At its core, Lindsay Ostrom’s business model is very straightforward: do what you love and do it well. In Ostrom’s case, it was a love of food that birthed her now-booming food blog, Pinch of Yum. Featuring recipes that are designed for real, actual, everyday life, Ostrom’s site balances healthy meals with lavish desserts.
Based in Saint Paul, MN with her husband Bjork and their dog Sage, what began as a casual hobby for nights and weekends while Ostrom was working as a fourth-grade teacher is now an entity of its own that reaches millions of people with fun recipes each month. Ostrom’s Instagram page alone has amassed a whopping one million followers.
But unlike other successful brands, Pinch of Yum also offers insight regarding the ins and outs of food blogging. “For other bloggers, it’s not just a food blog, but it can be a teaching resource of how you can grow your blog,” Ostrom relayed once in an interview with Hot Chocolate Hits.
Her one big piece of advice for other aspiring bloggers? “I’d say invest in a good camera, or just learn the camera you have as best as you can and keep practicing… It’s so competitive with so many people saying, ‘try this, try this, this is good mine is the best.’ The initial hook for people is going to be the image.”
Aside from her faithful camera, Ostrom is very much driven by a passion for cooking. According to the seasoned cook, her blog and Instagram only feature recipes and food she eats in real life. Her goal? To inspire her readers with food that is both approachable and exciting, whether you’re cooking for yourself, your family, your roommates, or your friends.
And while things turned out for the best for Ostrom, she stresses the importance of following your heart. “Don’t do it for the money,” she shared another crucial tip with Rachel Cooks. “Do it for the love of food and the love of blogging! There is definitely money to be made, but it’s just so rare to get that right out of the gate. You need to be willing to work for free for a while, so do it for the love!”
You might just be inspired to open a blog of your own! In the meanwhile, scroll down to see some recent recipes from Pinch of Yum.
