She Quiet Quit Her Blog

Summary

Simple Pin Podcast Episode Summary

Episode Title: She Quiet Quit Her Blog
Host: Kate Ahl
Guest: Rachel Farnsworth (The Stay at Home Chef)
Date: March 18, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this captivating episode, Kate Ahl sits down with longtime friend and renowned food creator Rachel Farnsworth. Rachel shares her deeply personal journey through blogging success, industry upheavals, serious health struggles, and the major shift she calls “quiet quitting” her blog. The conversation centers around evolving as a creator in the era of AI, the ongoing quest for human connection, and the importance of authenticity over algorithm-chasing in 2026. The episode is filled with honest reflection, actionable wisdom, and heartfelt encouragement for creators at any stage.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Rachel’s Journey: From Blogger to Industry Pioneer

• Early Blogging Years & Viral Moments ([03:24] – [06:47])
  • Rachel started as a passionate home cook, excited to earn a living doing what she loved.
  • Her “tuna stuffed avocados” went viral thanks to Pinterest, marking her entry into the world of professional blogging.
  • Winning the 2016 YouTube NextUp award and filming a response to online criticism led to a billion-view viral video, boosting both her food and personal story.

“I had all these people coming for food and then I had them coming for me and my story and then my story just kind of like evolved from there and went places that I never imagined it would and wouldn’t wish on anyone.”
—Rachel ([06:04])

• Becoming an Advocate ([07:55])
  • Rachel has always felt the call to “pay it forward,” helping other creators and actively working to expose and protect against predatory practices in the industry.

“For me, I saw that there’s all this opportunity… there’s so much to go around, and I would love to see that opportunity go to as many people as possible.”
—Rachel ([08:24])

2. Navigating Health Challenges & Business Realities

• Living with Life-Threatening Illness ([13:12] – [20:23])
  • Rachel gives a powerful, succinct account of her health struggles: Addison’s disease, undiagnosed neurological symptoms, a brain tumor, and years of being wheelchair-bound and unable to eat.
  • Despite losing the ability to cook, she “found new ways and hired people to be my hands,” ensuring her business survived.
  • Incredibly, a last-ditch experimental treatment worked, leading to remission and a renewed sense of purpose just eight months prior to this episode.

“I went from saying goodbyes… to this whole new future that I didn’t know was possible and had accepted was not possible.”
—Rachel ([20:13])

3. The Impact of AI and the Era of “AI Slop”

• Industry Threats & Rachel’s Role in Advocacy ([24:10] – [28:06])
  • With the rise of generative AI after ChatGPT, Rachel went all-in investigating its potential threat.
  • She worked with ad networks (Raptive, Mediavine), Google, Pinterest, and Meta to sound the alarm on “AI slop”—low-quality, mass-produced content hurting real creators.
  • Confronted by online harassment and even death threats for exposing unethical course-creators teaching AI slop tactics.

“I was dying and fighting a fight to try and preserve something for the future that I wasn’t going to be a part of, but that I felt was so worth protecting.”
—Rachel ([27:33])

4. Choosing Human Connection Over Algorithms

• The “Quiet Quitting” Shift ([30:20] – [35:52])
  • Rachel realized that algorithm-driven strategies weren't moving the needle—or were burning creators out.
  • After a transformative family trip, she announced she was “quiet quitting” the internet: dropping content calendars and production schedules to focus on genuine connection with her audience and blogging peers.

“What I need to be doing is devoting 100% of my time to the things that matter most to me and that is connecting with people…
It means connecting with those who follow me…connecting people with people in my regular life as well. So this year I’m just all about connection.”
—Rachel ([34:41])

• The Fear and Freedom of Breaking Industry “Rules” ([37:51] – [41:42])
  • Rachel discusses the anxiety of going against conventional content advice, but ultimately finds freedom in building a loyal, high-trust community (“the bullseye”) rather than reaching for endless scale.

“Instead of trying to grow the target bigger… I would rather focus on growing the bullseye…Those who come to us time and time again.”
—Rachel ([38:32])

5. Advice to New Creators in 2026

• Is There Still Room for New Blogs? ([42:53] – [47:37])
  • Rachel reassures new bloggers that downturns open the most doors for opportunity.
  • Passion must drive you—not just the money or the algorithm—because the industry’s rollercoaster is inevitable.
  • Longevity comes from resilience, focusing on impact and connection, not quick wins.

