Today we’d like to introduce you to Kit Graham.
Kit, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My food and travel site, thekittchen.com, launched in 2011. My husband and my friends came up with the idea and started the site, and over time it grew. When I started, I knew nothing about photography or running a website. After about 4 years, the site had grown to the point where I was ready to make the switch from working a corporate job to working for myself.
Along the way, some friends and I started the Windy City Blogger Collective and organization for Chicago bloggers. WCBC turned 4 this year and I am so proud of the community we have built.
I have spent the past 2 and a half years working for myself and splitting my time between The Kittchen and the Windy City Blogger Collective. It’s been amazing and I feel so lucky. It is a lot of hard work but I get to set my own hours, take on only the projects I want and travel as much as I like.
Great, 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?
It has been a smooth road, but a long road. There is a tendency to make blogging look glamorous but there is so much work that goes into every post. Way more happens behind the scenes than you might think. It took years to learn the skills and to build the readership to be able to turn blogging into a career.
Of course, I have made mistakes along the way but that is how you learn. I’ve paid lots of money for websites that didn’t function well, I’ve accidentally crashed my site and taken some truly terrible photos.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about The Kittchen – what should we know?
The Kittchen is a personal blog about food and travel. I create original recipes and share stories from my travel experiences. I strive to inspire people to cook at home and to see the world. Each week, I share 2 recipes and 2 stories from places that I have visited.
I am most proud of the fact that I create all of the content myself – the photos and the writing are all mine. I always say that I specialize in long form content. In this Instagram obsessed world, I still believe in the written word. It is also how I try to set myself apart from others.
I genuinely want to create content that helps people live a better life. I love the idea of families sitting down to dinner and enjoying my recipes. And, I love when readers email me asking for help planning their travels.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Staying true to myself. I have never been afraid to say no if something doesn’t fit who I am or the brand that I am building. That and a lot of hard work. You can’t fake that.
Contact Info:
- Website: thekittchen.com
- Email: thekittchen@gmail.com
- Instagram: @thekittchen
- Facebook: facebook.com/thekittchen
- Twitter: twitter.com/thekittchen
Image Credit:
Aeriel and Jareth Barille, Katie Donnelly
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