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

Jacqueline, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Looking back, do you think you started your business at the right time? Do you wish you had started sooner or later?

Sooner! I originally started blogging and sharing recipes for fun; it was a creative outlet for me. I left the corporate world when my daughter was young and then when my son was born, there I was- craving something to do that was for me. After time, I realized that social media allowed people to monetize their content but at the time I had no idea how to go about actually landing a client. So finally, I just kept making content and started emailing brands I loved. I would get free products to start – and often a “thanks but no thanks,” and finally landed my first client. As much as I would have liked to have the monetization realization sooner, not realizing it allowed me to learn more about the industry, my style, and what brands were looking for.

Jacqueline, 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?

I have always had a passion for entertaining and cooking. Cooking, baking, and entertaining are not only therapeutic to me, but what I love most is the reactions from family, friends, and clients when they try and experience something they enjoy. I love great wine, dark beers, and tequila. I love to drink them and love to cook with them and I especially like to drink them while cooking with them! I love seeing the outcome of new recipes, tweaking traditional classics, and making sure whoever I am entertaining leaves spirited.

I believe food and drink bring people together. Hosting a party or preparing a meal can seem daunting to some people- whether it is work or kids- life can just get in the way! I want to help people realize it is not as difficult as they may think and can be a whole lot of fun. People should have a great time entertaining, putting together a meal, and trying new things; I try to create easy to follow recipes with simple and accessible ingredients, entertaining, and lifestyle/kitchen tips. After all, when people come together with food and drinks, memories get created.

When I work with a brand, I like to make sure I truly understand their business. From their demographics, where they sell, what’s popular in their product line to their bottom line, I make it a priority to ensure my photography, short form videos, recipes, and overall tone match what that particular brands vision entails.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Oh wow. This is a great question. The quick answer is a growth that has been slow and steady.

The longer answer? I’ve always believed that the community I build on social media has to be authentic. I want people who are interested in food, drinks, or pretty pictures of foods and drinks to want to follow me, want to try the recipes, or to feel inspired to just get into the kitchen whether it’s using my recipe or an idea I posted.

It’s always been extremely important to me to build an engaging and organic community. You learn quickly being on social that there are trolls, spam accounts, people who follow and then unfollow you when you don’t follow back (DON”T DO THIS!) and that social media is a very fickle space. A quick story; about 4 or 5 years ago I hired a part time social media manager; her role was to engage with people to expand my presence. She followed and unfollowed SO MANY people on my account and honestly, I’ll never forget it. Follow and unfollow for those who aren’t aware is when an account will follow you and then unfollow you once you follow back (or just unfollow in general). So one day, I get this DM from someone asking how I knew so and so and why I followed them and unfollowed them (someone who was a friend of said person sending me a DM) and I had no idea who she was, what this person was talking about, or anything. It was then I realized the person I hired was NOT a good match for the tone for my business or the direction I was going. I ended up shortly after ending our business relationship and finding someone who has the same business values as I do.

This all being said, my biggest advice for people just starting out? Know your strengths and recognize where you need help. I needed help learning and growing my Instagram, or even content ideas when the creative rut hits (and it does). I needed help with a hashtag strategy so I outsourced it. As a business owner you have to sometimes spend money to earn money so it’s an investment on myself but it’s one that is worth it to me. My second piece of advice is just do it! If you’re thinking about it, why not? What’s holding you back? There’s no better time than now.

Can you share one of your favorite marketing or sales stories?

I have this client and agency who I work with consistently. I was in the middle of a really big campaign with them when a recipe and content idea struck me. Although my contract was signed specifically for 2 different pieces of content/ recipes, I decided to pitch the agency and brand my new idea. They both loved my initiative, decided to sign me on for the additional piece of content, and I’m thrilled to say I have a longstanding relationship with both the brand and agency. I learned to just throw your ideas out their to the world. Sure, I definitely get a lot of “we don’t have the budget right now,” but when someone does, it is the best feeling in the world.

Contact Info:

• Website: jackiecooksanddrinks.com
• Instagram: jackiecooksanddrinks
• Facebook: facebook.com/jackiecooksanddrinks
• Linkedin: Jacqueline Adelson
• Other: TikTok- jackiecooksanddrinks