No Sugar, All Sauce ft. Anna Vocino of Eat Happy Kitchen | EYB

Anna Vocino is a comic, culinary tastemaker, and founder of Eat Happy Kitchen. After being diagnosed with celiac at age 28, she has managed her autoimmune through food and authored hundreds of delicious low-carb, gluten-free recipes, included in her best-selling cookbooks. In 2020, she created Eat Happy Kitchen, a CPG company on a mission to nourish people through their no-sugar-added premium pantry items.

Elevate Your Brand is the #1 marketing podcast for entrepreneurs and “wantrepreneurs” looking for insider tips and secrets from the most exciting new and growing brands in Los Angeles and the US at large. 

Each week, entrepreneurial special guests join Laurel Mintz, founder and CEO of award-winning marketing agency Elevate My Brand, to discuss the marketing failures and successes that have brought their brands to the next level. Learn from real-life experiences and be inspired by leaders in your industry about how smart digital and experiential marketing can elevate your brand.

Contact us: https://www.elevatemybrand.com/contact

Stay connected & DM us feedback on the podcast:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elevatemybrandla/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/elevatemybrandla/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@elevatemybrand

Transcript

00:00.00
elevatemybrand
Everyone and welcome back to another episode of elevate your brand eyed course I'm your host laurel mint and I'm joined today by the boisterous and super fun and super full, flavorful a a vacino from eat happy kitchen Anna thank you for joining us today.

00:12.42
Anna
Ah, super flavorful and that's thank you for having me that's going to be ah my new tagline on all my socials. Thank you.

00:18.92
elevatemybrand
And but I was thinking about you today because I ran out of your sauces and so I made I had a bunch of little tomatoes and I made my own soft and I made such a fucking mess in my kitchen and my husband was so pissed at me so he's like can you please just go and order some more fucking sauce so that you don't mess up our kitchen. Please so.

00:23.34
Anna
Oh no good girl.

00:38.32
elevatemybrand
We had a whole conversation about you this morning probably probably but um for those that don't know tell us about eat Happy kitchen.

00:40.21
Anna
Um, oh wow, That's why my ears were buzzing. Thank you.

00:47.16
Anna
Yeah, so eat. Happy kitchen is ah but an extension. It's a cpg company of sauces and spices currently, that's an extension of ah scaled up recipes from my eat happy cookbooks which are gluten-free and low carb. So yes I sell pasta sauces to people who don't even eat pasta which is ironic. So now we are spreading our focus to the people who do eat pasta because those are the people who are going to grow this and scale this brand to the next level. Um, so yeah I my background is entertainment I'm a comic I'm a voice talent I have been in the entertainment industry for twenty some odd years lucky enough to be a working actor.

01:04.42
elevatemybrand
Um, and so.

01:21.37
Anna
But there's a lot of downtime so I started recipe writing when I was diagnosed with celiac and when I was diagnosed with celiac I started making all the treats the baked goods from being half southern and half italian and then notice I was putting on weight and putting on weight and you have a little bit of a cognitive disconnect especially in 2012 in hollywood.

01:32.24
elevatemybrand
And.

01:39.96
Anna
With ah weight. Unfortunately so I started changing my focus in 2012 when I sort of podcasting with Vinnie Tor Rich and he taught me about low carb and so that's where I changed the focus of my books so everything for me is no sugar added the highest quality ingredients.

01:41.83
elevatemybrand
Go ahead.

01:57.77
Anna
And as I went along in this process of having interviewed all these luminaries in all these doctors luminaries Science researchers All these smart people I didn't realize how messed up our food supply was and so I wanted to be part of the problem. A part of the solution. Not part of the problem I don't want to be part of the problem. Let me make that really clear.

02:08.74
elevatemybrand
Yeah, yeah.

02:15.14
elevatemybrand
Ah, right? yeah.

02:17.13
Anna
Um, so I had a guy call me in 2019 and said he lost £80 cooking out of my book and he's a food manufacturer and he wanted to start being part of the solution I was like cool and he said let's do your marininare I've heard you say let's you know you want to get your marinera out into the world and I was like.

02:23.14
elevatemybrand
Oh.

02:35.55
Anna
Okay, but doesn't everybody make their own like you said this morning and it made a big mess and he's like no ma'am. They don't all make their own and so because that's what I have done since I was a kid you turn on the stove you make your own marinera and so we scaled up now we have 5 skews of sauces three skews of spices.

02:38.21
elevatemybrand
Yeah.

02:53.17
Anna
Um, again, spice blends based on in my book and that's a whole other world that I opened up of the stuff that they put in our spice mixes and I wanted to make sure everything was clean, but you know we're american has to taste good so that's kind of where we are now we Merck and we're merkins we like we like it.

03:07.41
elevatemybrand
Um, you say Merkin Merkin we're Marin. Yeah.

03:11.55
Anna
It's got to taste good I mean that's the number 1 thing it has to taste good. But then I'm like but it also has to be the cleanest no sugar added highest quality ingredients preferably sustainably packaged. You know there's a lot of of boxes to check when I want to make something yes I ask.

03:25.35
elevatemybrand
Yes, absolutely or bottles to check in your case or yes, um well I um I love to use your sauces to make shakshuka That's like my favorite way to use your sauces.

03:34.99
Anna
Perfect Perfect I Love it.

03:39.30
elevatemybrand
Um, and I host a Sunday brunch almost every Sunday and so every Sunday I would you sent me so many of them. Thank you. They were absolutely fabulous and so every Sunday I mean the box showed up and I was like oh my god thank you and it was so happy I could barely get it in the front door and so every Sunday for.

03:50.57
Anna
Um, yeah.

03:56.87
elevatemybrand
Like so almost six weeks I want to say I tested the different sauces with my um, my my my Sunday brunchers and so I would get feedback on the different flavor profiles and everyone was like oh my god this one was better than last weekend and this one was better than the weekend before that and so I had a really good test case and I have to say um.

04:08.24
Anna
A.

04:16.53
elevatemybrand
My feelings were a little hurt because I thought that I made a great sauce. It was fucking nothing compared to yours. So my feelings were a little hurt but I I'll take it on the chin because you know you make a great sauce.

04:26.15
Anna
Wow That is very very high praise and I will tell you here's the thing when you do make your own sauce you get ah attached to the thing and and that's what I told this manufacturer I said.

04:33.70
elevatemybrand
Totally.

04:37.14
Anna
If we're going to make a jarred sauce. It's got to taste like I snuck in their kitchen and made it for them I will accept nothing less. You know? Yeah, yeah, that was really important and by the way we've now scaled up where we've outgrown that manufacturer.

04:41.62
elevatemybrand
Like no no right? like? no no yeah.

04:51.29
Anna
And then the the trials and tribulations of finding somebody who gets my message like not everybody's like hey I'm an Anna convert because I have cooked out of your cookbooks and listened to your newsletter. You don't mean like.

05:00.30
elevatemybrand
Totally away here.

05:02.38
Anna
Finding Ah you know a co-man that can scale up with us to the extent that we want to do it has been difficult and pricing is difficult and cogs are difficult but you know I Um yes, yes, that's a wild card right.

05:10.45
elevatemybrand
For sure. But you also some really unique flavor profiles I have to say um the pumpkin Marininaa where the fuck did that come from wild I was like this is gonna be freakgging weird like I don't know but and it was.

05:20.15
Anna
Um, and I always say that when I I.

05:24.88
Anna
Yeah, it is Thank you So everything pumpkin spice for the pumpkin spice season is laden with sugar and Lord knows what else So I Actually that's a recipe in my second cookbook.

05:25.11
elevatemybrand
Like it's a little bit magical I have to say.

05:33.51
elevatemybrand
Yeah, carbage.

05:39.17
Anna
And we thought it was so good and I pair it with I make a cauliflower in Yaki you compare it with regular Yaki I'm not saying everybody out. There has to make everything out of cauliflower. But I do so it's so good with like shakshuka I use it as a curry starter ah cheese Torolini Cheese ravioli, yaki, etc, etc. So it's such comfort. It's it's got the.

05:45.33
elevatemybrand
Who.

05:58.12
elevatemybrand
Um, adjou.

05:59.00
Anna
The the brightness and the tanging is of the marin air with the comfort of the pumpkin and the pumpkin spice now I love sampling this one because first of all when you cook it. It smells divine. Second of all I love to say to people. Yeah, where we're sampling pumpkin marininara which sounds like a wild car but it's really really good because then they're like.

06:02.42
elevatemybrand
Is it. Oh yeah, the whole house. Oh My God yeah. Yeah, yeah.

06:17.51
Anna
Especially if they're like I hate pumpkin but that sounds interesting and then I they try it and they like it I'm like yes I did it. You know? So yeah.

06:23.93
elevatemybrand
Um, and it has great fiber con to I mean like it has all the things you really want in a sauce and then some ah yeah, that was like it was ah the one that I saved for last and knocking a lie because it scared me a little bit have to be honest, yes.

06:36.64
Anna
Yeah, it is frightening but now it's our arts. Ah we sell out direct to consumer every year the precell sells out every year now because we've had that since fall of 21 so this will be the third year no 21 22 those will be the fourth year I can't count I'm sorry.

06:51.56
elevatemybrand
It's okay, time has no meaning anymore anyway, since the pandemic let's be honest, yeah and then so you have these 5 soft waves and then you have these like fairy dust sauces that you've created like where did that come from yes like I didn't even found out.

06:53.41
Anna
Time is just a construct. Yes.

07:01.88
Anna
The 3 spice blends. Yes, so those are yes yes.

07:08.34
elevatemybrand
We? Well we met at the angels event. First of all I had 5 people that were like you need to meet Anna and I was like ok guys. Ah, right are right? and then you and I met we were like well and we were like instant friends and I was like yeah obviously we were supposed to meet and then you didn't even mention the um the the these like.

07:14.10
Anna
All 3 I Know exactly? so.

07:26.94
Anna
Yeah, a little tests the powders That's right? So those are all yes well I think because right now the sauces are what we're pushing into grocery because you said right there you got a case of sauce and it was almost impossible to carry it into your house because it's so heavy.

07:27.61
elevatemybrand
Little dust sauces things these powders that you have all you were talking about was the sauces. So yeah, spice blends. So.

07:43.10
elevatemybrand
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

07:44.89
Anna
But we learned that sauce is expensive as fuck to ship and it can break and that's heartbreaking when somebody writes me and says hey a jar broke and in the summer mold grew it So they're basically receiving the equivalent of you know a horror movie on their doorstep if something breaks and I hate that and yeah exactly I'm like oh God I'm sorry um.

07:57.50
elevatemybrand
And literally red like blood. So funny. Yeah.

08:03.56
Anna
So we're like well look what if we moved this into grocery well that at the time we only had one skew just my marinera and then we were like well let's scale it up so we can tell a story in grocery stores and have 3 flavors and take it more shelf space and so we launched the pink crema and the putonesca and then we launched the pumpkin just as a seasonal as a fluke I have this.

08:13.42
elevatemybrand
A.

08:22.13
Anna
Cookbook audience which is insanely helpful as far as they will give us instant feedback and if we decide we want to launch a flavor of anything and it doesn't work. We can always just not make it and sell it anymore. We're not committed to retail yet. So we launch first direct- to consumer. That's always been the strategy and now into retail we're we're in 32 states and.

08:25.86
elevatemybrand
O.

08:39.81
elevatemybrand
Wow! yeah.

08:41.23
Anna
350 stores which is great but really hard to maintain with just ah, it's myself and my two co-founders a gay married couple and we're just trying to be all places at once. So the dusts came about as again recipes from my cookbook I was like what would be good and let's come out with 3 again to tell the retail story but the the margins are so good.

08:51.94
elevatemybrand
Um, okay.

09:01.30
Anna
On the spice blends that we don't want to go into grocery yet because the the sales of the spice blends are what's buoying the move into retail. Oh God Yes, nothing. Yeah, okay.

09:02.86
elevatemybrand
And ah.

09:08.50
elevatemybrand
Interesting and easier to ship and the the spoilage on it is like nothing so easy. But I mean that's such an interesting message for those listening in who are thinking about going direct to consumer and in cbg specifically like just that storyline of like. You know sauces is like clearly your heart right? That's where you started into this world but really being thoughtful about the journey into retail and maybe pulling back and being more thoughtful about like first of all margin and how important that is telling a retail story and being like a little bit more. Um.

09:27.70
Anna
Right.

09:44.49
elevatemybrand
I Don't know intentional about how you extend your lines you know I love that? yeah.

09:46.80
Anna
Yes, you you just summed it up Perfectly. You really summed it up perfectly because that's exactly what it is. It's ah it's a balancing act I am very lucky to have this fan base from my cookbook audience. They're my die-hards. They will try it all. But you know you have to get people to reorder you know I'm selling sauce. It's considered a commodity you know? and even though it's a premium sauce. It's the best sauce you're going to find the best tasting and the best in the store. However, if you don't know that and you're not my audience. It's going to be a tougher sell people are.

