Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Alyssa Larson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Alyssa thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you share a customer success story with us?

I have quite a few, as I teach hands on pasta making workshops in my local area. I had a couple who attended one of my workshops and told me they eat pasta regularly. They also had said they’d tried once before to make pasta homemade and it didn’t go well at all.

During class they asked great questions and enjoyed their time out together. As they were leaving, they told me that this class had changed their life and they are so excited to go home and make their pasta instead of buying it.

That is my favorite part about teaching. I love seeing people’s eyes light up during the process when they realize they’ve made their own pasta and have a homemade meal.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am the owner and only employee of What The Fork Foods based in Wilmington, NC. I am a self taught home cook that loves experimenting with food in my kitchen.

I had never set out to own a business! I started a food Instagram page about two years ago as a fun way to keep track of my original recipes and to learn more about video editing (I work a full time job in digital marketing running Google ads, Facebook ads etc).

My pasta videos seemed to be really popular and I had found out that I was gluten intolerant. I started making my pasta at home as the fresh flour with no added ingredients is something I can eat every now again without having to buy gluten free pasta.

I had a few friends ask if I’d teach them to make pasta, and then had a local beer garden owner ask if I wanted to teach a workshop there. After that, the classes took off and I ended up creating a side business!

I will be starting online pasta workshops in 2025 so people can join outside of the Wilmington area!

How did you build your audience on social media?

As with any social media, I had a little bit of luck intertwined with consistent content. I tried different style videos to see what my audience (no matter how big) gravitated towards.

Fun recipes that are different (such as my Will It Gnocchi series- that takes an ingredients and tries to turn it into gnocchi) perform well. People want to see things that don’t say / show the same things as everything else around you.

Educational videos also do well. Those who are interested in your niche want to learn and appreciate the helpful info.

Consistency is key, and understanding there will be ups and downs is a lifesaver. You will drive yourself crazy if you worry about every video not having better views than the last.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

The best source has been Instagram and working with other local businesses. I pair up with a local pasta sauce company and give each person a free jar of sauce to take home with their pasta. I also pair up with a local pizza place and get pizza from there to feed those who come to my workshops. I have my classes in local beer gardens and breweries.

All of these businesses and myself help promote the events and each other.you cannot grow your business alone. And other business owners are usually super helpful and wanting to help you grow and grow together!