What if you believed in yourself more than anyone else? In this episode of the Lead with Love podcast, I get cozy with my friend My Nguyen, founder of My Health Dish. We talk about building with intention and not letting the critics (which are sometimes the people you love the most) stop you from going after your dreams.
You can find her recipes with a healthy twist on the food you love over on her Instagram account @myhealthydish_ which she grew to over one million followers. So we definitely cover some Instagram tips and strategies in today’s episode.
My actually was the person who encouraged me to start an Instagram account in 2012 for Simple Green Smoothies. If it wasn’t for her nudge and encouragement, my life would look a lot different today.
My started posting Instagram photos of simple and nutritious meals she made for her twin daughters. She sparked so much interest by sharing her recipes and healthy lifestyle, so she turned it into her life’s work to educate others about what they put on their plate. All of her recipes are dishes she makes for her own family, and as a busy mom, she has to find ways to take shortcuts in the kitchen- without taking shortcuts on flavor.
I really saw the potential of what Instagram was, and I attacked it like it was my full-time job. From day one I knew there was something there.
– MY NGUYEN
What you'll hear (and don't want to miss!)
How My uses the feedback she receives from her followers to become a better influencer [10:04]
Her relationship with food when she was growing up and what happened when she reached college [14:04]
What her life looked life before starting her business and how she was introduced to Instagram [19:40]
A behind-the-scenes look at My’s family life before she was making any money and what kept her going through those early days [28:51]
The rejection and failure she experienced when looking to get her first book published and how she reframed it [38:28]
How and why she intentionally pivoted on Instagram to go back to sharing more of herself again [42:59]
The way My was able to get better at handling the criticism and how she protects her energy as an online influencer [46:23]
What she sees as the upsides and joys of being online, and why she says she’ll never complain about social media [49:48]
How My is able to keep coming up with fresh new content and staying creative after being online for so long now [52:03]
Her Instagram strategies that worked then and now, including how she wins the “hashtag lottery” [57:00]
“All that engagement back from my followers, I appreciate it because they’re taking their time to tell me that they like something I did.” [9:51]
“I really saw the potential of what Instagram was, and I attacked it like it was my full-time job. From Day One I knew there was something there.” [21:27]
“The only thing that helped me was to prove them all wrong.” [33:33]
“I don’t see likes and engagement as validation, but that was proof that what my followers really wanted was me, and not just food.” [45:03]
“Content is key. So if the content is not valuable, the people won’t engage regardless of when you post.” [57:08]
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