We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Barbora Batokova. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Barbora below.
Barbora, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s jump right into how you came up with the idea?
The idea for my creative side hustle, FUNGIWOMAN, didn’t come to me all at once—it was a journey rooted in my childhood and rediscovered in adulthood. Growing up in the Czech Republic, my family’s summer house in South Bohemia was the heart of my world. It was a place of connection and tradition, where summers were spent gardening with my grandma, helping my parents with house renovations, and, most memorably, foraging for mushrooms in the woods. Mushroom hunting wasn’t just a pastime; it was a cultural cornerstone that connected my family to nature. I vividly remember dragging my younger brother into the forest for hours, both of us returning with baskets overflowing with king boletes. Those experiences planted a seed of curiosity and passion for mushrooms that never left me.
Fast forward to my early 30s, when I had built a life and career in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as a UX designer. While professionally fulfilled, I felt disconnected from my roots, my family, and the traditions that shaped me. I started hiking in local parks, photographing mushrooms, and posting my discoveries on Instagram under the name @fungiwoman. Joining the Western Pennsylvania Mushroom Club (WPMC) was a turning point. I found a community of like-minded enthusiasts, became an official identifier, started leading guided walks, and eventually took on the role of WPMC President. I saw a need for creative, engaging, and accessible education about mushrooms and realized I could fill that gap. What began as a personal reconnection with nature quickly evolved into a platform reaching over 125K followers.
FUNGIWOMAN combines everything I love: photography, design, education, and my cultural heritage. The content I was creating met a growing interest in fungi, as more people began to reconnect with nature, embracing sustainability. My background as a designer gave me the tools to create compelling visual, powerful storytelling, and user-centered experiences, and my personal story brought authenticity and passion to the brand. Also, while mushroom foraging is deeply ingrained in Czech culture, in the United States there is a prevalent fear of mushrooms and a lack of accessible knowledge about them. This gap presented an opportunity to bridge my cultural heritage with my design expertise.
Emotionally, FUNGIWOMAN felt like coming full circle. It allowed me to reconnect with my roots while inspiring others to explore their own connections to nature. FUNGIWOMAN is now a way of life for me, and I’m excited to share it with others.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is Barbora Batokova, but in the mushroom world, many people know me as @fungiwoman. I’m a designer, photographer, author, and mycoeducator originally from the Czech Republic, now living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Professionally, I’m a User Experience (UX) Strategist with over a decade of experience in human-centered design and product management. In 2017, I began photographing mushrooms and documenting my discoveries on Instagram under @fungiwoman, which eventually led to my creative side hustle FUNGIWOMAN.
Through FUNGIWOMAN, I strive to educate and inspire. My work seeks to challenge mycophobia by making fungi approachable, exciting, and meaningful. Beyond that, I want people to see not only the culinary possibilities, but also the critical ecological role fungi play in sustaining life on Earth, and inspire them to protect the natural spaces around them. I do this in many ways. My bread and butter is creating daily educational content on Instagram, but more importantly, I engage with people in the real world. I lead guided mushroom walks in Pennsylvania woods, where I teach people how to identify, safely forage, and appreciate mushrooms. I’ve written, photographed, and designed my first book, <i>Hunting Mushrooms: How to Safely Identify, Forage and Cook Wild Fungi,</i> which combines foundational foraging knowledge, stunning photography, and traditional Czech mushroom recipes. I also create a wall calendar every year that celebrates the beauty and diversity of fungi. Since I’ve published my book, I’ve been doing more speaking engagements, including a keynote at the 9th Annual Mycelium Mysteries Women’s Mushroom Conference in 2025. I also collaborate with local organizations like the PA Mushroom Company and independent bookstores to host educational and culinary events about fungi. These partnerships allow me to introduce new audiences to the world of mushrooms while fostering community connections.
As the President of WPMC, I’m dedicated to advancing the club’s mission by bringing my blend of skills to help create better educational resources, organize engaging events, and grow our community of mushroom enthusiasts. Through WPMC, I’ve had the opportunity to connect with fellow mycophiles and lead initiatives that make fungi education more accessible and exciting.