“It really comes down to passion and the reason why you’re doing it… If it’s just about the money, your soul might be crushed pretty quickly.”
—Rachel ([46:55])

• The Real Passion Is People ([47:37] – [50:36])
  • True fulfillment doesn’t come from viral views but from being part of people’s everyday and milestone moments—meals shared, traditions created, support extended.

“People have traditions where they make my recipes. That is the honor and privilege of a lifetime…I have this opportunity to do in life, on a grand historical scale. It’s unique, and it matters.”
—Rachel ([49:08])

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Breaking Out as a Blogger:

  “Everything is such a blur. I was just so excited to be able to make money doing what I loved.”
  —Rachel ([03:24])

• On Facing Death and Business Legacy:

  “It makes you make different types of decisions for your company, for who you work with, for all of that.”
  —Kate ([12:44])

• On Quiet Quitting:

  “I am no longer doing a production schedule, I’m no longer doing a content calendar…because none of that stuff matters. So what I need to be doing is devoting 100% of my time to the things that matter most…”
  —Rachel ([34:46])

• On the Future for New Creators:

  “Lean times mean time for opportunity…if you want to have any sort of longevity in this industry, you have to have a passion for it.”
  —Rachel ([44:22])

• On True Impact versus Metrics:

  “A high score on a number of views on a video does not fulfill my soul. But… comments about ‘Oh, this is a tradition in our household’—that makes my jaw drop every time.”
  —Rachel ([50:36])

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Important Timestamps

• [03:24] Rachel recalls her early days of blogging and her first viral success.
• [06:47] Rachel discusses the evolution of her story and becoming a public figure.
• [13:12] Rachel recounts her health journey and survival.
• [20:23] Rachel describes her shock at being told she might fully recover.
• [24:10] Discussion begins on AI “slop” and its threat to the industry.
• [30:20] The shift toward prioritizing human connection and “quiet quitting.”
• [38:32] Rachel explains the “bullseye” versus larger audience metaphor.
• [42:53] Guidance and wisdom for brand-new food bloggers in 2026.
• [47:37] The deeper meaning of passion—impacting people’s lives through food.

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Where to Connect with Rachel

• Instagram or Facebook Stories:
  Rachel emphasizes these as the best places to find her uncurated, authentic content and direct message her.

“Stories is probably where I really shine right now and always have because it’s just such an organic way to show up and be present with people.”
—Rachel ([53:04])

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Recap: For Creators in 2026

This episode is a testament to courage, authenticity, and the resilient pursuit of human connection in a rapidly evolving digital world. Whether you’re new or seasoned, Rachel’s story urges you to focus less on playing by the “rules” of algorithms, and more on building real relationships with your community—because in the end, it’s the people, not the platform, that matter most.

Transcript

[A]

In the last 10 years of hosting this podcast, the Simple Pen Podcast, there have been a few interviews that I have done where I have been so captivated by the story that I have forgotten that I am actually doing an interview. Part of that is because I'm naturally wired to ask questions, lead people through a story, but also the guest delivers a story that I can't help be captivated by. And that is what today's podcast will bring you. I'm interviewing Rachel Farnsworth of Stay at home chef in 2026. She said, I am quiet quitting my blog now. Having known Rachel for several years, I knew that there was more behind why she was saying this and how it was really all in this whole evolution of AI and where we're at and serving our customers and our community that I wanted to hear more about the story. Rachel and I have a lot of history together too. We go back many, many years. We actually couldn't even remember the year that but we tell that story in this podcast and the one thing that I want you to take away from it is how you can take one nugget from this into 2026 that will help you take your business not to the next level of a level 10, but just 1% better, just a little bit better in how you're going to show up and serve your community. There's a lot that we talk about with history, with Rachel's health, with so much more I know you're going to enjoy. Before we dive into the interview though, I want you to know that I still have my Pinterest marketing agency. I still do Pinterest marketing. Even though a lot of the conversations on the simplepin podcast in recent weeks have been interviews with people about their story, we are still plugging away at simplepin Media, serving our clients and our customers in this new landscape of 2026. If you are in the position where you do not want to DIY Pinterest marketing anymore, you can go to simplepinmedia.com and book a free discovery with us. Our whole goal with those is to help you figure out where it is. Pinterest can be a part of your marketing, how it can help you serve your business. And so go ahead and check that out [e-mail] after you listen to today's episode because it is probably one of my favorites and I am overjoyed to share it with you. Let's dive into my episode with Rachel Farnsworth. Rachel Farnsworth, welcome to the Simple Pin Podcast.

