Dear Sublime Recipes Community,
I hope this blog post finds you well and filled with the same joy that you have brought into my life through our shared love for culinary delights. It’s been a while since we connected, and you might be wondering, “Where’s Waldo a.k.a Aparna?” Well, I want to take this opportunity to share the exciting journey I’ve been on for the past year.
Life sometimes takes unexpected turns, and mine did just that. Little did I know that my passion project – Sublime Recipes – would lead me to the most incredible opportunities in my career relaunch.
The journey began with me trying to regain my confidence in all things tech and learning marketing. The world of blogging is simply not pouring my heart out as I had imagined. It was a challenging experience to learn WordPress, SEO, Email Marketing, and Social Media apart from just being able to write and choreograph a photoshoot for each recipe. Though this is still a work in progress, I have learned that progress over perfection is the key to growth.
My first step was to get out of my comfort zone by joining the CIWA program in June 2021 – a stepping stone for immigrant women in Canada to find job opportunities. This paved the way for my transformation. Surrounded by inspiring women on their own unique paths, I rediscovered my confidence. I realized that following my passion for storytelling and curiosity to do things right was the key to unlocking new horizons.
Through the power of Sublime Recipes, and with help from CIWA, I attracted the attention of Grounded Tea, a vibrant startup in the beverage industry. They saw the potential in me, and I was offered an internship, taking me from my home kitchen to the bustling world of Internet marketing and business development.
From there, the stars aligned, and I became a part of Chic Geek, a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering women in technology. It was an incredible experience to rekindle my office management skills and merge them with my budding marketing skills. Before I knew it, the Chic Geek team encouraged and supported me to undertake a Digital Marketing Bootcamp certification from OnRamp. The rigorous course demanded dedication and perseverance.
Learning after the age of 40, especially after being away from the professional world for so long, was difficult. By making an extra 10 hours in my weekly schedule to attend classes and completing assignments, I discovered a whole new world that I was eager to explore. This was an adventure-filled journey with fun experiences but I had to pause my blogging to make time for this.
If this was not enough of a roller-coaster to deal with, we had to once again uproot ourselves from a place we had now become fond of. This time it was Houston calling. All the efforts I had taken to come this far, from re-discovering myself to building my professional network from scratch on LinkedIn to just finding my foot in the door to becoming a digital marketer in Canada, came to a screeching halt. I was back to square one.
Starting over again does come with its own challenges, but this time the path ahead isn’t looking as rough as before. Why? I am now surrounded by people who say my name in a room filled with opportunities, which I didn’t know was a possibility for a stay-at-home mom to achieve.
Today, I am the proud founder of not just Sublime Recipes, but also my latest passion project – a digital marketing firm that helps local businesses propel their online presence.
I’ll share more details on this one soon
If I can do this, you can too! I’d be lying if I didn’t admit I faced moments of self-doubt, wondering if I was capable of juggling my passions, my career, and my family responsibilities.
While I am exploring new avenues here in Houston and waiting to see what’s in hold for me in the future, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to each one of you for being a part of my life and for understanding my absence as I pursued this career relaunch after so many years. It was during these times that I missed connecting with you, my beloved Sublime Recipes community. Your unwavering support and kind messages like –
“Aparna, when are your new recipes coming up?”
“Have you stopped blogging?”
“We miss reading your stories” – has been a source of inspiration that kept me going through every twist and turn of this journey.
As we move forward, I promise to share more delectable recipes, heartwarming stories, and tips to help you create your own culinary masterpieces. Let’s continue this food adventure together, and I hope my journey has inspired you to pursue your passions fearlessly, no matter your age or career breaks.
With generous helpings of love and gratitude,
Aparna
PS: If you are a mom looking to re-start your career I might be able to help you with the right ingredients for your next professional adventure.
Thank you for taking the time to know what’s going on in my life. If you relate to my journey, I would love to hear from you. Please add your comments below. Your feedback helps me share my kitchen and life experiences with you. Also, please consider subscribing to my newsletter by using the signup form below.
