Here at New York Minute we believe that a healthy lifestyle is critical for being the empowered woman you were meant to be. For Monica, founder of the Movement Menu, this is just as critical. Her Whole30 food blog focuses on crafting recipes “that make you want to get up and get moving.”
We recently had the pleasure of chatting with Monica to learn more about her journey, how she turned her hobby into a career, and how she juggles being a mother at the same time! Read the interview below:
NYMM: What drew you to the Whole30 lifestyle?
Monica: I was originally drawn to it because it was exciting to fathom having a different and more approachable relationship with food. I wanted to understand which foods made me feel my best, and I knew that trying Whole30 would give me a clear understanding of this!
NYMM: When and why did you decide to turn that lifestyle into a food blog?
Monica: Back in 2013, I changed the name from Culinary Calisthenics to The Movement Menu in 2014, and I have been doing it full time for 3.5 years now. I couldn’t imagine doing anything else during my day-to-day. It brings me a lot of joy, and I absolutely love sharing all of my favorite meals with my readers.
NYMM: You’ve made that blog into an incredibly successful business! What do you think was the key to reaching that success?
Monica: Never. Backing. Down. Anyone who knows me personally knows that I have a million crazy ideas, and I go for it all the darn time. I am definitely impulsive, and I don’t always think things through 100% before getting after it. However, I think that has been a huge bonus for me while hustling my way through the industry. I realized I needed to become a better photographer pretty early on, so I enlisted in many courses/workshops, and still learn something new every day.
I can’t think of any advice I’ve ever gotten that’s better than simply working as hard as you can. I’ve done that to the best of my ability every day, and it continues to fuel me and bring me a lot of joy.
NYMM: What was the most difficult aspect in reaching that success?
Monica: Rejection, managing expectations, and saying “no!”
One of the best quotes I’ve ever heard is that “comparison is the thief of joy,” and I think this especially rings true when you’re an entrepreneur. We are all on our journey, and we have to mind our own business unless, of course, we are doing these things in a constructive matter.
NYMM: What skills did you already have and which did you have to develop along the way?
Monica: Being a dreamer and a hustler. I’m always thinking about a million things I have to do or want to do, but what I’ve needed to learn is how to manage and organize these thoughts and ideas. I’ve had to implement certain techniques to actually follow through with my task management and to-do lists. That’s helped me tremendously with being consistent and growing my business.
NYMM: How do you prevent your work-life from taking over your personal life? Is it difficult to do so when you’re running your own business?
Monica: one hundred percent yes. This is especially true since having my daughter last July. This is something I am still trying to figure out, as we just recently hired a nanny to be here set days so I can give all my attention to my work.
NYMM: Who is your biggest inspiration?
Monica: My family. I love being able to spend as much time as I do with my husband and daughter. I will always keep on creating and creating because there is nothing that makes me happier than the freedom I get with my schedule. Those two are my everything!
NYMM: What motivates you to keep at it?
Monica: My readers! There is absolutely nothing better than hearing that I made someone excited to take on their second Whole30 after trying my curry for the first time. I think that every time I see or get word that someone made a recipe of mine and it made them really excited to keep cooking, it’s the best thing ever.
SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER
