Normally our Dailytalks are in Norwegian, but this week we are so lucky to have the amazing Ella Woodward here on our site. Ella is one of the worlds’ leading bloggers within wellness and plant-based foods and has incredible success and millions of followers all over the world.
Ella influences people to take care of themselves and eat in a way that nurtures both body and spirit, something she got into after experiencing chronic disease. Since starting her blog in 2012 she has launched three cafés, three product lines, several cookbooks, and even her own app. We truly adore her and have been following her blog since the beginning – what an amazing journey.
We really admire you and love your work. For the people who don’t know you, can you quickly tell them who you are?
– I founded a company called Deliciously Ella. In early 2012 I started writing a blog originally to help teach myself to cook. I’d been very ill the year before with a condition that affected my autonomic nervous system and after spending the best part of four months in and out of hospital and most of the following year in bed I wanted to try a more natural approach to see if a change in diet and lifestyle would help with some of the symptoms. A year into writing the blog I started sharing my experiments on Instagram too, just as a way of inspiring myself to try new things and learn to photograph them but the account quickly took off and grew really organically but very fast. The community then started asking for cooking classes and workshops, which I ran for about a year. I invested the money I’d earned from that into an app, which was followed by a book. The connection with our Instagram audience was so strong though that the book became the fasted selling debut cookbook in the UK, as well as a New York Times bestseller and went on to be translated into over twenty languages! I started working with my husband shortly after that and we’ve since opened three cafes in London and launched three product lines – our energy balls, our granola and muesli and our oats bars – into 5,500 stores across the UK. Our followers grew as I continued to share authentic content and build a real relationship with everyone that connected with us. I’ve actually stayed away from sponsored posts though, they weren’t right for us and instead used our channel to champion healthy eating, give people inspiration for recipes and scale our own business. The momentum has come from the momentum of building that business, as there’s always so much happening that there’s so much to talk about and we’ve been lucky enough to get lots of press around it too.
– We need a picture of you, do you have a good selfie?
Too many! I take thousands of pictures of everything every day.
Do you have a bad selfie?
– Of course, everyone does! We always see an edited snapshot into reality on social media, the outtakes rarely make it onto there.
It’s no coincidence that you are our crush, you always look so fresh and beautiful! What does your morning routine look like and how much time do you spend getting ready in the morning?
– I get up at 6.30 every morning and do an hour of yoga. I then walk to work with Matt, my husband, and our dog Austin. We stop at our Weighhouse Street café on the way in for breakfast or an early meeting and check in with the team there, then get to the office to start the day.
What is your favorite home cooked recipe?
– I love warming stews and curries with lots of toasted spices, coconut milk, veg, chickpeas, wilted spinach and some miso sesame rice.
What is your favorite food that someone made for you?
– Anything really – I love trying other peoples ideas and creations, it always gives me lots of inspiration.
Do you have any favorite podcasts at the moment?
– I’m just getting into podcasts. I’ve listened to the Mind Body Green one recently, which is great
Do you prefer home-cooked meals or take-away?
– Home cooked normally, but I love going to new restaurants too and trying new ideas
What are 5 things you always have in your refrigerator?
– Coconut yogurt, miso paste, almond milk, rye bread and veg
If you need a warm drink, what do you usually order?
– I love a coconut milk hot chocolate
What makes you cry?
– Cheesy movies
When did you last cry?
– Watching Titanic at the weekend!
What advice would you give your 15-year old self?
– That everything works out in the end. Don’t over think everything, always find the solution not the problem and find the silver lining in any negative. Be grateful for every day and make the most of every opportunity
Who do you admire and what is your biggest inspiration?
– The team I work with. They’re amazing and I feel so lucky to learn from them. Our online community is pretty special too
How will you try to make the world a better place in 2018?
– By being the warmest, most open version of myself I can be.
Follow Ella on her blog, Instagram and Facebook site. Download her app for Android and iPhone.
Her cookbooks can be found here:
- Deliciously Ella: Awesome ingredients, incredible food that you and your body will love,
- Deliciously Ella Every Day: Simple recipes and fantastic food for a healthy way of life,
- Deliciously Ella: Smoothies & Juices: Bite-size Collection,
- Deliciously Ella with Friends: Healthy Recipes to Love, Share and Enjoy Together &
- Deliciously Ella: The Cookbook: Plant-based recipes from our kitchen to yours.
Enjoy!