We were lucky to catch up with Pj Rosen recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi PJ, thanks for joining us today. Almost all entrepreneurs have had to decide whether to start now or later? There are always pros and cons for waiting and so we’d love to hear what you think about your decision in retrospect. If you could go back in time, would you have started your business sooner, later or at the exact time you started?

I think I started exactly when I was supposed to. I am 48 and I started almost 5 years ago, but I never started out intending for this to turn into a business. If this happened earlier in my life, I think it would have impacted the great work I did in education and child advocacy, maybe positively, maybe not. It would also have had an impact on the type of content I create. Most of the people working in the space I am are MUCH younger. I think that has advantages and disadvantages. It would also have advantages and disadvantages if I were exactly their same age. I am not the type of person to wonder about what could have been. I am more of a, “Here is the hand you’re holding. Play it to the best of your ability.” kind of gal.

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.

I was living in NYC at the beginning of the COVID19 outbreak in the US. Food supply chain disruptions were the cause for some CRAZY creativity in my kitchen. My friends and family in other parts of the country were worried about our family being able to eat. Instead of constantly posting food updates on my personal social media, I decided to create PandemicFoodie as a way to let friends and family see what we are eating.

As my following grew, I transitioned the page to try and help people who were not used to cooking for themselves and their families. Many were coming to social media looking for culinary direction. I started highlighting recipes that were easy and used readily available ingredients. Smaller brands then began messaging me asking if they could send me their products to use in my recipes and give them some visibility. That is when I realized there was an opportunity to help brands.

When the world started to reopen and get into a “new normal”, things were CLEARLY not normal in the hospitality world. Small businesses were suffering and many had to close. I felt I could use the same strategy for the small and local shops and I did for the brands that sent me items to use in my recipes. I think at that point in time, people were craving that sense of normalcy and PandemicFoodie grew faster as a result.

What I am most proud of is the way I am able to listen to a client, hear what their goals are, and help them find a way to achieve those goals. That doesn’t always mean the solution is with me, which is perfectly fine! I try to make sure that THEIR goals are the focus. It isn’t about me.

That isn’t to say the followers’ needs are not important! But I think if I stick to highlighting brands authentically, the followers will enjoy the content and continue to engage with the page.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My main goal is helping businesses get visibility and growth. That sounds like a pitch… It’s not. I am fortunate that I do not need PandemicFoodie as a business. When you do not NEED something as a source of income, that something is able to happen more organically and creativity comes a lot easier in that environment.

Don’t get me wrong! It needs to be FUN for me, TOO! Since money is not the driving factor for me, the personal side for me is FUN! Whether that is making friends with new clients or other creators, playing with a new product, travelling to a new place, creating new recipes, trying new food, attending a cool event, I have FUN! If it is not fun, I don’t want it. If I am going to be miserable creating content for a brand, that will 100% translate into the content and people watching will smell that from a mile away. I keep it genuine.

Can you share your view on NFTs? (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)

Seriously? Are those even still a thing?

Contact Info:

• Website: PandemicFoodie.com (coming soon)
• Instagram: @PandemicFoodie
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paula-pj-rosen-7ba888119/
• Other: [email protected]