Meet Trailblazer Lauren Regnier

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Regnier.

Lauren, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My passion for creative food definitely stemmed from my family. I grew up in a small town in Wisconsin on Lake Superior with my parents and two older siblings. As a child, you could find me running around barefoot with a rib in my hand, bbq sauce down my face, watching my dad stoke the fire in our backyard smoker.

I was always fascinated by his sense of ease when it came to food. He never needed to look at the recipe and no cuisine (or ingredient) was off-limits. Because we lived in a small, suburban town in the middle of the country, there wasn’t much diversity in food options. If we wanted something besides your average meat and potatoes or burgers and cheese curds, we had to make it ourselves.

My dad was exposed to a lot of diverse cuisines as a child. My grandparents would exchange recipes with their family friends from various places like Italy and Latin America. I think it was important for him to give us (his kids) the same global experience he got through food. So, while most kids were eating chicken nuggets I was feasting on dishes like homemade pozole, stir fry, pasta I can’t pronounce, Vietnamese summer rolls, Black Forest venison stew, and giant muffaletta sandwiches. We didn’t eat dinner before 9 pm—in true European fashion—so I’d often fall asleep waiting for dinner. But the meal was always worth it. So worth it, I’d usually be up for seconds.

After graduating from college in 2013 with degrees in journalism and photography, I packed up my car and headed to Los Angeles. Without a plan or goal in mind, really, I decided to start a food blog to combine my passions for food, writing, and photography. I had been reluctant to start one because I’d never put my recipes on paper before. I adopted my dad’s style of cooking and I didn’t like to measure—a pinch of this and a splash of that were my go tos. Initially, I wasn’t even going to include measurements on the blog. I’m glad I rethought that one.

For the first year, I didn’t really know what I was doing, so I didn’t put much effort into it. I would just take whatever I was eating for breakfast or lunch, plop it on the counter in whatever lighting was available from the kitchen window, and snap a quick photo. I actually hid my blog from people at the restaurant where I worked, in fear of what they’d think. It wasn’t until I went through a rough patch in my mid-twenties, that I really dove in and took it seriously to get my mind off things. I started to research and see what other food bloggers were doing. I spent hours testing recipes, taking photos, and editing them. I also invested in online classes to hone my food styling and photography skills.

I’ve gotten asked to do a lot of cool things via the blog. Like submit monthly recipes for newsletters, create content for advertising agencies, assist with food styling projects, and even help develop recipes for the restaurant where I was working when I was worried about sharing my work. Now I have a menu item named after me there. It’s pretty cool.

I just moved to Denver in April, to pursue my newest venture in cannabis! I’ve been wanting to explore the edible industry for a while now, so this seemed like a great place to do so. I recently starting working at an edible bakery and production facility and I love it. It’s really cool seeing how edibles are produced from kitchen to shelf and being a part of the process. I’m not exactly sure where this will take me, I’m just learning as much as I can and leaving the rest up to the universe. My goals and dreams seem to always be shifting, but I like the feeling of not yet knowing what I want to be when I grow up. It feels freeing and limitless.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I think with any creative endeavor, a bit of struggle comes with the territory. When I first started, the biggest challenge for me was navigating the backend of a website. There’s a lot of technical work that goes on behind the scenes that you don’t really think about before you start a blog. I think the most frustrating part was just figuring out what I needed to know to get started. I just wanted to skip to the fun part where I made food and took photos and knew what I was doing.

Something else I’ve struggled with is comparing myself to other creatives and entrepreneurs on social media. You know how it goes. You start thinking that your work isn’t good enough or you’re not posting enough, or your props are outdated. There is a fine line between comparison and inspiration and it can be challenging to navigate that.

My advice to young women is to always be authentic. Don’t lose yourself in the comparison game on social media. It’s so easy to look at other women for “inspiration” and end up feeling defeated like you’ll never be as successful or outgoing or talented. It’s the easiest way to talk yourself out of going for something you really want before you even start. When you compare yourself to others you start to think you need to be like them. Have what they have, do what they do. This all takes away from the magic that is YOU—who you are and what you have to offer. Learn to use social media with purpose and intention. And remember that someone else’s success is not your failure. There is room for all of us to thrive in this world.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Ditch the Recipe – what should we know?
Ditch the Recipe is all about expanding your creativity and confidence in the kitchen. Going beyond the confines of a recipe to create something you truly enjoy, as the consumer. I want home cooks to take the reigns in the kitchen and alter recipes according to their preferences.

When creating a dish, I like to use a recipe for inspiration, then make it my own. For example, if I want red velvet cake, I’m not just going to make red velvet cake. I’m going to make an orange-scented red velvet cake with orange Dreamsicle icing because I like a chocolate-orange combo. My hope is to encourage my readers to practice this same creativity and authenticity in their own kitchen.

My food style and tastes are highly reflective of what came out of my kitchen growing up. As I mentioned earlier, we ate a variety of different cuisines in my household. On Ditch the Recipe, you’ll find an eclectic mix of recipes, ranging from healthy and vegan-friendly to indulgent and carnivorous. You’ll find Mexican, Italian, Asian, and more. As well as breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert options. There truly is something for everyone. It’s funny when people ask me what kind of food I like to make, my answer is always, “everything.” Not because I know how to make everything, but because I’m open and eager to try it all.

When planning my recipes for the blog, I usually try to make something I’ve never made before. It seems counterintuitive since I may have to spend more time in the development process, but I like the challenge. I like proving to myself that I can make something new, while simultaneously tweaking it to make it my own. One thing all my recipes have in common is color. Food is like paint to me, I like to keep it fun and playful.

We’re interested to hear your thoughts on female leadership – in particular, what do you feel are the biggest barriers or obstacles?
I think the biggest barrier when it comes to female leadership is ourselves. The little voices in our head that tell us we aren’t enough. That someone else can do it better, that it’s already been done, that we aren’t smart enough, or we don’t have enough experience. We all have what it takes to be successful in whatever way we desire, but we hold ourselves back by allowing our limiting beliefs to run the show. We are buried under years of social conditioning and societal norms that affect our mindset and cloud our vision of who we are capable of being.

My advice? Get to know yourself. Like reeeallly get to know yourself. Spend time sitting in silence, ask yourself “why” when you are triggered, and delve deep into what makes you tick. Figure out what you love about yourself and what value you bring to the world and focus on those things, always. Kick the negative banter and tell yourself how amazing you are, every single day. Once you fully acknowledge, accept, and understand who you are and why you are the way you are, you will be able to stand in your power and your authenticity. Fill up your own cup first, so that you can serve others.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://ditchtherecipe.org/
• Email: ditchtherecipe@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ditchtherecipe/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ditchtherecipe/

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