Today we’d like to introduce you to Cheryl Malik.
Hi Cheryl, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I started my site after graduating college in 2009. I was heading to law school and knew I’d need a creative outlet; combining two of my hobbies–writing and cooking–made perfect sense. Shortly after starting law school, I knew it was not for me, and I happily quit. From there, I tended the site at varying intensities for years, until it grew suddenly starting in 2016. After this explosion of traffic for me, I focused on the site on a full-time basis and saw steady growth in traffic and revenue. And inspired by the problems food bloggers experienced, I started my own food blogger virtual agency, called 40A. Today, we have three food-focused platforms, as well as a Substack, which produces a phone-sized magazine each month and includes a weeklong meal plan, plus lots of other content I love. My first physical cookbook is in progress and will be available at a bookseller near you in a few months!
In addition to the food content, I run the agency and a variety of other small businesses, including a short-term rentals business. I’m always working on something new! T
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Absolutely not. Things are always changing in the digital content world, and it will always be that way. Bloggers have been ruled by the algorithms long before most people even knew what they were! New platforms pop up, core updates eviscerate traffic patterns, audiences change, and more demands are made on our production. Today, I do more than ever before – in addition to posting recipes on the website, we have social media videos for each recipe, social-media-only recipe videos, a Substack, a magazine I share with paid subscribers on my Substack, paid social media campaigns, and more. It’s always something!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m most proud of my food photography, for sure. When I started my site, the wealth of food photography knowledge that lives on the internet now, did not exist. I had to figure everything out for myself, and I’m so proud of how my images are now. What I love most is that I know my style from a mile away, and that feels intensely ME. In addition to the visuals, I really love how I write recipes. I make sure that every step that really makes a difference is in the recipe… but anything that doesn’t really move the needle? Not necessary – we chuck it. Same thing for every ingredient! I’m a super busy parent and know how strapped we all are for time. I try to make my recipes really delicious (Otherwise, what’s the point?) but equally accessible.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I love that our city feels like a big small town! You can know so many people and get amazing support from that network. What I like least about our city? OK, cop-out answer but… the humidity. Whew!
Pricing:
- $5/month for paid subscription to the 40 Aprons Substack
Contact Info:
- Website: https://40aprons.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/40aprons
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/40aprons
- TikTok: tiktok.com/@40aprons
- Other: 40aprons.substack.com