[B]

So good of you to have me. I'm sorry I've been so hard to catch for several years.

[A]

That is okay. We knew when it was supposed to happen, and now is the time when it is supposed to happen. So this is perfect timing. Let's talk about when you and I met. We were, of course, it feels like it was a hundred years ago and we were trying to figure out the date. So we're a little fuzzy on the map, but we think it's 2015. Pretty sure. Pretty sure. Yeah. It was at the Build you'd blog conference. Tell me about what you remember about where you were at as a blogger when we. We didn't have the term content creator. So I'm going to use the word blogger when you're a blogger. At that time, entering into this conference, what's happening in your world at that time?

[B]

I mean, back then, everything is such a blur. I was just so excited to be able to make money doing what I loved. And at the time, I had this one piece of content, tuna, stuffed avocados, and they were really gaining traction. And I remember meeting you and being like, okay, so what do I do with this pin that people seem to love? And you helped me take it to a new level. And then it was like the next year that things really took off for me. So it was like. It was like that I was really solid in blogging at the moment and then suddenly catapulted into a whole new level that I didn't even know existed.

[A]

Yeah. And that's very much an interesting story for, or actually a true story for a lot of people who were blogging at that time is they hit at these points that were just right with their content. And the platforms were either chronological or they were moving into algorithms. And we had this real opportunity connect super broadly with our audience. And for some people, they were disoriented. They didn't really know what to do. So how did you handle this whole kind of. I guess I'll call it an explosion of people are now coming to my doorstep. They're coming to stay at home. Chef, how did you kind of evolve into who Rachel was going to be for them?

[B]

I mean, a lot of it was totally accidental, and I think that's the way it. It has been for a lot of those early creators. I had been awarded YouTube NextUp in 2016, which is this honor. They select 20 creators that they think could make it someday, and they fly them out to la and you have to film a little project, and you have all these consultants from Hollywood that help you with sound and lighting and videography and editing. It's this amazing experience. But they didn't have any kitchens and I wasn't even allowed to cook on a hot plate. So I had to do something completely different. I had gotten this comment on my blog saying I should dye my hair for TV so I don't look like such an old hag. And I had this response to it that I shared with friends and family on Facebook and they loved it and it was just a written response. So I kind of turned that into a script and I filmed this video that got a billion views. A billion. Which is like a unicorn. It's a unicorn. And it brought me all of these people and I had like food content going viral at the same time. Cuz I was early in on the hands and pans videos of cooking back in the day and helped pioneer that. And so I had all these people coming for food and then I had them coming for me and my story and then my story just kind of like evolved from there and went places that I never imagined it would and wouldn't wish on anyone. But I just kind of shared it with the world because I don't know, I had made all these connections, real connections with millions of people across the world and they're just like my Internet friends. So yeah, I don't know, I've just lived life out in the open, I guess.

[A]

And I think you. One of the things, I like that you use the word pioneer because I think at the same time that kind of your health story was evolving and changing, you were also growing this business and you were at the same time kind of becoming an advocate for other creators as you were kind of, I see it as for a lot of, you know, bloggers at that time, 20, 16, 17, 18, there was a lot of ceilings breaking like things we had never seen before and opportunities especially for women in spaces to generate wealth for their family and for other people who were working for them. But there wasn't really this playbook. It was like wild, wild west right in that how did you start to find your footing as far as like one, how do I tell parts of my story? Like you had opened the door with this billion view video, but then there was more of your health happening at the same time. At the same time people were probably coming to you and saying, how did you do it? How did you build this amazing thing and how can I do it as well?

[B]

I feel like so many people have helped me along the way. You included you. I couldn't afford to hire you at the time, but you helped me with my tuna stuffed avocado. Anyway, it's one of so many examples from those early days of people who. Who helped me get to where I ended up. And so I just have always felt that there's an obligation to pay it forward and help as many as people as possible. Because for me, like, I saw that there's all this opportunity, there's all this money on the table, and there's so much to go around, and I would love to see that opportunity go to as many people as possible. So I started helping people any way I could and advocating for them, and especially when it came to predators in this space who were taking advantage of people and really just robbing them blind. And that was really eye opening to me and sitting with women as they cried and cried and cried over these predators who'd come into the space to rip them off and take advantage of them. And I thought, you know, we should do something about that and make sure that things are fair and that we're all taken care of and we work together so that these people can't come in and prey on us anymore and that we can own what we have and grow it without being taken advantage of left and right. Which is what was happening at the time.

