Today we’d like to introduce you to Brooke Gardner.
Hi Brooke, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My Instagram cooking page actually started as a personal food journal. I wanted a place to keep track of what I was making so I could easily go back and remake my favorite recipes.
Then COVID hit, and I started learning more into what was actually in the food we were eating. I dug deep into things like refined sugar, seed oils, and ingredients in general, and started evolving my recipes to make healthier versions of some of my favorite dishes.
For a long time, I kept the page completely to myself. Eventually, I started sharing it with a few friends, and they convinced me to make it public!
Not long after, I started gaining followers, and eventually brands started reaching out.
I honestly can’t believe how many opportunities this little food journal has led me to — and even more than that, how many amazing friends and connections I’ve made along the way.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
There have definitely been lots of struggles along the way — and there still are! I would say the biggest one is finding a balance between creating and putting out reels and recipes, working my full-time job, and still making time to hang out with friends and actually enjoy life!
There’s also been a lot of adapting and learning along the way. My page actually started with photos only, but as Instagram has evolved, I’ve leaned much more into reels and video content. Which has also been a challenge learning and spending more time editing videos!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I have an Instagram page where I create healthier recipes! I would say I’m known for creating healthier alternatives to some of my favorite foods, along with fun, easy, seasonal recipes made with high-quality ingredients.
I’m most proud of how far I’ve come and how much the page has evolved over the years!
What sets me apart is that I stay true to myself. I only talk about and work with brands that I genuinely align with, and I create fun, simple content around food that I actually eat and love. I want everything I share to feel authentic to me — from the recipes I create to the brands I partner with.
https://www.instagram.com/cookin_brooke
What matters most to you? Why?
Staying authentic and true to myself is the most important thing to me. I only use and promote brands that I’m already using, or brands I’ve newly discovered that I would genuinely use at home and feel comfortable sharing with my audience.
I’m also pretty particular about what I make and how I make it, so staying true to my own standards really matters to me. I never want to promote something just because it’s an opportunity — I want it to be something I genuinely believe in, would use myself, and feel good about sharing with my audience.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.instagram.com/cookin_brooke
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cookin_brooke/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087510297070
Image Credits
all by me! featuring a few differnt brands – let me know if you need that info!