I’m most proud of how FUNGIWOMAN has grown beyond an Instagram account. Writing my book was a labor of love, bringing together my heritage, design skills, and passion for mushrooms. Leading mushroom walks, working with WPMC, and partnering with local organizations reminds me of the joy and curiosity that brought me to this path in the first place. If there’s one thing I want people to know about my work, it’s that it’s rooted in authenticity, curiosity, and a love for nature. FUNGIWOMAN is a celebration of everything I’ve rediscovered and built, and I hope it inspires others to explore, learn, and reconnect with their own passions and the natural world.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
Building an audience on Instagram has been a journey of consistency, perseverance, and adaptation. It’s no exaggeration to say Instagram launched my career as FUNGIWOMAN. I started @fungiwoman on September 23, 2017, to reconnect with my roots and share my love for mushrooms. My first post on November 12, 2017, had no goal beyond sharing my fascination with fungi and nature. Over time, I became more intentional, but authenticity has always been at the core of my content—something increasingly valuable in the age of AI.
Focusing on high-quality photography, educational content, and my personal journey, I grew my audience to 10K by June 2019, 25K by August 2020, 100K by January 2023, and finally 125K by November 2024. Along the way, I built fungiwoman.com, published mushroom recipes, launched products on my website, led mushroom walks, and wrote Hunting Mushrooms. Each milestone deepened my connection with followers who share my passion.
The journey hasn’t been without challenges. Like many creators, I’ve learned that Instagram’s algorithm plays a huge role in determining visibility and engagement. After one of my stories was mistakenly flagged three times for violating community guidelines, my engagement dropped despite the error being reversed. It’s a frustrating reminder that as creators, we’re often at the mercy of the platform’s rules and trends. So my recommendation is to go beyond social media and build your own community, such as building your own newsletter/mailing list. Since Instagram now prioritizes video over photography, I’ve also had to adapt. As someone who loves capturing moments in still images, the shift hasn’t been easy, but it’s essential to stay visible.
If you’re building a presence on Instagram, here’s my advice:
Stay Authentic: Post content that reflects your passions and values. Authenticity is what resonates most with people, and it builds a loyal community.
Be Consistent: Post regularly, but focus on quality over quantity. Even if it’s just a few posts per week, consistency helps keep your audience engaged and signals to the algorithm that you’re active.
Engage with Your Community: Reply to comments, respond to DMs, and connect with others in your niche. Building relationships is key to growing a meaningful audience.
Adapt to the Platform: Lean into what the platform prioritizes. If Instagram is favoring Reels, experiment with short-form video—even if it’s not your favorite format.
Understand the Algorithm’s Impact: Recognize that sometimes, your reach and engagement may dip through no fault of your own. Don’t take it personally; instead, focus on creating content you’re proud of and the rest will come.
Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is knowing when to invest in tools and services that make your work more efficient. You don’t need all the bells and whistles to start—just begin with what you have. But as you grow, work smarter, not harder. Learning how to leverage tools like AI for research or social media planning apps like Plann saves me a significant time and effort.
Community has also been invaluable. Whether it’s local organizations, online groups, or social media communities, connecting with others who share your passion is invaluable. Joining the WPMC was a pivotal moment for me—it not only deepened my knowledge of fungi but also connected me with like-minded people who inspired and supported my journey. Community exposes you to new ideas, perspectives, and opportunities you might not find on your own.
Podcasts and audiobooks have played a huge role in my learning, both in my professional life and my side hustle. Some of my favorites include Lenny’s Podcast for strategy and creativity, Happier with Gretchen Rubin for mindset and motivation, and Side Hustle School for insights into creative business growth. In a recent Lenny’s Podcast episode, Graham Weaver shares an essential truth he’s come to discover: “Life is suffering. So figure out something worth suffering for.” That idea resonates deeply with me, because the creative journey isn’t always easy, but when you love what you do, the challenges feel meaningful.
The most important lesson? You don’t need to have everything figured out to start. When I posted my first photo on @fungiwoman in 2017, I had no grand plan—just a passion for mushrooms and photography. That first step led to a brand with over 125,000 followers, a book, partnerships, and a leadership role at WPMC.
If you’re just starting out, my advice is this: Start where you are. Don’t let perfectionism hold you back. Surround yourself with people who inspire you. Find something you care about so deeply that is worth the challenges—because those struggles will make the journey even more rewarding.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://fungiwoman.com/
- Instagram: @fungiwoman
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fungiwoman/
Image Credits
Barbora Batokova