[A]

Yeah. And at the same time that you were doing that, I guess I would say, or I would ask, you were like pressing forward on your website, doing all new things. You had really leaned into YouTube as well. Your YouTube channel is really successful. And then you were advocating for people as well. But then you were really trying to advocate for your health. And I think it, like a question would be like, how'd you do that? But I think more so, what were the levers that you kind of pulled that were like, okay, today I can only do this, tomorrow I can only do this. Like, how was that, I guess, journey, as you were walking through it, to say, today I'm going to be here, but at other times you couldn't because your health said, actually, today you're going to be here.

[B]

How do I answer this question?

[A]

I know it's a tough one.

[B]

I think the answer is that I didn't do it all. And I think that's what is important for people to know. I can't sit here and lie and say, oh, yeah, I just balanced it and did everything and stuff. I probably would have been way more successful on my blog if I had just focused on that. And there are people who've said, rachel, why do you help people? Why do you spend all your time doing this when you could be doing other things? And I, I mean, it's, it's almost embarrassing to say this, but also I think it's okay to admit that I'm just not money motivated, which, you know, I, I described. There's all this money on the table and I want people to have it, but I don't need it all for me. And like, it's great that so many people are able to go and focus on their blogs and build these businesses, but I find so much fulfillment in helping others. And I think I would have just gotten burnt out if all I did was focus on one of those aspects, even just focusing on my health. If I gave my 100% focus to that, it might have broken me because it was just so hard to be going through everything and it can easily consume your life and make you want to give up. So I needed these other things to keep me going and going forward and feeling like I had something to contribute to the world and that I was contributing. And so I think that's the answer is I wasn't totally successful in any of those areas, but all of those things made me feel whole as a person.

[A]

Well, and the other thing I'm thinking about as you're talking too is, and I'd love for you to share just briefly about your health journey, those who don't know your backstory. But I think one interesting thing that I just reflected on is as you are anticipating, I'll. I'll be real about it. As you're anticipating death and you think about the legacy you're going to leave you all. It makes you make different types of decisions. You're making different types of decisions for your company, for who you work with, for all of that. And then your. You find a very promising cure that has completely like change the trajectory for you to where death is not out in front, but that piece of you, Rachel, that loves helping others is still there. So we'll talk about that in a second. But let's talk about that a little bit and where you were at in planning for your future and kind of teeing up. If I'm not here, this is what the legacy I want to leave.

[B]

So we'll just do like the, the shortest version of my story abridged. It started in 20. Let's see, be 2010. 20. I'm trying to think of when my daughter was born. I was pregnant with my daughter and I had just horrible problems. They thought it was hyperemesis at first, and then they're like, whoa, this is not it. And I was just on death's door, and I was in the ICU and stuff, and they did not think I was going to make it. And I was diagnosed with Addison's disease, which is where I don't produce cortisone or cortisol. Sorry, I don't produce cortisol. And so you need that for pretty much every function of the human body. And I wasn't producing any. So it's a miracle that I survived. And it's a miracle that I even had a baby born living and healthy. And so that kind of set a mood for my life where I'm like, I have this chronic illness that will always be a part of my life and be a challenge that I have to learn to live with. And it really made me appreciate life more and have. Have a good perspective on what matters most and. And trying to make every day be life living to the fullest, right? So then in 2017, I start having some additional problems that I thought might be Addison's related, where I would have. I would just call it. My legs would stop working, my calves would be in such pain, I literally couldn't take a step. So I bought a wheelchair so I could just keep going if I needed to be out and about. And my legs were mysteriously not working that day and tried to, you know, chase down. They're like, well, maybe you have Ms. And stuff. And in 2020, I caught Covid early on. I was Horribly sick for 63 days starting in March 2020. So awesome timing. I really never got better after that. And so I started really seeking a lot of medical care of, okay, I need to drill down what the problem is. Found out I have a brain tumor. Apparently, that's not the cause of any of my symptoms, but just an extra bonus. The legs not working started getting to be more frequent. I can now. I now have the words to describe it. It's like getting a charley horse, right? Where a muscle contracts in your body, it's extremely painful, and it won't let go. Except that was happening in my calves. And then it spread to other muscles in my body, including my stomach and my esophagus. So I then. So I started losing the ability to even use my hands to cook. It was horrific. And I was writing a cookbook at the time. Um. Oh, it's sitting over here.

