The Spill: Insights From A Math Teacher Turned Recipe Creator
When Aleka Shunk started her blog, Aleka's Get-Together, she had NO idea what she was doing.
5 years in, she was able to quit her job as a math teacher to pursue her passion. And over a decade later, she knows a thing or two about what it takes to be a successful recipe creator.
She’s spilling:
How she repurposes content for multiple channels
What takes off on social media
What she loves most about her kitchen
And so much more!
Your story and how you got started.
I grew up in NJ working in my parents' Donut Shop turned cafe, where I enjoyed developing recipes and serving people. Food has always been a focus in our family as my grandparents also owned a Donut Shop many years ago. I believe I got my true passion for food/cooking from my mom as she always read cookbooks and experimented with her own recipes for us to taste test at home. My father’s side is also Greek so food is a big part of our culture.
Eventually, I got my Masters degree in education and started teaching full time. This gave me time to experiment in the kitchen during my summers off. Once we bought our first home, I began hosting many get-togethers. It was after one game night that someone said, “you should start a blog!” I had NO idea what a blog was but I was very open to the idea since I was lacking a creative outlet in teaching. Math is NOT very creative! So I did my research and 5 years into teaching, AGT was launched.
How did the donut shop influence you?
At my parent’s donut shop, I grew up watching how hard my parents worked to grow the business. They taught themselves everything they knew. It was inspiring. I started waitressing and eventually moved to being the chef. I had SO many ideas I wanted to throw on the menu! That’s what really turned on my creative switch in the kitchen.
How did you know you were really onto something? How long after you started did you leave your job as a teacher?
I knew I had a good chance of making my “side hustle” a full time gig when I was able to earn ad income. It took a couple of years, but it was worth it to finally say, “I told you so!” to friends and family! 😊 After 5 years of building my blog on the side, I was able to supplement my teaching income and resign permanently.
What was your first post like? Was it on the blog or on social?
I drafted up about 20 recipe posts before I made them all live. They were all recipes that I created myself based on what I thought people would like. The photography was horrid and posts were short. I only have a few of them left since they did not bring in much traffic because of terrible keyword potential.
Do you know before you post if a recipe is really going to take off?
On the blog…no, not typically. Although sometimes I do find some great keywords to tackle that do not have much competition in Google.
On social media, I will sometimes have a pretty good idea as to what will take off. It’s usually content never seen before, unique, and eye-catching. But there are times a reel does not take off when I was SURE it would! It’s frustrating but I try to learn from it all.
How do you repurpose content across different platforms?
I will always take vertical photos of my content so I can publish those photos not only on my blog but also on Instagram and Tiktok. Horizontal photos are not useful for social unless it makes sense for the blog.
When it comes to video content, I will also shoot vertically BUT this does not transfer well to video on the blog or YouTube. If I really need to, I’ll have two cameras set up, one to shoot vertically and one horizontally. This is tough to handle but is worth it if you are sharing the content on those two channels.
What was your first media feature? How’d it happen?
My first social media feature (and only one since) was a repost on Food & Wine’s IG channel which helped me gain some followers early on. The next one was a year later where Food Network’s ‘The Kitchen’ asked to share one of my July 4th recipes on their show.
What goals do you have for 2024?
My goal in 2024 is to diversify my revenue streams. One way to do this while still sticking to my brand is to focus on social media. My goal is to grow my account to 150k followers by the end of the year. This will open up some bigger brand sponsorships and allow me to pick up lost income if needed.
What motivates you to keep making new recipes?
Going to new restaurants and reading magazines/cookbooks! It works every single time.
Any advice for other creators in the space?
Do your research to make sure you're handling your business the right way. Many creators “create” for fun but if you want to truly make money off being a creator, you need to educate yourself. There are strategies and best practices out there that can’t be ignored. Always be willing to learn something new and do not stop until you’ve reached your goals.
What’s your favorite part of your kitchen or work space?
I’m fortunate enough to have great natural lighting in our kitchen. It’s such a blessing. In our old kitchen, the windows were behind the island which created dark shadows I could never fix even with artificial lighting.
Biggest takeaways from this edition of The Spill with Aleka
Growing a following is a massive undertaking. But having a goal like Aleka’s to get to a certain follower count for a specific purpose is the perfect approach.
The way she thinks about creating content for specific channels is also a must. Especially in a space where you’re constantly competing for attention.
She’s also super thoughtful about what’s going to resonate on social and finding keyword opportunities that will fuel traffic to her blog.
All amazing takeaways for anyone who’s pursuing a path as a creator.
So go on, go follow @alekasgettogether to follow along.
