Today we’d like to introduce you to Dan Whalen
Hi Dan, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I went to school for computer science and immediately hated my job when I graduated. I decided to build a website to focus on the parts of computer science that I did like, and started putting recipes on to the website. I did not cook much growing up, and began to really fall in love with the process. Eventually things would go viral and I became obsessed with pushing myself and creating more content that people would like. This was all way back in 2008. I still never thought it would be a viable business opportunity until about 2012 when brands started reaching out to pay me to use their products. I eventually quit my “day job” in 2015 and never looked back!
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?
In terms of loving what I do and loving cooking, things have been smooth because I love every minute of it! In terms of making money and being a successful business, it has been very up and down. Because being a website owner and content creator is still a somewhat new business, things change drastically and very often and you need to never settle into a stride. You always need to be adapting and changing and what worked 6 months ago will not work now!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I create comfort food mash-ups. That is where I combine two different foods that you know and love into one new dish. This has always been my niche in the food world and what tends to perform best for me. It is also what most of my cookbooks are about. Some of my favorite mashup dishes are Fried Butter Chicken and Garlic Waffles, Rasta Jajangmyeon, Lasagna Meatloaf, and Everything Bagel Cheesecake.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
Because of the nature of my work I am mostly doing this alone. My wife Georgina deserves a lot of credit though, because she has always been so supportive of the unique lifestyle I need to live, and the fact that our kitchen is also my office.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thefoodinmybeard.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tfimb/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tfimb/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheFoodinmyBeard
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@tfimb
