Today we’d like to introduce you to Shweta Singh
Hi Shweta, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Five years back I was planning to put my son in daycare and start looking for work. But right then Covid struck and I found myself confined inside our small house with my 18 months old toddler. On top of that my husband had a demanding job, he would go for work early in the morning and come back late at night.
This was year 2020 in Canada. I moved to Canada in 2015 after I got married. Canada was a totally new for me. I was a first generation immigrant and had no family or friends. My initial few years in Canada went in a series of health problems and then in 2018 I had my son. It was one of the best things that happened to me. I took care of my child, cherished each and every moment I spent with him.
Plan was to put him in day care and start looking for work. But right then Covid struck. My son and I were restricted to our house.
I found myself alone with nobody to talk with or see face to face. It was like falling into an abyss. The only thing that kept me going was my kid.
Then one day I took a picture of my food, created an Instagram account and posted it. I was always a creative person. I loved photography, painting, writing but some how over the past few years had stopped doing everything.
One post led to another and I started posting regularly. There on instagram, I came across other content creators and started engaging with them. Looking at instagram, seeing beautiful content motivated me. For some people social media was wastage of time but for me it turned out to be a saviour.
While I was enjoying posting my food pics and recipes on instagram, there was one more fear for to conquer. A few months had passed since I started my instagram account but I did not tell anyone about it. I was afraid of people judging me. I was afraid that what if I left it midway. And then one day I told my friends and family and all I got was appreciation and encouragement.
I continued my creative journey on Instagram and started getting collaborations, first gift collaborations and later paid ones. I still remember how I saved money I earned and bought birthday gift for my husband for the first time. It was a different feeling.
By then the covid times were over and I decided to become a full time content creator and influencer. I saved money from my earnings to buy a better camera for my videos.
With all this going on, I was still juggling between taking care of my kid, my content creation and my health. I wanted to expand my work but my health was not supporting me. I was on medication for endometriosis, fibromyalgia and high blood pressure. On some days I found it hard to even wake up from bed. It was affecting both my physical and mental health.
That’s when I decided to change my lifestyle. Last year I moved to Hendersonville, TN. I felt a connect to this and the people so warm and welcoming. I joined local YMCA and started yoga. I also started going on walks exploring the neighborhood and changed my food habits. Thankfully I was able to discontinue some of the medicines with doctor’s help.
I took one step at a time after I noticed improvement in my health and I decided to take my work further.
Last year I moved to Nashville and this year in fall I registered my business and became a small business owner. I make food on order. I specialize in vegetarian food, eggless baked items and snacks. I am working on a plan to expand my business further.
So now I am a full time influencer and food photographer with my home business of making food. Through my work I want to encourage people to opt for better food habits. I want to provide them an option to have food that is cooked from scratch, with local ingredients without any additives and preservatives.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
One of the biggest challenges has been my health. I have been struggling with endometriosis, fibromyalgia and high blood pressure for the past few years. Everyday pain, mood swings and fatigue, especially due to endometriosis and fibromyalgia makes it difficult for me to work. It affects both my physical and mental health. The medication that I have been taking has affected my creativity process. There was a period when I almost lost my creativity due to the medication. Not even a single idea would come to my mind. It was very frustrating. Thankfully I am in a better condition now. I have made changes in my lifestyle and food habits. With the help of doctors I am also in the process of discontinuing some of the medications for good. Still there are good days and bad days but I have learnt to cope with bad ones.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I am a food blogger, content creator and social media influencer. I do food photography too. I have worked with a number of well known brands both in Canada & US. I have made content for them and promoted them on my social media account. I specialize in vegetarian food and eggless baking. I also make vegan and gluten free snacks.
I recently started my small business. I make food on order, especially vegetarian appetizers and snacks. Right now it’s a local businesses but I am planning to expand it further.
Through my work I want to encourage people to opt for better food habits. I want to provide them an option to have food that is cooked from scratch, with local ingredients without any additives and preservatives.
I want to create and serve fresh, wholesome and delicious food that does not have negative impact on health and environment.
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
Covid-19 was a turning point in my life. I learned nothing in this world can be anticipated. Does not matter how much you have planned your life, life ahead will always be unpredictable. One thing that we can do is to stay positive in the worst of the circumstances and with hope that everything shall pass.
It was the time when I started my Instagram journey and it helped me a lot to deal with of my anxiety and fear.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.myfoodspree.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myfoodspree/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=746432682
