We were lucky to catch up with Brandi Doming recently and have shared our conversation below.

Brandi, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

I started blogging in 2012 and worked on it for many years before I was able to earn a full-time living on it. I’ve since created several ebooks, a workout plan and my 1st published cookbook, The Vegan 8 Cookbook, which has allowed me to do this full-time. I also have just finished my 2nd cookbook, Vegan Wholesome, which will be released soon as well! Both can be found and sold on Amazon or other major retailers. Writing recipes and also being a food photographer has helped me over the years to build a following and the attention from magazines and brands. They hire me to create recipes and photograph them and share them with my audience. I take this very seriously and only work with brands I truly value and use their products. I care deeply about my readers and would never promote something I didn’t believe in. Doing this type of work, as well as sell books, is what I love to do for my career. I’m so grateful I get to do what I love.

Brandi, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a stay-at-home mom and work full-time as well. Since I work for myself I am able to be at home with my daughter and set my own schedule. I originally got into blogging because my ex-husband suffered from gout and choosing a plant-based, vegan diet was the path we decided on to help alleviate his struggles. Changing his diet by removing all animal products helped him drastically. I started sharing my recipes online and grew from there. That has evolved to me loving creating all types of vegan recipes for my followers. Many people want to eat plant-based to be healthier or reduce dairy or meat consumption. Some people have high blood pressure or high cholesterol or just simply want to eat healthier and choose my recipes to help them do that.
I create the majority of my recipes with whole foods and healthier ingredients. I rarely ever use added oils in my recipes to save on excess calories and fat. Instead, I choose whole food fats like nuts, seeds, and avocado in place of processed oils. This way a person gets the entire whole food and nutritional profile of that food. With oils, they are not whole foods, but strictly 100% liquid fat. All the protein, carbs, and fiber have been removed. Oils are also higher fat than nuts and seeds, so the calories add up much faster with oils. This is what sets my recipes apart.
I strive to make my recipes healthier versions of classics, while still keeping the taste and texture top priority. A lot of my followers are not even vegan, they simply love my recipes so much for their families and feel healthier eating them. People can feel good and satisfied making my recipes.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I post often on social media (daily) and always engage with my followers. I ask them questions, I ask for their feedback and I answer their messages. I let them know I care and even take recipe requests. I connect personally and am open about difficulties or struggles I sometimes face. I do this because I want to show authenticity with my followers and be real with them. By being open and transparent with my followers over the years, they have learned to value my opinion, have respect and trust that I create everything with passion and to the best of my ability. This has helped me grow. Additionally, whenever a person loves my recipes, they share them on social media and more people find me that way.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned throughout my career is to not compare myself to others, especially other bloggers in the same field. We are all unique and talented in our own way and offer something of value. No two people are on the same journey, pace, or path. I’ve learned to focus on myself, my passion, my work and keep moving forward and stay consistent. Once we start comparing ourselves to others, not only do we lose our joy, we also lose our focus. To be successful, we must remember our goals, our why and our mission.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://thevegan8.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thevegan8brandi
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheVegan8
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Thevegan8Recipes

Image Credits

Kim Schaffer Photography for the shots featuring me and also the one with my daughter and I. The food photographs are done by me, Brandi Shine Doming.