Today we’d like to introduce you to Suzy Karadsheh.
Hi Suzy, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I was born and raised on the shores of the Mediterranean in Port Said, Egypt, and grew up with a wealth of Mediterreanean ingredients and parents who instilled in me a joy for cooking and hospitality. After a career in fundraising and public relations, I decided to start The Mediterranean Dish as a hobby to simply document the bold flavors and recipes I grew up with for my Michigan-born daughters. I am passionate about eating and living the Mediterranean way, and I am thrilled to be able to share my recipes as a resource for people who are looking to live healthfully without giving up flavor! I currently live in the greater Atlanta area with my husband and two daughters.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
When I first started The Mediterranean Dish in 2014, it was simply just a hobby. It wasn’t until 2016 where I turned my attention to it full time. One of my earliest mistakes was not thinking of The Mediterranean Dish as a business. For two years, I was just doing this as a hobby. Because I didn’t think about it strategically, I was late to the game on learning how to build a blog and grow my following. In 2016, I honed in on learning food photography and social media, and it was a hard learning curve. I was lucky that I quickly recovered but it still took hours of blood, sweat and tears to learn. Also, I made the mistake of trying to do everything myself, which has burdened me to this day. We’re now looking at expanding our team to help manage the business. It is important to team up with people who can do a specific skill better than you can.
As you know, we’re big fans of The Mediterranean Dish. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
The Mediterranean Dish offers easy, wholesome recipes with big Mediterranean flavors. As the leading online resource for modern Mediterranean cooking, my site is about celebrating the foods, flavors, and the hospitality of the Mediterranean people and region. The thing I am most proud of is simply knowing that the recipes and content shared on The Mediterranean Dish are helping people daily. I hear from many who have been able to take the leap into cooking and eating this way and to reap the health benefits and joy that comes with it. Since its inception just six years ago, we have reached more than 65 million readers and visitors who want to cook and eat the Mediterranean way. With the continued increased following, we also recognized the need to provide ingredients to help home cooks achieve their best results, so we launched our online shop with quality Mediterranean ingredients, including our proprietary line of extra virgin olive oils and all-natural and organic spices. Probably the biggest news yet, which I’m excited to finally share, is that The Mediterranean Dish will be in print soon! I will be publishing my first cookbook in the Fall of 2022 with more than 100 new, approachable and bold Mediterranean recipes!
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
To me, success has to do with identifying a need, fulfilling that need, and doing so very well. It’s simple, really… Success is about serving others well.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.themediterraneandish.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/themediterraneandish
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMediterraneanDish/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/themeddish
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVn4warYFHUopwaO4uR–jw
Image Credits
The Mediterranean Dish
