We recently connected with Julia Goolia and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Julia thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?

When people ask, “How did you actually start? How did you go from idea to execution?” — it’s honestly a loaded question, because in content creation you’re constantly reinventing yourself. Launching never happens just once. It’s idea → execution → repeat, forever.

But here’s the story:
The original idea for HellthyJunkFood was created because of a love for fast food, but also a love for the challenge of making “devilish” indulgences at home in a lighter way. Fast food, massive burgers, fried things you’re not supposed to eat everyday—but flipped into something you could justify taking a bite of. That’s where the slogan came from:
“Eat one bite for the heLLth of it.”

In the beginning, execution was scrappy. It wasn’t about studios, fancy lights or big teams. It was:
brainstorm ideas choose the ones that felt exciting, shop ingredients, film, edit, post, repeat.

The first months were just discovery. Figure out cameras, editing software, posting schedules, which platforms mattered, how to build an audience, and how to make food look good on screen. Nothing was perfect, but the consistency mattered more than perfection.

And then over time, the concept evolved.

What started as healthier junk food channel grew into celebrating indulgence itself—giant nuggets, massive fries, travel food adventures, things people dream about eating. Because audiences change, platforms change, and fast-movers survive by pivoting. Today, short-form is king, meaning the ability to reach multiple audiences at once is more important than ever.

That’s why I always say: ideas are the currency; execution is just the follow-through.

Production is actually the easiest part once you have an idea that lights a fire under you. The real work is filling notebooks with concepts, hooks, titles, what-ifs. I have a ridiculous amount of brainstorm lists—but that’s the job. Pick the most exciting idea, and go.

If someone asked me how to launch their own “business” today, I’d tell them this: Find something you’re obsessed with—something you could think up a hundred ideas for without feeling trapped in a niche.
Make lists. Make series. Give yourself formats to build on.
Start posting.
Three times a week is may be enough.
Your first videos won’t be your best—good. You’re not supposed to peak on day one.
Don’t quit just because no one is watching yet.
Post content that helps—teaches, entertains, saves money, solves something, or sparks curiosity.
Because people follow value first, personality second.

One of my favorite examples of idea→reality was about a year ago. I remembered trying McDonald’s “Friends Fries” in the Philippines and wishing we had it in the U.S. So—idea. I made it a DIY project. I filmed how to build one at home so anyone could do it. Then I brought it into a McDonald’s, had them fill it up, and created a massive visual moment.
And it blew up everywhere—TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Snapchat.

I woke up to millions of views rolling in nonstop. Every refresh was +100,000 views. It was wild, addictive, energizing. And it all came from simply mixing: something I loved + something I could teach + something fun to witness.
That’s really the formula. That’s how the idea becomes execution.

And anyone can do it. Start with what you love. Start with one idea. Start with helping somebody—through laughter, knowledge, inspiration, or taste. Share it with the world and let the world decide how far it goes.
They’re waiting for you—even if you don’t know it yet.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

For readers who may be hearing about me for the first time, I’m an imaginative soul who fell in love with food, creativity, and making people laugh. My mission has always been to ignite minds and stir hearts through recipes, hacks, and pure entertainment — all wrapped around the joy of indulgent food. I use comedy as a connector, curiosity as fuel, and food as the universal language.

I didn’t enter this industry through culinary school. I got here by following obsession. I loved eating out, recreating things at home, tinkering with recipes, and sharing the process online. What started as casually documenting recipes to encourage cooking at home instead of going out became the foundation of HellthyJunkFood. And because personality naturally leans silly and surprising, it was impossible not to throw in satire, chaotic humor, and wild creative twists.

That comedic edge is what separated HellthyJunkFood from standard cooking shows. The brand evolved into comedy cooking satire for the 21st century — a mash-up of culinary curiosity, visual spectacle, and entertainment-first storytelling.

Today, HellthyJunkFood has become a creative ecosystem built around:
oversized and exaggerated versions of beloved foods
test-kitchen experiments that explore food science
recipe challenges and friendly chaos in the kitchen
wild restaurant discoveries and global food inspiration
short-form content designed to hook and delight audiences instantly sharing food hacks, tips, tricks, and more.