10:02.73
elevatemybrand
A.

10:16.47
Anna
You know they love their rayos and they I hear that all the time when I see people going to grab a jar of rayos to put it in their cart to say hold on I'm sampling this one come over here and you know and once they hear the brand story and they taste it. They convert.

10:26.20
elevatemybrand
And.

10:27.80
Anna
Um, but it it is it is you have to be real intentional because every dollar counts we haven't raised yet I'm starting to raise it's becoming very apparent that if I'm going to exist in the traditional retail channels we're going to need cash and Capital partners for sure.

10:38.46
elevatemybrand
You've got to scale. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah for sure.

10:42.12
Anna
But we're launching cheese crisps which seems like a strange thing but again I'm in the low-carb community. So we're looking for ways we can be throughout the grocery store in the no sugar added space for every category that's shellfs stable. So that's our long-term plan for growth will everything we launch be wind up being a final product.

10:53.88
elevatemybrand
Interesting.

11:01.28
Anna
Not necessarily, but we're excited about the cheese crisps and then dressings is next year and a lot of stuff. Yeah.

11:06.60
elevatemybrand
Cool I Love it. Um, we're gonna take a really quick break. We will be right back.

11:16.00
elevatemybrand
Thanks for sticking with us and if you are just joining I am chatting with Anna Bocino and before the before we jumped on I was like I want I save the name I just want to use my hands and do it with like a very thick italian accent. Um I love it. They do and especially knowing that you're a voice actor I'm like I just want like prove that I could do it myself.

11:24.91
Anna
I Hope you do good.

11:33.84
elevatemybrand
Um I didn't know that That's how you pronounce the Ri rouse I thought it was pronounced. How do you pronounce it I don't know whatever I think it's garbage.

11:39.57
Anna
Ra ah, people do say rows but it's pronounced rayos and something really funny that happened at expo west you know the big for everyone listening the big food show in Anaheim that happens every year um so we knew we all knew that reos was selling to Campbell's for a reported two point seven billion dollars with a b and it I guess the the deal inked that week like it finished that week of expo so there were so many there were so many Vc people which is amazing.

11:53.11
elevatemybrand
Right? right.

12:01.75
elevatemybrand
Why.

12:09.98
Anna
You know so many you make a lot of relationships. A lot of Vc people walking around who are all of a sudden interested in sauces and I see why you know that was ah a huge exit. There was their third exit by the way, their third and final I believe but yeah, quite quite a ah quite a stir pun intended.

12:15.83
elevatemybrand
Yeah, Wow. Wow Yeah, good for them and good for you to start building those relationships because then you have like there's like a stake in the ground you're like ah or a tomato in the ground. Um.

12:30.31
Anna
Yes, thank you.

12:33.80
elevatemybrand
You could say like look we are We want to be the next right? like but and in a better free category right? without all of the um garbage that they have in their sauces. Not a fan. Not a fan. Yeah anyways I mean a.

12:42.41
Anna
Yeah, exactly you said it not me what? Okay ah.

12:48.55
elevatemybrand
But like I said like I so when I was on the East Coast I dated an italian man and he shared with me his known as recipe and let me tell you that was the best part of that relationship and I really did I really did um so I know you have um.

12:56.76
Anna
I was going to say you you came away with the best party favor from that relationship.

13:07.67
elevatemybrand
Ah, another cookbook coming out share with us a little bit about that give us the teaser.

13:11.92
Anna
Okay, after my second cookbook came out I swore I would never write another cookbook and now not only do I have a third one coming out this fall but I'm just am solidifying the contract on a fourth cookbook. So I guess I guess I'm in it to win it. Um I never knew that cookbooks.

13:21.46
elevatemybrand
Oh my god.

13:27.60
Anna
Having so few words compared to another book would be so much work but they are so eat. Happy italian is coming out and luckily Ben Bella my publisher was all about this and they're doing it on purpose so that we can have a big launch along with the sauces. So I include I'm always I'm full disclosure gal I will give you my recipes.

13:40.64
elevatemybrand
Man.

13:47.45
Anna
Um, they're all in the books. All of my recipes. So if you want to make stuff at home or if our sauces aren't available or you can't order them online or they're too expensive for you. You can buy the book and get them that way I really feel like good food should be accessible to all so and plus I have like.

13:58.20
elevatemybrand
Um.

