Vibrant & Approachable Plant-based Recipes

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Susan Pratt, owner of Susan Cooks Vegan, located in North Vancouver, BC, Canada.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Susan Cooks Vegan is a resource for inspiration and instructions on how to make vibrant and approachable vegan dishes. Women can go online to www.susancooksvegan.com to social media or watch Susan's new cooking show on Unchained TV debuting next week!

Tell us about yourself

I would say I didn't start my business; my business started me. My husband and I were trying to have a baby around the time I watched a documentary, What The Health. The movie was so compelling that we agreed to eating vegan for 30 days, and we've never gone back. Since I love to cook, I was eager to learn this new way of cooking, and I can honestly say we've never eaten better.

I started posting photos of my vegan dishes on my personal IG account. I was bombarded with requests for the recipes. At the time, I didn't record what I put into my dishes I cooked by intuition and taste. A very good friend said to me, "Susan, you have a gift, and you should share it." I immediately dismissed her because I didn't feel I was unique at all, and my daughter had just been born. Thankfully, with my friend's loving, not-always-gentle encouragement, I started Susan Cooks Vegan.

I couldn't be more grateful. Since that day, I have taught myself how to write a food blog, recipe staging, food photography and have created over 500 vegan recipes and have over 20K followers on social media and over 100K people going to my blog each year. Eating a vegan diet has changed my family's life for the better. My husband narrowly avoided a heart attack, and my almost-four-year-old daughter has a love of veggies that is unparalleled! I have a deep love of animals, nature, and our Earth. It pains me to see the destruction and unnecessary suffering caused by animal farms.

If I can inspire just one person in the way I was inspired, that is the greatest gift. If we all make small changes, this will make a big impact on our planet. This is why I do what I do.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Staring and producing my new Susan Cooks Vegan cooking show that will be hosted on UnchainedTV.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

Asking for help and delegating tasks to others. Learning to focus on top-tier tasks and not try to do everything.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

Do your research - know your market, competitions, and costs.
Find Mentors or someone who has done what you have done and ask ALOT of questions.
Be Patients- Growth takes time. Don't compare your beginning with someone else's middle.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://susancooksvegan.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/susancooksvegan/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/susancooksvegan/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.