Today we’d like to introduce you to Feta Topalu.
Hi Feta, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to introduce yourself.
When I first got married (2014), I had to cook so we could eat and stay alive! It was a necessity. I realized I really enjoyed it and instantly fell in love with cooking. My dear husband (Val) encouraged me to start a food blog. Only a year later did I take his advice and go for it. In 2017, Fetty’s Food Blog was born. Over the years, I’ve taken online and in-person photography and food styling classes because I’ve wanted to improve my craft and make it an actual paying job. When the pandemic hit, my office closed down temporarily, giving me a chance to go all in. After a few weeks of full-time cooking and photographing, a company came to me and asked me to buy one of the recipes I made with their product. I gave them a price. They returned and asked to pay me 5X more for the recipe and photograph! When the check came in, I brought it to my husband and told him there is money in food blogging! And that’s where it went from there.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
No! Brand partnerships can be a bit tricky. It’s just like starting your own business. It was slow in the beginning. The business comes in waves, and sometimes when it rains, it pours. Initially, I needed help reaching out to partner with brands. But I kept at it, and they came on their own. Last year, after giving birth to my son, Cade, I had to decline many partnerships because of my limited time at home. I had to choose the ones aligned with my brand and work when my husband was home watching Cade. I do most of my blog work when he naps and sometimes on the weekend. I work with what I can, even if it means Cade is helping me shoot a video. I plan and maximize my time strategically every day. Otherwise, things still need to be done. I’m still trying to figure out the balance between work-from-home and being a stay-at-home mom.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m a food blogger. I love sharing mouth-watering food that I create in my kitchen and healthy treats that feed my soul. That includes recipe creation, food styling, photography, and videography. I’ve always loved hard lighting in food photography and decided to switch things up this last summer. I started incorporating it in photos and videos. To my surprise, Instagram loved it, and my account gained traction. Over the years, I’ve learned to tweak my style, and my personal touch is what makes Fetty’s Food Blog.
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
Oh my gosh! Where do I even start? For most of us, childhood is simultaneously tied to food. For this reason, food can be very personal and emotional. I vividly remember coming home from school starving. My mom would be in the kitchen frying pirozhki. It’s an all-day thing where these buns are made from scratch, starting with the dough to the filling. My mom would have these hot pirozhki stuffed with meat and potatoes ready for us on the table. They were so hot I burned my mouth a few times from devouring them. My mom always had a fresh homemade meal for us when we came home from school.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.fettysfoodblog.com
- Instagram: @fettysfoodblog
