Ep. 47: Leanne Brown – Bringing Everyone to the Kitchen Table

Leanne Brown is the creator of the viral sensation, Eat Good and Cheap: Eat Well on $4/Day. Originally created as a master’s thesis, Leanne found success with her book quite by accident. Throughout this chat with Aimee J., Leanne discusses her connection with food, the evolution of the book, and how she found her purpose. She also gives insight into maintaining focus on her purpose and why it’s important to continue to find ways of connecting with her audience. It’s clear Leanne has created something special. What’s even more clear is that Leanne is passionate about helping others and has truly made an impact.

TWEET: Bringing everyone to the #kitchen #table, on this episode of #ChasingDreams

Connecting with your path.

As a child, Leanne loved all things creative, including (and perhaps especially) the fun dishes that came to life in the kitchen. Her connection with food was clear, but Leanne never wanted to pursue a career in culinary arts. Leanne’s creative leanings led her to earn her bachelor’s degree in art and go on to do work that she enjoyed right out of school. Once she discovered the food studies program at NYU, Leanne knew she’d found her calling. She attended NYU and passionately gained as much knowledge as she could. Leanne was drawn to cooking all along, and began watching YouTube videos to learn more about cooking. In sharing meals with her friends, she realized her main passion was pretty clear: Leanne loved sharing how to make food. For Leanne, it wasn’t just about cooking for friends, it was about teaching them to make the dishes. That’s where she found her path.

The evolution of a book that would change lives.

When the time came to write her master’s thesis, Leanne would end up with the book that would change everything. The book evolved from her master’s thesis and she immediately knew she had to find ways of sharing it with others. Her goal wasn’t to make money; it was to share it with people so she could make a real impact on their lives. Leanne decided to start a website and began sharing recipes there in the hopes that she could help people without a lot of money learn to eat well. The website would immediately garner a great deal of attention, eventually going viral after being shared on Reddit. All of a sudden, Leanne was an internet sensation.

TWEET: Connecting with your true #path and staying the course, on this episode of #ChasingDreams

Maintaining a focus on the original purpose.

Once she realized her book truly mattered, Leanne decided to launch a Kickstarter campaign so she could get the book to the masses. She would hit her original goal of $10k in just a day and end up raising a total of $144k by the time the campaign ended. Leanne used the money to publish her book and ended up sharing it with non-profits at cost and even for free in some cases. From the start, she knew she wasn’t in this to make money – she was here to help people. Leanne stayed focused on reaching the masses and helping people overcome their fear of cooking. She started getting emails from people who shared how the book changed their life. According to Leanne, this is the greatest reward of all.

The future of Good and Cheap.

Over time, Leanne’s audience continued to grow. Today, she is sought out for public speaking engagements and workshops, something Leanne never imagined she’d enjoy, but it’s something she truly loves. She discusses why it’s so important to connect with people through workshops and events, and the rewards she feels as a result. Leanne gives insight into what she sees in the future and why her goal is to get people to understand that they deserve to eat good food. In closing, Leanne shares some advice for fellow dream chasers, including why it’s so important to share your dreams.

TWEET: Finding ways of #helping #people and seeing lives changed

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE:

[0:55] Introduction of Leanne Brown.
[2:57] Leanne’s background in cooking.
[5:38] Leanne’s decision to study art in school.
[8:12] How did you find the food studies program at NYU?
[12:06] More about Leanne’s book.
[17:27] Some of the touching stories she’s heard from people who read her book.
[19:01] Launching a Kickstarter campaign.
[21:12] Staying true to the original intent of the product.
[22:36] Will you make any other volumes of the book?
[29:01] Speaking publicly and giving workshops to help people.
[30:50] Learning to love public speaking.
[35:18] The opportunity to connect with people and change their lives.
[38:39] 10 years from now, what do you think you’ll be doing?
[42:36] Leanne’s number one piece of advice for dream chasers.

LEANNE’S RECOMMENDATION:

If you have a dream or an idea that you believe in, tell as many people about it as possible. Don’t hide it; share it. That’s how you get the support you need to make it a reality.