 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?

I got into food blogging kind of by accident. I didn’t know much about it other than it looked like fun, and I had so many recipes to share! I wanted it to have a place to land, and to be able to help people in some way.

I have over 400 gluten-free recipes on my website, as well as helpful resources for those living with Celiac Disease or gluten sensitivity. I teach you how to dine out safely, learn surprising places gluten can be hiding, travel tips for celiacs, and even tips for the newly diagnosed celiac.

Not only do I want to provide my readers with delicious gluten-free recipes, but I want to help them on their health journey as well. I became a Certified Holistic Nutritionist, and all of the recipes on my website focus on wholesome ingredients and real food. I make swaps for healthier flour and sugar options, but never compromise on flavor! You will find everything from easy dinner recipes, healthier baked goods (cookies, donuts, brownies, muffins), appetizers, drinks, smoothies, holiday recipes, and more!

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I have had my food blog for over 10 years now, and there have definitely been some ups and downs along the way. It started as a hobby, so I really felt no pressure. It was just fun, and I was able to put as much time as I wanted into it. Then it started to grow, which was really fun!

And I think with that growth is when I started taking it more seriously. I was looking at it more like a business, and was investing more time and money into it. There is always good and hard things that come with growing a business. Over the years, my website has kind of ebbed and flowed with my lifestyle. There was a season where I was teaching fitness classes and doing other work outside of my blog, so there was less time spent on it, which meant less growth.

I have two little girls now, and each time I focused more on my pregnancy and postpartum period, my blog took a backseat. And I think that is the beauty of having this kind of business setup, where you are able to take the time off when needed, and the business won’t die. Having a blog that I don’t have to be on top of at all times really works for me, my family, and my season of life right now.

How did you build your audience on social media?

When it comes to social media, consistency and engagement is the key. You have to engage with your audience if you want them to engage with you. Social media can get a bad wrap sometimes when it comes to losing connection, and there is some truth to that. But I have built some real friendships from social media by genuinely connecting with my audience and other content creators.

And being consistent and staying true to yourself is a good way to build your social media presence. The more you post, the more you engage, the more people will see your content.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thewheatlesskitchen.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewheatlesskitchen/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wheatlesskitchen
• Other: Pinterest : https://www.pinterest.com/thewheatlesskitchen/

Image Credits
Candace Bell