14:03.59
Anna
Hundreds of recipes for free on my website which because I want people in the kitchen making food and getting rid of these processed foods. That's my goal and so they were luckily like hey let's do this book. Let's do low-carb italianion now I'm sure I'm going to get some kickback and I am ready for it but not everybody is ready to eat.

14:09.61
elevatemybrand
Totally.

14:21.85
Anna
Pasta every night of the week sometimes you want italian food and you're not quite sure how to do? Well what if we had not just zucchini noodles but spaghetti squash or what if we had you know making something like osobuco really easy and accessible because that's the kind of thing that you usually just get an italian restaurant. It's like $50 you know

14:37.95
elevatemybrand
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

14:40.32
Anna
If you could make that at home. So for me having these accessible but and it's Italian American because you know we have different you know amalgamations of Italian dishes over here and then also Italian and my time spent in Italy gathering recipes. So my grandparents came over from Foulia So that's ah, that's where my history is with the.

14:51.91
elevatemybrand
I Can't wait.

14:59.67
Anna
Italian food that's in the south. That's where they make the olive oil. Ah because it's flat there. It's like it's the heel of the boot and my my people are from the spur of the boot and um, yeah, it's there's I know the guy who makes exact Well, the Adabiatta is a very spice that means angry sauce and that one is very spicy.

15:00.20
elevatemybrand
Um, is that North or South and South got it? okay.

15:13.36
elevatemybrand
That's why you're so spy. Thank go? Oh yeah I love it I Love it I mean but I don't know why because I am not Italian in any way shape or form I'm like white bread I'm so boring in background. But.

15:19.52
Anna
The Calabrian chili flakes. Yes, and.

15:29.79
elevatemybrand
When I cook at home I Only like to cook Italian food. That's like what I what is is my comfort food. There's something about it. Pestos and red sauces and I make a lasagna I I don't know how you feel about this I I don't know if I ever spoken to an Italian Chef about this but um.

15:40.53
Anna
Um, it's just so wonderful. Um.

15:49.41
elevatemybrand
I make a lasagna with an egg roll wrapper as opposed to a lasagna noodle because it's less carby and a lot lighter right? right.

15:53.59
Anna
Well, you're talking to the right person about it because that's what that's what I do as well or sometimes I'll steam cabbage leaves and put it and it sounds crazy. But it's really good. That's a recipe in the book That's coming out so and and the thing is with most Italian food. It's it's food of the people.

16:01.29
elevatemybrand
Oh okay, so interesting.

16:10.78
elevatemybrand
Right? so.

16:12.20
Anna
You know so it is accessible and the flavors are accessible and it's so funny to me that when my grandfather came over here in 1913 and subsequently my grandmother in 1930 he got himself a younger woman. Um, like when they came over from italy it's crazy to me that these flavors just weren't available and so my grandmother would get.

16:28.32
elevatemybrand
And.

16:31.87
Anna
Canned tomatoes that were available then you'd have to put added sugar into the sauce because they were like metallic tasting probably a botulism. Let's be honest, Yeah I mean like it wasn't like a real great canned tomato. No.

16:38.63
elevatemybrand
Um, oh yeah, well it wasn't the same Marano beautiful tomatoes. You can get today. Yeah, of course only. Um.

16:45.40
Anna
No so and that's what we use or the Sam Marzan well I say I have to say Sam Marano style because the actual dop of samrasano is quite small, but um, yeah to be able to get those tomatoes. They're naturally sweet on their own so we don't have to add anything I know right? So good. Yes.

16:58.26
elevatemybrand
Um I love it I could talk about science all day honestly, um, but I want to talk about the business side a little bit more so how did you decide like what what point like did you have your like Oprah aha moment of like wow this is actually going to be a real company like what was that moment I know that you like you.

17:03.42
Anna
Business.

17:14.32
elevatemybrand
Were an actor you had this moment out of like I could create these amazing sauces and recipes but like was there like a moment where you knew this was going to be a successful company.

17:24.49
Anna
Um, ah, here's the thing when you if you were to say to me three four years ago hey listen you're going to be at this point now and you're going to grow your Cpg company 100 to 200% year over year for 4 years in a row. I would faint and say no because it's too much but it's it's like that whole adage of like you eat the elephant one bite at a time. So the the moment there have been a bunch of moments and and by the way my belief is always that you can only grow your business insofar as your own limiting beliefs will stop you so this whole.

17:43.91
elevatemybrand
Um.