[A]

I know. I was just like, there it is.

[B]

And by the time I finished it, I knew that that was kind of like my last things that I was going to be able to make. And when it came to going on tour, I couldn't do the full book tour. I had to choose between media and book signings. And so I chose the fans. No regrets on that. It was an incredible experience. But just a couple months after that, I lost the ability to eat. So I couldn't digest food anymore and I couldn't swallow safely. So I had to go on a soft, pureed food diet for two and a half years, which is cruel because not only was I starving, I dropped to like 115 pounds. Couldn't get a feeding tube because of the problems were more than just my stomach, it was also my intestines that were seizing. So I couldn't even like bypass any of that. And just losing the ability. Even with pureed foods, I lost it down to like seven different foods that I could eat safely, digest. So I was starving to death. And I was in horrific pain because those charley horse feelings would last for hours or days at a time in multiple muscles. And so I was basically slowly becoming trapped inside my own body. And it was terrible to be dying in such a painful way and having my kids watch it. And my poor husband who stood by me through it all and was the best caretaker you could imagine. But that didn't change how hard it was for him. All while we ran this business too, because apparently Rachel cannot give that up. I just, like, found new ways and hired people to be my hands and kept it going. And then also advocated against AI stuff that came out and tried to protect the community from that. And anyway, the health journey, though, kind of ends, we'll say, with. They decided to do a Hail Mary experimental treatment where they just had a theory of maybe it could be something related to stiff person syndrome. It's not stiff person syndrome. I've tested negative for that three different ways. But it's. It's related to it. And so I started the experimental treatment and it worked. A couple months into the treatment, I went and visited my neurologist and he did all those reflex tests, which I didn't know there was more than just like your knee and your elbow, Right?

[A]

Little tap, tap.

[B]

Yeah. And I still don't know what the reflexes are supposed to be for a lot of them, but I was. I had the wrong response to every reflex test. And then he. So he did this full exam and they were all correct. And he was like, I think you're going to make a full recovery and go into full remission. And I'm like, wait, what? And my husband And I, we were in such shock. We went back to our hotel, we went out by the pool because it's in Arizona. And we just sat there in silence for like the whole day. And then the next day as well, we were just in such shock because we went from saying like goodbyes where like this is the end, it could happen any day now. You're going to stroke out, you're going to have a heart attack or you're just going to drop dead. And especially my airway was starting to spasm and close off and that was terrifying. And so I also might just stop breathing and suffocate. So we were saying goodbye and then it was this whole new future that I didn't know was possible and had accepted was not possible. So that was just eight months ago.

[A]

Wow. I mean it tada here. I mean, you know, as I've watched your journey and as you've kind of tried to express this on Instagram, it's, you're living a very public, forward facing business. And although we could say you quote unquote, just talk about food, food is so much more than that for you. And people have been infused into your story and they've seen your health journey. I remember you talking about finding the best puree food and going through different companies and drilling it down and how helpful that would be not just with people in your situation, but people who had elderly parents who couldn't eat anymore, children or all of those things.

[B]

So still, still like, remember that. And you know, now it's been like three years. And just the other day I got a message, hey, what was that pureed foods company that you used and loved? Because my father, my sister, my cousin, my, my husband, like I get those messages all the time from them, just the pureed foods. Also it's momsmeals.com for anyone who needs that. Yeah, like pureed foods, a lot of people need.

[A]

Well and I think what's great about this too, like you're, well, you're championing the business community. You're also championing your community and at the same time you're doing your health and you're, you're working through that. What I see from the outside, and you and I talked about this before we hit record, is that the story is hard. I mean, there's no other word for it, but at the same time there's been these pieces of good that have come from it and have unfolded and just even in relation to business, as I've watched you, it's like it's Giving you that fire in your belly to go, nope, I'm not going to let as the words you use like predatory people come into the industry and take from these honest creators and these people who are looking to help their communities and connect in the way that you have to say, I'm not going to put up with that. And I want to talk about that a little bit because I think when people do that, especially women, we get shut down and it's easy for us to hit these points where we say, okay, I'm going to give up or I'm intimidated or I feel small. Did you have those types of experiences as you were kind of busting through and saying, no, this isn't right and how did you really confront that if you did have those experiences?

