Nagi Maehashi, founder of RecipeTin Eats and author of two cookery books, shares her inspiring journey from corporate finance to food blogging. She discusses the early challenges of building her business and the critical role of her beloved Golden Retriever, Dozer, in connecting with fans. Nagi reveals the secrets to perfect rice cooking and highlights her community impact through a food bank initiative started during COVID. With a focus on authenticity and family traditions, she emphasizes the passion that drives her success.
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Quick takeaways
Nagi Maehashi transitioned from corporate finance to food blogging, meticulously planning her venture by conducting a SWOT analysis for market differentiation.
Her commitment to authenticity led her to avoid sponsored posts while simultaneously establishing a food bank to support community needs during the pandemic.
Deep dives
The Journey to Food Blogging
Nagi Mahashi transitioned from a corporate career in accounting to becoming a food blogger, launching her website, Recipe Tin Eats, after recognizing a lack of fulfilling connection in her previous job. Motivated by her love for cooking and her experience with budget-friendly meals from her childhood, Nagi utilized skills from her past roles to plan her venture meticulously. She conducted a SWOT analysis to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats within the crowded food blog landscape, which helped her carve out a unique niche. The realization that people were making a living from food blogs inspired her to explore this path, combining her passion with strategic planning.
Authenticity and Style in Recipe Development
Nagi writes her recipes with a specific audience in mind, particularly aimed at a busy friend who values quick, yet homemade meals during the week and large-format dishes for entertaining on weekends. This targeted approach influences her recipe selection and the level of detail she includes, ensuring accessibility for home cooks with varying levels of experience. She emphasizes the importance of basic cooking skills while also offering exciting dishes, balancing between foundational knowledge and more intricate recipes. Nagi's ability to explain complex recipes in simple terms stems from her corporate background, where she often distilled complicated information into digestible content.
Growth Through Digital Presence and Philanthropy
Nagi’s success has been bolstered through effective digital advertising on her blog, along with a growing cookbook venture that stemmed from her online following. Despite significant traction and revenue, she consciously avoids sponsored posts to maintain authenticity, valuing genuine connection with her readers over transient profits. Compelled by community needs during the COVID-19 pandemic, she established a food bank that now provides extensive daily meals, representing a significant shift in her professional priorities. This initiative has become a central aspect of her business model, reflecting her commitment to leveraging her platform for social impact, beyond traditional revenue streams.
Ruth Alexander talks to Nagi Maehashi, founder of the hit food site, RecipeTin Eats.
Back in 2014, Nagi gave up a high-flying job in corporate finance to start her blog. The gamble paid off and her blog now gets half a billion hits a year. She is also the author of two cookery books.
Nagi tells Ruth what those early days were like, how she built the business, and what mistakes she made along the way.
Plus - we hear about the crucial role of the blog's co-star Dozer, Nagi's much-loved Golden Retriever.
(Picture: Nagi Maehashi with her dog Dozer, surrounded by print-outs of her recipes. Credit: Rob Palmer)
Presenter: Ruth Alexander
Producer: Lexy O'Connor
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