17:56.75
elevatemybrand
Moving.

17:59.29
Anna
Exercise This whole business is an exercise in discovering where I have my foot on the brake so you can't possibly do everything and I've I've made peace with that. Maybe that's part of starting a business at an older age that I have that wisdom of knowing you're not going to get everything done.

18:04.21
elevatemybrand
And.

18:15.96
Anna
In one day that you want to get done. You're not going to get everything done in a year that you want to get done but the aha moment there have been a few of them. 1 of them was when we took a plunge and did our first fancy food show in June of 22 and so to have people off the street new yorkers off the street.

18:27.38
elevatemybrand
A.

18:34.39
Anna
Come in and sample stuff and then yeah, they're tough. They're really tough so there was ah a lot of like we needed to know that this was real and that we exist out in the universe because also June of 22 was one of the first times that we're all coming out of our covid shell and doing a trade show and like shaking hands with people and talking to people and connecting so that was a.

18:34.51
elevatemybrand
Oof they're are toughies. Yeah.

18:53.41
Anna
That was a big that was a big moment and then another time this year in expo one of the buyers for h e b marched up in that first hour where the buyers are allowed to come in early. She marched up and she said I have had your cookbooks sitting on my counter for 2 years

19:11.51
elevatemybrand
Um, ah you're like don't freak out. Don't freak out. But.

19:11.53
Anna
And I've been trying to get you and it I literally it was she was like I literally almost burst into tearss. Yeah no I almost burst it because it's like you works you you send so many emails you make so many calls and you're just listen I'm an actor I'm used to auditioning and things go out into the dark and you don't hear anything.

19:26.25
elevatemybrand
Yeah, yeah.

19:27.82
Anna
So and it still was like when she said that I almost burst into tears and I really was like had a moment and I was like sorry this is just really, but it felt so and I was like okay that I have to trust that there are people out there and that things are going to work out it and it might not be on the timeline that I think it never is.

19:32.85
elevatemybrand
Um, you're like bitch. Keep it together.

19:45.33
elevatemybrand
Yeah, never ah yeah, ah yeah for sure. Amazing! We're go take another really quick break and when we come back I Want to hear like what are your top.

19:45.44
Anna
What does that phrase like make God laugh by making plans you know? Um, but yeah, so those are there are a few moments there for sure.

19:58.54
elevatemybrand
To like tips tricks or lessons that you've learned along the path. We'll be right to back.

20:10.60
elevatemybrand
All right? Thanks for sticking with us chatting with Anna Boccino founder of eat happy kitchen just love this conversation. You're just such a fun um founder I love your energy and your attitude around food around entrepreneurship. And around the journey and to that effect I'd love to understand like what are some of the lessons or some of the tips and things you would share with other entrepreneurs along a similar current journey.

20:33.54
Anna
Oh okay, this is a really good question. Okay I can think of 2 The first one is be generous of spirit and help other people be of service figure out how you can help other people.

20:44.16
elevatemybrand
No.

20:51.36
Anna
And um because it always comes back around and and not I'm not saying this and I'm in a way that's like hey ladies keep give give giving without taking anything for yourself. I'm not saying that I'm saying.

21:05.46
Anna
Figure out ways that you can help your relationships and help other people. Fellow food founders by whoever you're talking to if there's a way you can be of service to them because then it just it helps with relationship building. It helps it just feels good and it also helps when you're then you have to make an ask. Because you've been generous and I'm not saying this to be like totally cunning and conniving I'm saying like we all will help each other rise up and sometimes it's going to be your opportunity to help Sometimes it's to be their opportunity to help and you're going to need help so be generous of spirit whenever possible. The other thing. Oh yeah, go ahead, Go ahead.

21:35.12
elevatemybrand
I Totally believe that yeah I totally believe that but wait before you go on I Want to also say I want to add something to that which is um I think that it's important to do that. But also to protect your energy. This is a lesson I've recently learned you have to be conscious.

21:40.50
Anna
Yeah, yeah.

21:47.71
Anna
Oh yes, yes agreed.

21:52.70
elevatemybrand
If you continue to put your energy out there and say yes and give to people that don't reciprocate so that's my only caveat to that Anna yeah, okay, totally.

21:56.37
Anna
Agreed agreed and be aware of that and be able to know the difference when when you're like okay, some people might just be a business relationship. Other people might be. We're going to be have a little more of a collegial relationship then other people will become like. Your best friends as you move through this process together and you'll be helping each other so you just you do have to have the ah insight to know the difference for Sure. Um.