[B]

I mean, I think there have been a lot of times where other people have tried to make me feel small and make me feel like I was in over my head or that I had no business doing what I did. And honestly I just kind of decided to ignore all of it. This whole industry is made up and I have been honored to be part of making that this industry up. So I just kind of feel like it's this make believe thing and well, you think I'm too small or too little? Well, who's afraid of little? Me. You should be. As the great Taylor says.

[A]

Yes, yes.

[B]

So like I, I've learned that I can do anything that I try to do and I mean, maybe it doesn't always work out the way I thought it would, but I just find a new path forward. If I hit a wall, I just figure out a way around it.

[A]

Okay, so let's talk about the most recent, I guess, development or thing that is entered into. We'll call it a predatory thing that's come into the content creator business, which is the AI slop. Right. It's when we see a new tool or we see something come out, there's always going to be these two sides that kind of go to the ethical use and the unethical use. And in 2025 there was this massive explosion in systems taught about how to create AI slop specifically for Pinterest. That really took out a lot of great creators. So tell me a little bit about how you have kind of stood in the gap for business owners and what your thoughts have been that will then lead us into 2026.

[B]

So after ChatGPT came out, which was November 2022, I just dove head in on it. I describe it as I disappeared for a couple months or I was just trying to figure this thing out and what it meant for the Internet and for my industry and just the world as a whole. And I kind of came out of that disappearance with a prediction for the next five years on the Internet. And I identified very early on, it was like March of 2023, where I realized that you could scrape content and reproduce the imagery. And the AI slob, I didn't have a term for it at the time, but that this was going to be an issue, a huge issue. And I showed it to people, I showed it to other bloggers with their content. Look what I just did. We're in trouble. And so I immediately started sounding the alarm on that and working with the ad networks, with Raftiv and mediavine specifically, to create policies around monetizing AI generated content. They finally did come around to that. And then I started working with Google and having conversations with Meta and with Pinterest as well. And there are mixed results with those companies on what they chose to do with the information that was provided to them. I also worked to expose the bad actors in the space who were spinning up courses on how to do this. It made them very, very, very mad. And I was the target of a ton of harassment, including death threats, because as the ad networks demonetized these people, it took away massive sources of income for them that they were quietly stealing and siphoning off from real creators. So it was a wild ride. And I probably gave too much at the time to that. It nearly destroyed me as a person. I was dying and fighting a fight to try and preserve something for the future that I wasn't going to be a part of, but that I felt was so worth protecting. And even though I was very successful in doing what I did, I still beat myself up for not doing more. And then I'm just endlessly frustrated with companies that, you know, I'm talking to the C suite and they, I give them everything they need to avoid their platform being overrun by AI slop, and they actively choose to do nothing. That has been a really tough pill to swallow.

[A]

Yeah, yes, I, I am in agreement with you. I think that it's almost like, what's that phrase? Like, canary in the coal mine. Like you're going and you're saying, like, this is going to happen. And we understand that corporations see their business is different than small business, but they also understand that small business is the legs of how bigger corporations run. And if you remove those, then it doesn't function the way that it should, or you can't connect with the end user in the way that people need to. And now, especially with Pinterest, you're hearing a lot of conversation around, I go on there, I can't find what I'm looking for. I end up with AI. Hear the same thing with Google as well, is this frustration. I think an article I read was Franken recipes, right? Like, it's just something that, like, is not even able for people to make. So then that leads us to 2026. And one of the things I also saw you do kind of at the end of 25, beginning of 26, was to. In, you know, there's. There's one to do business facing, right? Like, meet with the C Suite and talk about it and all of that. But then there's another thing to go to your audience and say, I'm in this with you and things are changing, and I want to help you cook recipes really well. That's like my paraphrase of what you said. And you use this word like, I'm quiet quitting. So talk to me about how those two kind of infused together, because I loved it. In fact, when I saw it is when I reached back out to you and I was like, okay, we've got to do the podcast. Like, you're healthier now. Let's do this. Let's, like, go all in. Because I have been thinking through this idea of human. Like, where's the human element? Because people will always crave human. It's like when they look at an image and they are skeptical immediately, and they go, I don't know if that's real, but then I can go to Rachel cooking, and I go, I know that's real, so. And hopefully one day that is not able to be replicated. I'm sure it will be. But here's where we're at now in 2026.

