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

Michelle , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear the story of how you went from this being just an idea to making it into something real.

From Spark to Strategy: The Story Behind Joyful Plate®
People often ask how Joyful Plate began. The truth? It started with a craving—not just for food or wine, but for more meaning, more creativity, and deeper connection in my work.
After years in big-brand marketing at companies like Procter & Gamble and Rémy Cointreau, I had honed my skills in crafting strategy and shaping compelling brand narratives. But I kept thinking: What if I combined my business and branding expertise with my passion for food, wine, and culture? What if I helped the underdogs as well as the giants? What if I could use my eye for trends to explain how changing consumer sentiment impacts what we buy and why we stay brand loyal?

From Concept to Reality: The First Steps
The idea for Joyful Plate began as a quiet dream while I was still working full-time as an SVP at a brand strategy and research firm. I wanted to create something of my own—something that celebrated the everyday beauty of food and drink, not just as sustenance, but as culture, connection, and joy.

I searched for a name that reflected that bigger purpose: something broad enough to evolve with me, yet clear enough to capture what I love. For months, I carried a notepad everywhere, jotting down ideas. “Food, wine, wellness” felt too generic. I searched for a combination of words that spoke not just of the work, but of a mood and feeling.

Eventually, it came to me—Joyful Plate. It felt like home.
The very next day, I registered the trademark and bought the domain JoyfulPlate.com. That small but practical step made it real.

Then came the essential tasks of setting up the infrastructure: registering the business, creating a basic website, building capabilities decks, and reconnecting with my network. My first clients came through relationships I had built over the years—former colleagues who trusted me to bring fresh and studied thinking to their brands.

That first year was all hustle. I said yes to every meeting, attended trade shows, and blogged a lot. I often look back with affection at my early creative writing—some of my best. Like this blog: “Time for Tea.” here: https://blog.joyfulplate.com/2011/04/19/time-for-tea.

That name—Joyful Plate—became the umbrella for everything I do: brand strategy, consumer research, creative storytelling, and now, thought leadership in the wellness space. I registered it as a trademark early on because I believed it had the potential to grow from a B2B consultancy into a more consumer-facing platform. And over time, that’s exactly what is starting to happen—even if only on a small scale.

Today, when I introduce myself at places like the Fancy Food Show, people pause, tilt their heads, smile, and say, “I love that name.” And I smile back—because naming is something I love, too. It’s incredibly satisfying when people instantly understand and connect with the heart of what you’ve created.

Food is more than sustenance. In addition to fueling our bodies, food shapes our cultures and links us to the past, present, and future. It is joy, comfort, and creativity—all on a single plate. At Joyful Plate, I continue to believe in the transformative power of food and drink brands in our everyday lives—and I’ve built my business around helping companies bring that belief to life.

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.

Who I Am and What I Do

I help food, beverage, and lifestyle brands grow through a mix of brand and business strategy, creative storytelling, consumer research (packaging design, ads, recipes, etc), and digital design. I’m also a budding writer and long time wine educator, and recently published a book, Moderating a Love Affair with Food: 10 Tips for Mindful Eating and Drinking, based on my life experience. My clients have ranged from yogurt startups to fine wines, Amazonian superfruit juices to flavored rice from Thailand, pet food to pickles and pastry. Recently, I led a weight management study for a fitness app and presented strategic insights to its executive team. It’s a broad range of work, but at its core, it’s always about understanding human behavior—and helping brands meet real needs with meaning.

What sets me apart is that I bridge the corporate and entrepreneurial worlds. I’m not just about “Likes”. I go deep into strategy and research to uncover what truly resonates with consumers. Lately, I’ve been thinking about the human experience in all its dimensions—from staying healthy to occasionally indulging—all with an eye toward moderation. Take the GLP-1 trend—it’s transforming several industries at the same time. I’m curious to dig deeper for my clients.

As a market research moderator, I’ve led hundreds of focus groups, ethnographies, and one-on-one sessions across health-adjacent sectors, on topics ranging from cold and flu, diabetes, weight loss, smoking cessation, and vitamins and nutraceuticals. I bring big-brand discipline to small and mid-size companies, helping them show up in the world with clarity, consistency, and truth about their purpose.

I’m most proud of helping mission-driven founders tell their stories in ways that get them seen—and bought. Whether it’s redesigning a package, conducting focus groups to test product ideas, or delivering trend reports from global trade shows, I bring heart and hustle to everything I do. One crucial lesson I’ve learned is that complacency is not an option. Every day presents a new opportunity for growth and transformation.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Building My Audience on Social Media
When I started posting on social, it was simply to share the things I loved—beautiful food, thoughtful design, behind-the-scenes moments from tastings and travels. Over time, I realized my audience was a mix of foodies, founders, wine lovers, and wellness seekers. So I began treating my social presence like a place to create documentarian-style short stories—to share an intimate interview with a winemaker talking about trellising vines in Verdicchio, experiencing sound meditation on the beach at a wellness retreat in Mexico, or everyday local stories like trying omakase at a new neighborhood Japanese spot or simply cooking a full Irish breakfast on Sunday with my Dubliner.

My growth has been entirely organic, driven by consistency, storytelling, and genuine connection. My advice? Start with what you love. Share your journey, not just your product. People follow real people. The posts that have been viewed the most have been totally offbeat and unexpected, making a vinaigrette with my hilariously funny friend, or Irish Soda bread with my mother in law in Dublin. Engage with others, comment thoughtfully, and remember: it’s a marathon, not a sprint. I’m very “micro,” but that’s okay… I want to stay true to my people.

Every day, I’m thinking about how to transition the joyfulplate brand from B2B to B2C, to showcase its true potential. There are so many directions—from sponsorships and spokesperson roles to online courses. I’m hopeful that I’m close to landing on one strong strategic platform. My goal is that by sharing my true joy of food, wine, people, and travel, I’ll spark real connection—with both a brand and an audience. And maybe—just maybe—this joyful community can do some good and empower others along the way.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

The Mission Behind It All
At the core of my work is a mission to make food, wine, and wellness more joyful and accessible—without sacrificing meaning or quality. Whether I’m helping a client refine their message or writing about mindful eating and drinking, it all comes back to one thing: connecting people to what nourishes them.

I care deeply about food security, having volunteered at my local food pantry in NYC for 15 years. Today, I’m a proud member of Les Dames d’Escoffier New York—the founding chapter of an international nonprofit that empowers women in food, beverage, and hospitality through scholarships and mentorship. I’m especially proud to have worked with Women Owned and B Corp-certified clients. Ideally, I aim to collaborate with organizations driven by a mission for good.

When I first started joyfulplate in 2010 I wrote my mission-it’s still the same today: When I eat fresh foods I enjoy, in moderation, my body seems to react well. My philosophy at joyful plate is all about balancing eating for pleasure with eating for health. We need both.

Food delights, with a sense of pleasure, stimulation, fantasy and fun.

Food nourishes, by cleansing and healing to transform our health.

Food cares, by giving to those in need.

A healthy balance can bring joy to our lives.

For writing archives, click here: https://joyfulplate.com/writing/
To subscribe to Michelle’s substack, here: https://substack.com/@joyfulplate

Contact Info:

• Website: https://michellelawton.com
• Instagram: @joyfulplate
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lawtonmichelle
• Youtube: https://joyfulplate.com/in-the-media
• Other: https://linktr.ee/joyfulplate