22:19.99
elevatemybrand
Totally and I think you you like me are just generous in spirit in general and I always have been a giver but there's a lot of takers in this world. So just be aware and be protective of your energy. Yeah, ah.

22:28.37
Anna
That's very true. That's very true and um, the other tip I would give and this is what worked for me when I was writing my first book a friend of mine said I want you to talk to? Um, this very famous. Literary agent. She might be able to work with you or at least help your point in the right direction because I was I had every intention of self-p publishing I didn't have any publishing relationships and I had this woman took the call with me and we talked and this is probably 2015 and my first book came out 16 and she said to me that. Nobody knows even after I've built an audience and built a platform. She said to me nobody knows who you are. Nobody's going to buy your book. You need to partner with a celebrity or somebody else and I was like okay that was weird feedback but okay because in my mind I was thinking why would like Curtis Stone or

23:09.61
elevatemybrand
Oh.

23:21.33
Anna
Gwyneth Poutter or some of that partner with me. They have their own thing going on. You know I mean the feedback didn't make sense now for my years in entertainment I understand sometimes people give you feedback just to get you off the phone and be done with you.

23:24.11
elevatemybrand
And.

23:32.94
elevatemybrand
Yeah, yeah.

23:34.71
Anna
And and and that's okay, like hey we don't want to represent you. We have you know 40 other blondes who are your your age and we don't want to you know, whatever it is um so the brush off that people they're trying to be nice and that's okay so she I didn't necessarily feel she was trying to be nice I think she was giving me some tough love and she's a.

23:41.49
elevatemybrand
Yeah, the brush off.

23:53.22
Anna
1 of these legends in the business. So you know that's what you're going to get when you talk to somebody like that. But what it made me do instead of it making me doubt myself. It made me go well, you know what your shit better be on point because if not enough people know who I am why would they pick up my books I better make all these recipes amazing.

24:08.39
elevatemybrand
Right.

24:12.45
Anna
I better make the photos the best I can make them take the extra time before you ship. That's me I'm not I'm not a pre-shipper I don't like to send out something before it's absolutely perfected just to just to try it out just to see just to get it out the door I would rather take more time and get it right? and. Because I'm also charging a premium price for my products so I it needs to be right? So I I think um, that is ah that is 1 aspect of don't take it into perfectionism but make sure your shit is great and then put it out in the world. That's my advice.

24:33.50
elevatemybrand
Okay.

24:48.12
elevatemybrand
You well your shit is great Anna honestly um and I get sent a lot of shit that is shit. So yeah I give away a lot more than I keep I'll be honest, but um I had my husband.

24:51.77
Anna
Well thank you? Ah oh I bet.

24:58.98
Anna
Um, I'm sure and by the way I like doing doing events and and sampling because oftentimes we're the only like actual food brand because there's all these different cool things that people are doing but it might be like you know, an ah an Adaptogen breath spray or like something crazy or like.

25:16.80
elevatemybrand
Um, ah God Yeah Wow Yeah yes, well it could have used you this morning. You should see my kitchen looks like right now. My husband's ready to kill me.

25:17.50
Anna
Ah, you know a hangover thing. Ah you know so I'm like hey I'll go demo because I get to heat up sauce and bring people in for some comfort food I love doing that.

25:33.10
elevatemybrand
But I wanted Chuck Shuka this morning and I had the tomatoes and nothing else. So anyways, um, we are running out of time so in the last few minutes we have left we are going to do what we call our quick fire. Are you ready.

25:33.28
Anna
Ah, yeah.

25:45.45
Anna
Um, love I'm ready.

25:48.10
elevatemybrand
All right first question what was your favorite subject in school. So.

25:53.28
Anna
Oh um, languages I was a history in language I say I but was a double major in history in French and then I paid off my last student loan and couldn't remember how to speak French by so languages and learned them.

25:53.95
elevatemybrand
Go that make sense.

26:05.95
elevatemybrand
Ah, all right? Well I mean you did kind of follow that path so it makes sense. You know you speak for a living. Yeah, what was the last concert or show you went to.

26:11.41
Anna
Um, I So I speak for a living. Let's put it that way.

26:19.34
Anna
I the last concert or show that I went to the one that's popping in my mind was before pandemic when I saw the ah at hollywood at the Hollywood bowl where John Williams plays the orchestra the l a phil plays during Steve Spielberg movies they play live against oh my god.