My passion for crafting digital content is limitless. I obsess over story, pacing, hooks, visuals, and production quality. I want every piece of content — whether 10 seconds or 10 minutes — to entertain, teach, or spark a “holy sh*t, I want to try that” reaction.

What problems I solve
For audiences, I make food less intimidating. I save people money by helping them recreate iconic dishes at home. I remind people it’s okay to play with your food. I entertain people in a stressful world and give them an escape they can share with family and friends.

For brands and partners, I solve a different challenge: I help them cut through the noise. I create content people want to watch — not ads they skip. I drive visibility, excitement, and cultural conversation around products that might otherwise get lost in a crowded marketplace.

What sets me apart
HellthyJunkFood is rooted in reinvention. It’s part culinary chaos, part comedy, part education, and part pure visual spectacle. I don’t just show recipes — I build moments. I take nostalgia and scale it up. I explore food as entertainment, ritual, memory, challenge, and community.

Where many creators stay in the lane of polished instruction, I actively blur the line between DIY, science experiment, comedy sketch, and food TV. That fusion — paired with consistent execution across platforms — is what keeps the brand evolving.

What I’m most proud of
I’m proud that this brand was built from nothing but creativity — no backing, no gatekeepers, no traditional roadmaps. I’m proud that millions of people have found laughter, inspiration, or motivation to cook because of what is shared. These days I’m still proud that I get to blend art, food, personality, and storytelling into something that feels alive.

And I’m especially proud that the brand never stops evolving. Short-form, long-form, travel, science, nostalgia — I’m always pushing toward the next iteration.

What I want potential followers, fans, and partners to know
HellthyJunkFood is for people who love food in all its wild forms — the guilty pleasures, the giant bites, the hacks, the comforts, the surprises. It’s for people who want to learn, laugh, and escape.

I show up with quality, consistency, passion, and an endless stream of ideas. I want to make you hungry, make you smile, and maybe make you feel like a kid again.

Ultimately, HellthyJunkFood is a reminder that creativity is edible, food is emotional, indulgence is fun, and comedy is universal. And after over 12 years of creating content for HellthyJunkFood – we’ve only just begun.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

HellthyJunkFood has always been about reinvention, but one of the biggest pivots wasn’t about food or platforms — it was going from two hosts to one. For years the brand was built around a duo, and when that partnership ended, I had to relearn how to run everything solo: brainstorming, filming, editing, producing, posting — all of it. It felt like starting over from scratch.

There were real growing pains. I had to build new confidence, make decisions faster, and trust my instincts without a second opinion.

But now, over two years later, that challenge has turned into one of my biggest sources of strength. I proved to myself I could operate every part of the brand, keep the audience engaged, and continue scaling on my own.

What once felt like a setback became a foundation — a reminder that creators don’t need perfect conditions, just resilience and adaptability. HellthyJunkFood didn’t shrink in the transition — it sharpened. And on the other side of that pivot, I found something I didn’t expect: real confidence and full creative power.

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

Yes — the side hustle became my full-time career.

HellthyJunkFood started as a hobby where filming fun cooking videos at home was just to document recipes. We created content purely for passion for more than two years, and eventually the views grew, big creators noticed, and social media agencies started reaching out.

At the time, I worked full-time at a media company building advertising campaigns for other brands. That momentum of responsiveness from big names gave the confidence to take a leap of faith, quit my job, and start bringing brand partnerships into HellthyJunkFood.

Once going all-in, revenue climbed, opportunities expanded, and the channel scaled into millions of subscribers on YouTube. More time meant more creativity — and that hobby officially became a career.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.hellthyjunkfood.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hellthyjunkfood/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hellthyjunkfood/
• Twitter: https://x.com/HellthyJunkFood
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@HJF
• Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hellthyjunkfood
  Snapshow: https://www.snapchat.com/p/d5f02483-2fda-47f2-953e-03abe2af22b5