Name: Kristan Watson
Name of Business: Food Play Go - Food Blog/Website with Pantry & Meal Planning Services
Length of time in business: 9 Months officially in this form, though a decade + in the making :)
Location: Rye, NY
Number of kids and ages: 3 Kids; 7, 5, & 1.5 years
Pets: None
Before starting this business, what was your career? After I graduated, I worked as a project manager at JP Morgan Chase and then as a Merchandising Planner for JCrew. My last pursuit before having children was owning a small, made to order baking business in NYC, where I made cake pops, cakes, loaves etc…
Why did you start your business? After my first daughter (and all her two little brothers) had dairy and soy allergies as babies, I started to read labels more and realized how much junk there is in packaged foods, so when possible I prefer to make their food. I truly love to cook and bake and recreate recipes to make them healthier for my family. At the beginning of the year I started sharing recipes and some of my weekly meal plans through Instagram stories. Many of my friends seemed to like them so I continued to do so and thought it could be fun to take it a little more seriously. My goal is to inspire families to get in the kitchen more and teach them that it doesn’t have to be complicated!
What do you love most about what you do now? I am doing what I love to do and what I was always doing (just a little more) cooking and baking for my children and with my children (the really fun part!). By doing so I get to inspire and help people learn more about food and cooking and simple hacks I like to use.
What did you have to do to start this enterprise? Design a website, start writing my recipes down more and learn how to photograph my food! I am now starting to explore how to teach cooking classes - be on the look-out in the new year :)
What was the biggest challenge you faced? Learning all the intricacies of designing a website, social media and SEO (search engine optimization).
How did you overcome that challenge? I am still learning and trying to navigate, but I have a good friend who was a huge help to me, I took Liz’s class and I have joined an online social media group that has been super helpful.
What is the thing that has surprised you most about this venture? How much work, time and behind the scenes it takes to run a blog. There are a lot of intricate steps! There was also a huge photography component to having a food blog which I knew, but not as in detail as I thought.
What is your best tip for fellow entrepreneurs? It is a decent amount of your time so only do something if you really love what you are sharing and want to help people. Try and not get overwhelmed by it. I find myself stressing it some days and I have to take a step back. It is good to take a technology free day once a week.
Instagram? @kristanwatson
Just in time for the Holidays! Check out my Healthy Apple Cake as a great and easier alternative to Apple Pie! Be sure to check out my blog for more holiday recipes and if you sign up for my newsletter you will get a free e-book with 10 easy energy bite recipes!