26:30.26
elevatemybrand
A and.

26:36.24
Anna
If anybody has the chance to go see that and then Steven Spielberg and John Williams always come out apparently they do it every year every summer but it was amazing. They played like the the the last the final sequence in ET they played a thing in Indiana Jones it was amazing.

26:40.86
elevatemybrand
4 nice 4

26:49.52
elevatemybrand
Nice, Um, how do you deal with stress.

26:54.38
Anna
Oh gosh. Um, how do I deal with stress I have a number of processes that I do in my journaling. Ah, where I'm trying to change my reactions to things because if I change my reactions to things I've noticed that that. Particular thing that's been stressing me out will stop stressing me out like bad Stuff. You can't stop bad stuff from exactly like instead of being like oh this always happens and just being like okay I see that you know what we're going to figure this out. So my dealing with stress lately.

27:14.51
elevatemybrand
So being being responsive not reactive I.

27:30.10
Anna
Been just a let's just take a breath. Maybe we go for a walk and we're going to change. Our reaction arent we and I talked to myself in that exact soothing voice I'm not kidding. Ah yeah, exactly.

27:42.15
elevatemybrand
Um, so literally self-soothing. Um, what is your biggest pet heve.

27:49.93
Anna
Um, when people put their teeth on the fork tines. It drives me nuts and then when I tell people that they purposely do it I think I have like some like it. It gives me that like it gives me like I shudder I hate it exactly.

27:51.82
elevatemybrand
Oh I Kiss sing? Yeah oh yeah, like nails on a chalkboard. Yeah I got it. What was the last thing that made you cry.

28:12.89
Anna
Besides that lady saying that my cookbook was on her I'm not a big crier I'll be honest with you I'm I'm very I'm a tourus in the sense that my emotions, both anger and sadness will build up and I'm fine I'm fine I'm fine and then it's an explosion. Um, gosh.

28:25.76
elevatemybrand
A.

28:30.15
Anna
It might have been in March when that lady said that my cookbooks were on her but I kept it together I'm really proud of myself. But I cry on the inside all the time but outwardly crying. It's been a long time. But.

28:37.53
elevatemybrand
Um, you cried on the inside. That's totally fair. Um, last question is what is your favorite word and why and this could be something that's had real meaning to you over time or something that pops in your head. For the purpose of this conversation.

28:55.22
Anna
Um I like the word inspiration I like the word inspiration because when I say that word to myself. It's almost like a ah filter where I can filter out stuff. That's not inspiring, but.

28:57.56
elevatemybrand
What does that mean to you.

29:11.75
Anna
And not do that and instead do stuff that is inspiring so inspiration to me is a big one of like because there's too much to do as an entrepreneur you have too much to do and so generally if you do the stuff that inspires you yes, of course there's always going to be drudgery things that have to get done. But if you're. Some days. You're actually be inspired to sit and balance your books believe it or not you can, but inspirations a bit. What am I inspired to do today and I write my to do list based on that.

29:37.54
elevatemybrand
Um, all right? Well this has been an inspiring and super fun conversation. You're just like a kick in the pants. You're a spicy autobiata. Yeah, really really are I Love it.

29:43.97
Anna
Yay. But yes girl.

29:51.36
elevatemybrand
Any final words of wisdom and then share a course where we can find your sauces your spices and your cookbooks.

29:55.96
Anna
Final words of wisdom is just you know keep going and don't don't make rules for yourself based on people telling you no sometimes like you'll hear a know and then you'll be like well I guess my I guess I suck or I guess this is a piece of shit and it's like no, that's not True. Don't let the nose define you you just keep going. You can find my sauces spices and cookbooks at eat happyykitchen.com I am all over socials. Not hard to find I also have ah ah my recipe newsletter at anavuccino substack.com and listen. I Respond to almost everybody who writes me unless you're a complete ahole and then you get ignored but because I I want to talk to people I Want people to feel seen I Want people to feel seen and heard because oftentimes people find my work after having to make some serious dietary changes. They've been hurting. They've been sick and so I I want people to know that. I'm rooting for you. Thank you? Thank you for having me.

30:51.12
elevatemybrand
I'm rooting for you Anna thank you so much for spending some time with us today. Really appreciate your time and thanks to everyone who showed up and listened in today. Thank you so much for tuning in and stay tuned for more from elevate your brand coming up next.