[B]

Well, so I. I even told people this is what they needed to do for 2025 is lean into the human connection. And I did that as best as I was able to because, I mean, I was having difficulty just connecting with people in my regular life again and getting my footing there. So I. Listen, 2025 was just a jumbled mess for me, but I kind of. I. I'm really good at feeling algorithms. I really just understand algorithms. And that has been like my super strength. Right? And I can just feel that there's really nothing that you can do right now to move algorithms in a meaningful way that won't burn you out. That's also honest. And. And anything that has longevity and so when that's happening, and I, like, it was tough. It was a tough year for a lot of creators. It was really hard that we've had yet. And I mean, there's no end in sight to that. But I don't think that that's a reason to not have a positive outlook for the future. I think it's okay to just accept that we're going through a hard time because what industry is going to be going up for forever?

[A]

A hundred percent. And our industry enjoyed a bountiful growth.

[B]

20, 20 years of up.

[A]

Totally. Yes. Up it to the right.

[B]

Like, I, I feel okay about that. If we have a couple of bad years, and I think it'll just be, I think starting next year, things are going to start turning around again for us. But I. I had this feeling I. Of what I needed to do, but I wasn't sure I was in the right place to do it or that I was brave enough. And over Christmas, I took my family on a trip around Southeast Asia, which I, I understand why people go there to find themselves, because I feel like my family found themselves again. Like, we found ourselves as a family unit again. And there was a lot of healing that occurred. But we were at Angkor Wat, which is in Cambodia. It's one of the seven wonders of the world. We're in the center of the temple where they have, like, this block. You put your little compass down on your phone and it's perfect, like, north, south, east, west, you know. And they considered it the center of the universe. And we take our little pictures there. And then I look up and this woman approaches me and she's like, hi, I'm Jennifer. I don't want to interrupt, but I just love you. And you're. And I was just like, you're like, I'm in Cambodia. And I, like, I started jumping up and down. I was so excited. I was so excited to meet her. I'm always, like, really excited to meet fans because they're people that, like, they're my Internet besties. And so when I meet them in real life, it's like meeting someone from my dreams that I've only imagined on the other side of the lens. So, like, I get. I get starstruck by them. Yes, I would agree, which is funny. But so I was, like, really excited to meet her and stuff. And, like, we took pictures together and I made a little video because I was just so excited. And then, like, we went about our day, you know, and. And I was just like, oh, that was so cool. Like that's what I care about. That's, that's, that's, I need to do it. I need to do it. And then I saw her again at the end of the day too and we caught up again and I was like, she will never know how much that interaction meant to me. And I was like, it gave me the courage to do it. So I came back and I was on the plane back on a 12 hour flight and I wrote this whole thing announcing, hey guys, I'm quiet quitting the Internet. And by that it means I am no longer doing a production schedule, I'm no longer doing a content calendar or publication calendar because none of that stuff matters. It's not going to move the needle for me right now. So what I need to be doing is devoting 100% of my time to the things that matter most to me and that is connecting with people. So it's connecting with those who follow me, whether they're new to following me or have been with me through my very wild plot twist filled life. But it also means connecting with the blogging community again and trying to facilitate more connection there and then also connecting people with people in my regular life as well. So this year I'm just all about connection and it looks different and I assume I'll probably make less money. I don't know, I don't care at this point.

[A]

You're not money motivated, so that's helpful, right?

[B]

I'm not motivated. And I'm, and like, I recognize I'm in a very privileged position to be able to even say that now. I say that, but I still have a lot of people that I help support. And so I do feel the weight of that on me. But I think that this is the path forward for me because I may not be able to move the needle with any algorithm, but I can move the needle with people. And people are who matter. They're the ones who will stick with me through the hard times to see me through to the good times that lie ahead.

