We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Giangi Townsend. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Giangi below.

Giangi, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

I have two personal mottos that are front and center on my weekly calendar that I live by and read every morning.

The first motto is: Stay Focused, Consistent, Grounded, and Determined.

It takes dedication to be self-employed in today’s world.

When I started my blogging journey almost 14 years ago, the blogging world was nothing as it is now.

For me and lots of us, it started as a hobby. I was having fun with it and sharing my passion.

Creating a niche and growing it into something big and beautiful was my dream; every day, it has become my reality.

Of course, it did not happen overnight.

If you want to make it as a business owner, be prepared to anchor down work long hours. Hours that are spent alone. Stay determined and focused on the goal. Be consistent.

Consistency is essential.

Owning a business and being successful is not an 8 to 5 job, Monday through Friday.
But one that you wake up in the middle of the night with an idea, and you get out of bed to execute.

Being self-employed tests you as a human. It brings out the best and worst.
I learn quickly which ones are my strong suits and which ones are my weaknesses.

By knowing such, I have surrounded myself with like-minded people. People who do understand you as they are with the same frame of mind. People that complement each other, and together, we help each other grow and be accountable.

It is only for some. Big sacrifices are made, but the rewards are even more significant. It is all in the execution and delivery.

Blogging is a very alone world. For me, it is being behind my desk writing and editing or in my kitchen creating—minimal contact with the outside world.
Yes, we share with the world, which sounds contradictory, but we are alone.

It takes great friends who understand it and do the same to help you along the way.

My second motto is: I am the energetic match for the moves I make.

I have learned that only some ideas, thoughts, or fads are where I need to be. I have stayed true to myself and my purpose and made moves that resonate with me.

This has brought forth many fantastic opportunities that have helped me grow leaps and bounds.

Giangi, 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?

Where do I begin? I worked as an Operations Manager with my spouse in the Petrochemical industry for years. We had a manufacturing plant in China and distributed our products worldwide. We traveled a lot to visit our customers, allowing us to visit many beautiful places worldwide.

Unfortunately, divorce happened, and I found myself at 49 with no job and an 8-year-old child to raise.

Because I was self-employed and at an age of not too many prospects of employment, it was a real thing and a rude awakening, I could not find a job as no one would hire me.

Before my divorce, I started for fun my cooking blog, Giangi’s Kitchen. It was something fun that I did in response to my girlfriend’s nightly call to what’s for dinner.
It was the answer to the opening of the refrigerator and seeing what kind of magic I could create with the food I had on hand that would not require going to the store.

I jumped in and created my website without knowing anything about blogging or creating a website.

Simple page, but 14 years ago, things were less sophisticated than now in the blogging world.

My claim of fame was sharing my nightly dinners with the world. Whatever we were having that night will be posted the morning after.

I would wake up a couple of hours early, super excited to write and post to not interfere with my business and spending time with my son.

Going through and coming out of my divorce, I continued blogging to channel pain and anger and turn it into something productive, creative, and valuable. It was my therapeutic session.

I started my blog to help parents prepare a great, easy meal for their family nightly. That was my approach, and that became my niche.

I wanted to ensure that all my recipes were cost-effective and did not take hours to prepare. Yes, I occasionally do elaborate recipes, but most are super easy.

Something else came into play. Being French raised in Paris and spending summers in Italy, most of my recipes are French and some Italian.

I also realized that there is a stigma about cooking French food. People are scared of it and think it is way too complicated.

Nothing of the like for everyday cooking. Yes, some French recipes can be pretty elaborate and use specific techniques, but since most of us are not chefs, I wanted to make French cooking easy for the world.

And that is what has set me apart.

It has been an incredible journey. The first followers are still with me today and send me cards and notes whenever I make a recipe, and they try and love it.

A huge pinch-me moment was when the Food Network called me to participate in the Guy Grocery Game. Mind you, I never applied for it. They received over 900K applications, and they came to me. Talk about walking on cloud 9.

It was the experience of a lifetime, and I still pinch myself when friends call me and say that they saw me on TV.

Or even better, a lady asked me if I was on the GGG when I was at Cosco.

Beacause cooking can be a daunting task for some, I wrote an ebook to help set up the kitchen, pantry and what you need to have a very operational kitchen with minimal items.

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

Nightly, I would get a phone call from friends asking me what they could cook for dinner.

Out of fun, I told them I would start a blog just for them so they would not call me every night.

So I did. I started Giangi’s Kitchen just for fun. I got my domain name, opened an account with WordPress, and created a blog.

Of course, 14 years ago, all the bells and whistles were unavailable.

The page was simple. I would post what we had for dinner the night before and give out the recipe every morning.

Although I had so much fun, and the blog was growing daily, I still needed an income. Income that was not associated with the blog.

I did other things, MLM, which taught me much about business and myself. Perseverance is the most important. But I was not happy.

I have always been a big knitter and started a scarf line that I sold online and to a few high-end retailers. Unfortunately, I had to stop due to tendonitis, so my income stopped.

One late afternoon, I was conversing with my ex-husband about fun and work and how much I loved cooking and writing about it.

He knew how much I loved blogging and he pushed me to go for my dream, do my blog, and not worry about anything else.

He and I had started a new business together, and I knew it would not be easy to be fully self-employed.

That afternoon, my fun hobby project became my business.

A new website was created while I worked on my content.

I put my heart, soul, and very long hours into carving a niche in my industry.

I started with a simple goal to help parents, grandparents, and everyone that works to cook a great meal in less than 45 minutes and have fun while doing it.

And here, four years later, having a growing and expanding business.

One amazing thing that happened to me is that the Food Network called me for a show. They found me on IG and offered me a spot on one of their shows.

Mind you, they had over 900K of applicants and they came to me. Pinching moment of a lifetime.

I am also featured on a couple of lifestyle magazines.

Do you have multiple revenue streams – if so, can you talk to us about those streams and how your developed them?

Multiple business streams are so important. Mainly if you blog, in my instance, which is my main source of income.

Anything can happen at a minute’s notice, and you do not want to find yourself with no income.

The proverbial ” Do not put all your eggs in one basket” is important with a blog.

The great thing, so much is available to supplement one’s income.

I started with one, and now I have six streams of income. I have lost a couple and gained a few, but I am always looking to add.

I have advertising on my page that brings a steady monthly income. I also have created an eBook, Back To Basics – Cooking 101, that I have written.

I am also syndicated on MSN and NewsBreak.

I have an Amazon influencer store and offer products that I use for sale thru links.

And some social media outlets that bring in a small income, but an income needless to say.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.giangiskitchen.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/giangiskitchen/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/giangiskitchen
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/giangitownsend/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/giangiskitchen
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/GiangisKitchen

Image Credits
Mara Blom Schantz for a couple of the business pictures