Of Foodies and Friends: Takeaways from the Kosherfest Trifecta
Of Foodies and Friends: Takeaways from the Kosherfest Trifecta
I've wanted to attend Kosherfest ever since I discovered a career minded foodie is an actual #thing. Last year this time, I was relishing to go as a spectator; #tonoavail. This year I’m fortunate to attend on a dual side of the coin, a member of a brilliant marketing team that targets Kosher Food Brands. I guess regarding full circle, I've come a (kosher) bagel? With the everything topping, please.
The Kosherfest trilogy started with Mondays’ Jewish Food Media Conference kickoff. I was so excited to meet all the Instagram personalities #IRL, and collect some quality swag (bag ;)
The night before I went to sleep extra early to ward off maximum Monday morning grog. B”h I was going to The JFMC with the ultimate of morning people, Malkie Skolnick, founder of The Bold Edge, and the @the_culinary_trio; note, if you’re looking for the ultimate Chanukah treat, order her boozy syringe infused alcoholic doughnuts. They were gone as soon as she arrived.
Post my initial excitement of meeting all my influencer foodie “friends” (I legit pulled a stalker fangirl, but you know what? They're all just as lovely and real IRL as they are behind the lenses :)
Starting with the events founder, Melinda Strause’s (@kitchentested’s opening remarks, I already knew I was in great company, everyone was relaxed and the energy exuded was just about supporting one another. My fave @kitchetested takeaways? “Do the scary things because those are the things that work out the best.”
“when you showcase your expertise, it’s not showing off; its letting people know how you add value.”
“create the content that people are looking for and don't be afraid to reach out to brands/opportunities that align with your vision;”
It was intriguing to hear from Kosher.com’s very own Leah Gottheim, what they look for regarding collaborations. Like any reach out, “Make it easy for us to know why it would be a good fit to collaborate.”
The epitome of a treat was Chef Eitan Bernath’s hour-long “talk” that resembled a good #RavGav Shiur, (he filled every minute with intriguing content, and when it was over we all wanted more) It was very #realtalk. “Build your brand, what people's perception is when they hear your name.” “Even if you harness a specific niche with your industry there's still room to be broad.” He spoke about food photography, video editing, and how he maximizes every opportunity to focus on content by adding value to his followers. This 16-year-old Chopped winner prodigy redefines the term #hustler. “There’s nothing wrong with being a proud workaholic; people make time for what’s a priority for them.” Concerning building an engaged following,
“make it a dialogue, not a monologue.”
Of Course, there was a Jewish Food worthy lunch break but #aintnobodysgottimeforthat. Everyone was busy meeting each other, most people connecting like old friends (its a very supportive community in the foodie media sphere) I played it relatively cool, only stopping once for a fangirl moment with Chanie Apfelbaum, Danielle Renov and a quality photo-bomb in Chef Eitan Bernath’s picture...I hope I didn’t scare Hardcor Snackie too much, I mean we ARE friends...even if she’s never met me prior.
Sam Adler brought the content charm, a true Cordon Bleu graduate; she told us how she couples her natural love of food with her eye for aesthetics to create something beautiful as a whole. It was major #foodblogger chizzuk, “last year this time she had 220 followers”, throughout the year of dedicating consistent engagement to her account her following has grown to Instagram influencer status, it’s no wonder she was recipient of the Saveur Magazine 2018 “Best Food Instagram” Award, follow her for something fresh on @frostingandfettuccine.
We were fortunate to see the queen of food styling in action, Miriam Pascal, give a live demo on food photography. She showcased her expertise and illustrated how using the right tools and lighting can transform a final image. (A good craftsman is only as great as his tools, but in this case, Miriam's ideas are so fresh and unique the devices are merely a means to enable creative fruition. Only @overtimecook can make sloppy joes look soooo goood.
Onto Malkie Skolnick's talk on email marketing and building a brand, she spoke about how an email should be an extension of the brands' persona and continue the conversation in said voice. No call to action opportunity was left unturned “If you create something of value, people will buy”
“Seek ways to minimize the grind so that you can dedicate more time to spend on the people your working for.”
I have to say my favorite part of the conference was the end panel #bestforlast featuring Naomi Nachaman, Chanie Apfelbaum, Chef Eitan Bernath and Melinda Strauss.
Naomi, the pioneering queen of the foodie sphere (congrats on your book Perfect Flavors!), was stressing the importance of “WORK THAT ROOM” always be yourself, you never know where an opportunity can come from.” “Shul is great for networking, its great for shidduchim, and business. Most importantly its great for networking with Hashem.”
Chanie Apfelbaum took us back to the quality core of why we do what we do. Go back into the kitchen to create something beautiful, not for the sake of the post but because it's a great feeling, intrinsically. “Just go and enjoy what your doing, go back to the kitchen sans posting and re-fall in love with what you started.”
And Danielle Renov, the ruler of #humble authenticity; “I’m not a photographer, I’m not a food stylist I just really like to eat and bake, and baruch hashem I have a great platform to promote it.”
What Danielle said at the end spoke to me, it was about being open to those who have been in the business longer, listen to their advice- seek their encouragement, but at the end of the day, the brand of you is what got you here. If the direction your being told doesn't resonate with the vision you have for your brand, go with your gut.
And finally, because a picture is worth a 1,000 words, and words could never encompass the vivid images for Kosherfest or the extent of my smile- here are some exclusive pics from Kosherfest 2018.
