Sit down and listen in while I talk with my friend and fellow chef Pat Lee for episode two of my Chef My Life podcast. It was a genuine conversation that covered everything from the challenges of content creation to the importance of community in our digital world.

Pat and I first met during an Organic Valley event in Wisconsin, where we bonded over our shared passion for cooking and connecting with others. What makes our friendship special is that we built it before collaborating on content, which has given us a foundation of mutual respect and authenticity.

During our conversation, we discussed how social media has changed the way people connect. As Pat pointed out, “We’re connected in a sense that we post every single day… We tend to know a lot about people right off the bat from their posts and their social media content to the point where it’s you don’t even get to know about people in person anymore.” This digital connection, while convenient, often lacks the depth of in-person relationships.

We also dove into the realities of being content creators. Pat shared his recent struggles with balancing content creation and financial stability, reminding listeners that not every creator can make it a full-time job. His honesty about needing to look for additional work was refreshing in a space where many only show the highlights.

I’ve always admired Pat’s approach to brand partnerships. Like me, he only promotes products he genuinely believes in and has personally tested. We both agreed that maintaining trust with our audience is paramount – even if it means turning down lucrative opportunities.

One of my favorite parts of our conversation was discussing how we handle online negativity. Pat’s approach to trolls is brilliant: “There’s no such thing as bad publicity… Each time you give a negative comment towards me, that’s more money that goes in my pocket.” Instead of focusing on negativity, we both try to engage with the supportive community we’ve built.

We also reflected on what makes the food content creator community special. Unlike other niches, food brings people together regardless of follower count or experience level. As Pat said, “You could have a creator that has millions of followers. You can have a creator that has 20 followers. Me personally, I don’t care how big your platform is, I get inspired by anybody who cooks.”

Throughout our conversation, we kept coming back to the importance of authenticity and community. In an era where digital connections often replace in-person relationships, we both strive to create genuine connections through our content.

If you enjoyed this peek behind the curtain of content creation, I’d love for you to check out the full podcast episode. Pat’s honesty about the industry, combined with his infectious personality, makes for an enlightening and entertaining conversation.

Remember, as content creators and as people, our success isn’t just measured by follower counts or brand deals – it’s about the community we build and the genuine connections we make along the way.