We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Rachel Jugai a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Rachel, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

My baking (now creator) business has been a long journey. About 6 years ago, I was working in corporate tech and I was known as the office baker. I brought cakes and cookies into the office pretty much every week and the joy it brought people… brought me joy! I started running a bakery from my home while still working my corporate job. Mostly cake orders, a few cookie orders here and there. And about 2 years ago I decided I that I really wanted to give this baking business a run. I had been posting my content to instagram for awhile at that point, but had a very little following. In the back of my mind, I knew being a food blogger/content creator was what I secretly wanted to do, but I was scared to put myself out there. After doing several wholesale and in person baking gigs, I realized my baked goods were very popular with locals, but the supply and demand of working by yourself was very tough. And at the end of the day it just wasnt for me. So I decided to just start sharing my techniques and recipes with people online, so they too could try at home. Fast forward to the world of reels and videos on Instagram and TikTok. I majored in broadcast journalism in college, so I was very familiar with the filming and editing process. Back in college, I had no idea that this training was prepping me for my true passion: Food Content Creation. I absolutely love creating and editing the baking process so that the people watching on their phones know how to bake what I’ve showcased. Ive recently even dabbled in cooking and have been lucky enough to work with some awesome brands. Comfort food and baked goods are my passion. Im always thinking of new recipes and get so excited at the idea of sharing them with my community!

Rachel, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Apologies, I think I covered some of this in the previous question! Haha

At the end of the day, spoiler alert, I am actually just another baker/cook. What sets me apart? I would honestly say my tortured passion for how food tastes. I am such a foodie- I love trying out new techniques, or flavors if I know there is an improvement that can be made to a dish or baked good.

I am an impossible romantic when it comes to food. I suppose Im always asking the question, “how can I make this better”? So when it’s time to post I know that my followers and clients will be getting the best possible recipe from me every time. Im also incredibly fussy about lighting and filming. In conjunction with developing the best possible recipe, I need perfect lighting, or filming is not happening. If I am going to share a delicious recipe, it needs to look absolutely mouthwatering. I want my following to know that I am constantly working to develop the best comfort foods. There is nothing I love more than milk and cookies, a nice hot breakfast, a cozy soup, warm bread. So its become my mission to set a scene for my following and show them that they too, can make this at home and enjoy!

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

Building my audience has been a long journey. In my case, it arguably has taking longer than it should, but I have remained consistent and focused. I started my Instagram in 2018 and my TikTok later in 2022. I didnt jump on the IG reels trend immediately, so I fell behind other creators. Once I started posting reels, I realized sharing recipes, teasers and the baking/cooking process is really important. And since I started posting reels, it has been a learning experience ever since. Every week is new week of mistakes made and lessons learned. I think the important lesson I’ve had to learn is to not get too caught up if a reel or post doesnt do well, or if your following drops or slows down. I’ve learned more about myself through this process and have realized nothing happens overnight. And neither does a following. My following has remained consistent because I have. I reach out to people with recipe suggestions and personalized notes sometimes. I always say ‘thank you’ when someones comments or makes one of my recipes. I mean, that is truly a dream come true when that happens. I want my following to know that if it werent for them, I wouldn’t be doing this every day, So every follower, every comment or feedback matters. And rather than worrying about the negative comments, I really try to use feedback as a lesson for myself.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Through this creator process I’ve learned to slow down and think about what I really want. I’ve had to unlearn rushing through work and not asking questions. I come from a sports and corporate america background. And its really frowned upon when someone asks too many questions or has too many opinions LOL. I used to power through my work only so I could be rewarded with MORE WORK. Ive realized that does not serve me, my mission or mental health. So Ive been on a journey of slowing down, asking myself what I really want and asking more questions outwardly. Its been incredibly healing despite the challenges at times.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://eatatmaudes.com/
• Instagram: eatatmaudes
• Linkedin: marvelousmaudeskitchen
• Other: Threads: eatatmaudes