Life Update + Answering Your Questions
Oh! Hey there! I’m blowing off the dust on this website and getting the ball rolling again! You may think I was off relaxing somewhere with a fruity drink in hand, but it’s been BUSY here over the last 12 months! If you follow me on Instagram or on my Facebook page, you probably have an idea of what’s new with me off the blog. But, if not, buckle up! I can’t wait to fill you in on my 2024 life update as a food blogger, recipe writer, and…. cookbook author?!
Welcome to My 2024 Update
A New Chapter Begins
Don’t refresh your browser! I’m still here! One of the most beautiful things about running a food blog is the longterm connections I’ve made with my readers, but also the sheer staying power that a well written recipe has! This space has been a bit on autopilot these last few months for sure. But, I have been creating and sharing on other platforms like crazy. It’s been an evolution that’s moved me from the food blogging world to multimedia platforms. You can find me on TV, in print, online, and in person. But, as always, I’m just an email away if you need recipe suggestions or have a question. Straight to the Hips, Baby is a community.
Exciting Highlights Since Last We Spoke
There are almost too many to write down! It’s hard to imagine a time when my calendar wasn’t overflowing, and you know what? I love it that way! My 2024 life updates have really jumped over the events of last year and if you follow me on Twitter or TikTok, you’ve probably seen a few glimpses!
- Establishing my Substack Newsletter! “Jessie-Sierra; The Last Bite“, is up and running… fast! I’ve replaced my random emails with this fun and informative weekly newsletter with my thoughts on the food scene, newsletter exclusive recipes, upcoming events, and party menus that are ready to go.
- Traveling! The fresh flavors of the world completely blew me away and inspired dozens of new recipes. Coming soon!
- Live in your living room; I’m now working with a number of regional stations under the NBC and CBS network umbrellas. Meeting new people and sharing my love for food and drink has brought so much happiness and new opportunities!
- Connecting and educating foodies, food creators, photographers, and writers through the founding and running of The Food Blog School. Over 2,000+ food creatives joined twice weekly conversations where we highlighted the importance of connection and community in our industry.
Professional Leaps and Bounds
Career Milestones Met This Year
In the midst of everything, I wrote a BOOK! What? Yes! More on that soon. I think writing a book deserves its own post, LOL. But, it’s safe to say that this project has been the focus for me over the last year. I was lucky enough to partner with my husband-turned-photographer to photograph every single recipe in the book. With over 100 recipes and around 200 photographs, this book is breaking the boundaries of the genre. Keep an eye on this space!
Embracing Personal Growth
Lifelong Learning: Skills I’ve Acquired
I’ve always been an advocate for life-long learning and it’s come in handy since my time in the ballet studio for sure! Skills I know I have in the bag; cooking, hosting, and a great eye for tablescapes. What I’ve had to learn in a “sink or swim” style? Social media strategy on Instagram and Facebook, pitching myself to bigwigs, advocating for myself and my work, and writing a book index. Seriously, learning to write a recipe index was the hardest!
Another skill I’ve started to tackle, but not quite mastered yet? Letting go of control. This has been a really big year and we’ve hired members to our team to help us achieve our goals. I’ve always worn a lot of “the hats” for Straight to the Hips, Baby. Partly because I like learning new things, but also my work is really important to me and how it is managed is a priority. I’ve had to adjust that tendency because of the amount of effort it takes to get all of the jobs done. It’s been a relief to hand off some of the business and publicity to highly qualified and highly skilled talents in the field. Bonus, it lets me have more time in the kitchen to create the recipes that you love!
Health and Wellness: My Journey to a Better Self
Being a food blogger doesn’t exactly lend itself to eating healthy all of the time. Particularly if you love butter, sugar, and cocktails as must as I do! It wasn’t just all of the recipe testing that did me in and I definitely hit a few health speed bumps along the way. Think along the lines of self-care (none) and physical fitness (Hahaha. Fitness. Sigh.).
With small changes and putting my mental, emotional, and physical health higher on my priority list, things are changing for the better!
Looking Towards the Future
Goals and Aspirations for the Upcoming Year
I like to dream big and put my grand ideas out into the world! Can we say manifestation?! I’m looking forward to continuing to expand my television work regionally and nationally. It’s such an amazingly fun challenge to “beat the clock” when whipping up a recipe on television, while also making easy banter with co-hosts and adding my top cooking tips! My new book is gaining traction and opening doors I never thought about before. My biggest dream though, is to land my own cooking and lifestyle series on a big streaming network. Let’s bring beautiful light and bright recipes and hosting to the mainstream! Alright universe, do your thing!
FAQ – Curious Minds Want to Know
What motivated your recent life changes?
Ha! Partly because I can never stop working, and partly my intense need to keep grabbing onto bigger challenges. I’m so Type A, that I always need a new goal to work towards and learn from. That focus I developed in the ballet studio has never quite left my personality!
How do you balance your personal and professional life?
That’s a work in process. As my children get older, it has definitely become easier to manage. Life is about finding the joys and accomplishing the challenges. When I look back on my early years of balancing my work and my family life, I’m really happy that I eased in and gave myself a lot of grace along the way. That grace is particularly useful these days as I swing back and forth form book related work and managing a teenager, preteen, and big kid at home!
Can you share any tips on staying positive and productive?
The biggest hurdle has been shaping my schedule so that there are defined “work hours” and “home hours”. Every morning I devote a few hours to social media, writing, or editing, while the afternoons are spent creating or testing. Throw in my multiple TV appearances, podcast sessions, and creator phone calls, and I have a full work day! But, once the kiddos are home from school, I go into mom mode. No business after 5pm and the weekends are for family time and recipe photoshoots (when your husband takes the photos, does it count as family time?).
Don’t neglect your needs! Self care is so needed and so easily erased from our to-do lists as caregivers and creatives. Small actions like taking a walk or catching up with a friend, has done wonders for my life outlook. Spending quality time with my husband, whether in staycation mode or short trips to explore new experiences has also refilled my cup. My kids help ground me and give me an excellent excuse to slow down for a cuddle and a movie.
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