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

Emily, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today. Being a business owner can be really hard sometimes. It’s rewarding, but most business owners we’ve spoken sometimes think about what it would have been like to have had a regular job instead. Have you ever wondered that yourself? Maybe you can talk to us about a time when you felt this way?

1. Up until the point of starting my business in the mid-pandemic Winter of 2021, the light that got me through it was baking and perfecting my vegan, gluten-free banana chocolate chip muffin recipe. I’d been living vegan and gluten-free since high school in order to combat the Hashimoto’s I’d developed at 16. From then through college, I’d bake these muffins and give them to friends & family, often hearing “when are you going to sell these?”. It had never crossed my mind until the world was stuck inside, left to their own devices to find joy in the passions they usually swept to the side. I was baking my mini muffins what felt like every week and giving them to those I loved. After finally posting on Instagram “would you buy these?” and receiving a plethora of DMs saying “yes!” was the first time I’d felt completely aligned with a decision I had made. There was no fear or questioning in how I was going to start doing it, but just go-time. It felt all of those passionate years had passed by for a reason and it was time to put what I had learned to use. It was only passion, and still is, that got me to the point that I am at now with The Muffin Drop and I would never change it for another job or opportunity.

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

My name is Emily Eldh and I’m 25 years old! My company The Muffin Drop makes delicious vegan, gluten-free and grain-free mini muffins. These muffins allow people like myself with Autoimmune disease or dietary issues to enjoy a product they don’t have to feel is “Vegan” or “gluten-free” – it’s just yummy! I remember being super upset with the quality of gluten-free goods when I first transitioned. I really enjoy sharing this product with the world but even more so enjoy being able to raise awareness about natural Autoimmune healing too while doing it. I love showing my journey and how food can be healing. There is no better feeling than connecting with people who have been through similar issues that you have.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Autoimmune is one of those things that constantly tests your confidence and patience. As there is still a lot to be learned about the “Invisible Illness” – thyroid disease in my case – people who battle it frequently feel very alone. It is very much a mental, emotional and physical battle as all Autoimmune diseases can create a very complicated multitude of difficult symptoms. I feel most resilient every time I conquer a flare up or learn of a new, healthy way to balance living with my Autoimmune experience. I sometimes feel like the journey of making my recipe mirrors my experience, too. The longer I journeyed with my Autoimmune the more I learned to create something better & tastier through different tips and tricks. I think the muffins show that you can turn any adversity into a positive thing! My 16 year old self would have never believed her struggles would have turned into something positive.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

The first time I *really* started sharing my life on “stories” was during the beginning of the pandemic. I had just graduated from college and was quarantining with my roommates. I just started cooking – like all of the time for us. I was searching for fun vegan and gluten-free recipes we could enjoy, and this brought so much happiness for us during those weird times. I remember being really freaked out to start sharing but wanted to post my meals so people could make them too. I remember people started asking me for recipes and all kinds of things. Sharing my meals got me comfortable with posting on Instagram, and lead me to eventually feel confident enough to post about selling the muffins. Once I did that I realized how powerful social media is and how amazing it feels to connect with people through it!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.themuffindrop.com
• Instagram: @themuffindrop
• Facebook: @themuffindrop
• Other: tik tok: @itsemilyeldh (for my life with autoimmune & owning a business) tik tok: @themuffindrop

Image Credits
My sister! Caroline Eldh