Jason Harris
As featured on THE TODAY SHOW and GOOD MORNING AMERICA, Sunday Times Bestselling Author Eloise Head (Founder of @FITWAFFLE brand w/ 8.6 million across all social media) of her Amazon #1 Bestseller Fitwaffle’s Baking it Easy which is set to release in the US on August 16th, used the time of pandemic to develop exciting, delicious, and simple desserts for the home chef and created Fitwaffle Kitchen on Instagram. Fans of her indulgences quickly grew to over 8.6 million across social media, with some views hitting over 1.38 billion views on TikTok. Eloise has become a true entrepreneurial inspiration to millions, setting the standard for how to build a genuine, unique, and successful brand from the ground up.
Baking in Easy is filled with 100 sweet, 3-ingredient mouthwatering desserts, including stuffed chocolate muffins, easy mini cheesecakes, crepes, cinnamon swirl banana bread, rainbow cupcakes, and so much more. With this bestselling recipe book, there is sure to be the perfect fit for anyone’s sweet tooth!
StarCentral Magazine recently caught up with Eloise to discuss her journey as an entrepreneur, and here’s what went down:
How did you get into the baking industry?
I’ve always loved food and cooking. When I was younger, I used to bake with my great Auntie and my sister. It’s always been a hobby of mine, but I didn’t start sharing my recipes online until the beginning of lockdown in April 2020. I started sharing quick and easy recipe videos aimed at beginner bakers and people that just wanted to have some fun in the kitchen. The videos became very popular very quickly and I was so happy with the positive response I received across social media.
What do you like most about baking?
I think baking can be very therapeutic and calming. It’s also such an achievement when you bake something that you’re really proud of. Baking always brings back such happy memories for me, and I love bringing a bake to share with my friends and family (which also makes them happy too)!
Can you tell us more about Fitwaffle?
The name Fitwaffle has a few different meanings. The fit part relates to my passion for fitness and my background, as I used to be a personal trainer. It also refers to fitting all foods into your diet, as I’m a strong believer in balance and moderation when it comes to food. The waffle part refers to food and desserts; it also refers to the phrase ‘waffling on. Anyone who knows me will tell you that I tend to talk a lot!
Why do you think it’s important to moderate when it comes to both your physical and mental health?
I think it’s very easy to fall victim to diet culture with all the misinformation and fad diets being promoted through different media platforms. I believe it’s very important to be able to take this information with a pinch of salt and do your own research to protect both your physical and mental health. I definitely fell victim to diet culture when I was younger, which unfortunately led to a very poor relationship with food and exercise. I would massively restrict the foods I ate to only foods I considered to be ‘good’ for me. I also under-ate and overexercised as I was afraid of gaining weight. This hugely affected my social life, relationships with friends and family, and mental health. I realized over time that I didn’t need to restrict myself from certain foods to be fit and healthy. I also didn’t need to obsess over going to the gym daily. I am happier, more confident, and more comfortable in my own skin now than I ever have been by enjoying all foods in moderation and exercising for enjoyment, rather than being purely focused on how my body looks. I can only speak from my own experiences and the experiences I have witnessed others go through as a personal trainer for many years. Still, it seems clear to me that one of the keys to living a happy, healthy, and fulfilled life is balance and moderation, as opposed to restriction.
What has been the most valuable lesson you’ve learned while in the industry. This can be about the industry or about yourself.
The most important lesson I’ve learned about the industry is to adapt quickly. Social media and trends move so fast that if you want to stay current and grow on social media, you need to adapt quickly to the changes being made. For example, when TikTok started, the ones that got there first benefitted from that. When Instagram introduced Reels and started to become a more video-focused platform, those still only posting photos get left behind. This applies to the world outside of social media too. The ability to adapt quickly to a certain situation can be massively beneficial.
If you could go back in a time machine to the time when you were just getting started, what would you do differently?
I would have taken the leap to go full-time with Fitwaffle sooner than I did, and I would have started producing video content earlier. I think YouTube is a really strong platform and can build a fantastic community, so I would have focused on this more, and leaving my full-time job as a personal trainer sooner may have allowed me to do this.
What has the pandemic taught you when it comes to your business?
That being online is exactly the right place to be right now for me and that my content can impact people’s lives worldwide. When we all went into lockdown and were told to stay at home, the internet and social media were a place to go for people to find entertainment and connection with others. My business provided exactly that during the pandemic and continues to give value to my audience and people across the world. Throughout the pandemic, I received many messages from my followers telling me how baking helped them through these difficult times and improved their mental health. This will always be a focus in my business, to be a source of positivity and inspiration for whoever needs it.
What is the best advice you have ever been given?
There’s a quote that has always stuck with me, ‘Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right’ by Henry Ford. As generic as it sounds, I think believing in yourself, and your abilities is the key to success in whatever you do.
What are your future plans? Inside your career or out of it.
Personally, I plan to get married later this year. I had to cancel my wedding twice due to the pandemic, so I’m excited about my third ‘time lucky’ attempt.
As for my career, my audience is always a big part of the focus when it comes to the future. I want to build a small team around me to ensure I can always provide value and content to an audience that has helped create a presence for me. I’d also love to venture into some new areas of media, maybe TV, if there’s any space for me.
Jason Harris
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