[A]

Yeah, I, I, a hundred percent am in agreement and applaud your decision because I look at the ache for human connection, I look at the ache for community and people saying, I, I don't have anything that binds me to anybody else, or I don't have close friends, or I don't have these things and you have this opportunity to bind them over cooking. And I, I, I went into 2026 with that same kind of understanding of, I don't know how any of these algorithms work anymore. I mean I actually, I was telling our coaching community we have a new insider community. And part of that was because I want to just connect with people. I want to have real authentic conversations. Not so much about how many to do per day, but like, really, let's talk about your business and Pinterest being a decision and how you use it and how you. All of these things, but like, why, like in who is on the other end and how do you want to connect? And I think it's at such this weird inflection point of, sure, anybody could whip up an AI website, but what people really want is the connection and they really want you to teach them how to cook things. And that was another thing that you said when you were talking about. It was like, I want to help you understand how to make things the right way. Not, you know, because maybe your chicken breast. This is me putting my thoughts in there, but I was thinking like, maybe your chicken breast is dry all the time or it sucks and you really don't like it and. But you hate cooking. And there's also like, you're really frustrated with how expensive groceries are and you don't want to waste it and people are just craving authenticity. And so you being able to say, I'm going to show up in this place and be authentic, but at the same time knowing I do still have a team, I still have to pay them, I still have to do all these things, but I'm going to put my best foot forward in authenticity. Instead of algorithm.

[B]

It's. Listen, it's a scary thing to do, even though it sounds so great and freeing and liberating and it is. But it's also really scary because them ain't the rules. The rules are you've got to do this and you've got to be showing up on this platform and that platform and you need this many pins a day and you need this many reels each day and they need to be new and you have to re edit and re upload it, all this stuff. And ultimately those things definitely serve an algorithm, but they're not moving the needle where I need the needle to go.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

It's like I was trying to describe this to someone. Actually, it was to my team. Instead of trying to grow the target bigger by having, we'll go on this platform, this platform, this platform, and we'll just do a really big target and hope we hit the darts somewhere on the target. I would rather focus on growing the bullseye. Let's. Let's make the bullseye bigger so that we are constantly connecting with the people who do move the needle for us, and that needle for us is those who come to us time and time again. A couple years ago, I lost 85% of my Google traffic in a core update. 85%. It equates to. And, like, percentages get thrown around, and you never know what that actually means. I lost 5 million page views a month.

[A]

Yeah. Which is like a stake to the heart.

[B]

That is a massive amount of traffic. And especially when you calculate the RPM on that, that's a massive amount of money. And the reason that I've been able to stay afloat and stay wildly successful is because I've built up that bullseye. And people come to me first. They come to thestayathomeshef.com to search for recipes instead of Google or Pinterest. And it's because I've built up that trust with them. And so for me, I'm like, oh, my gosh, if I don't have to be a slave to the algorithm right now, that's actually really exciting. It means I can go in and do all of the little things that I wish I could have done over the years, but I was being dragged and pulled by these algorithms away from really making these recipes shine in a way that I know that they can. And really diving into it. Like, my chocolate cake is a really big one. I can dive so much further into that with people and really get them to perfect their chocolate cake. I mean, that recipe's used in bakeries and stuff. Like, people love that cake, but I can show you so much more with it. And so, to me, I'm free now to do those things and. And serve my audience in a whole new way that I've been craving for so many years. And it makes me excited to. To be in the kitchen again. I mean, I was really excited to come back, but I wasn't excited about necessarily what was required of me. And I realized I just wanted to do it in this whole different way. And I was just too scared to do something because, you know, I jump back in and they're like, okay, the rules now are like, do this many reels and this. This many posts or whatever. And so I was doing that, and I'm like, well, this is great and all, and I can do this, but what I know I need to be doing is something different. But I was afraid to break those rules.

[A]

So that brings me to, like, this other question as you're talking. And you had it. We're recording this in January. You just gotten back from Tastemaker. And one of the things I remember from being at Tastemaker is there's a lot of new food bloggers who are coming onto the scene. And there's two thoughts that go into my head when I hear somebody talking about that. One, is there still room right for new food blogs in 2026? And then if our disoriented landscape or our landscape is disoriented, I guess like algorithms change every like two seconds or what's asked of us is different. SEO looks different now. It's aio. And there's all this. What would you tell somebody who's listening, who's fairly new into this journey, they are excited to dive into maybe a niche part of recipes or whatever. How do you take what the wisdom that you have in kind of in this quiet quitting phase, but also understanding that somebody's new in the excitement, but it's not by the rules that you and I started in by any means. It's a whole different playing field. What would you say to them?

[B]

This is a really good question because I did face this at Chase Makers and I was scared because before I went, I kind of was. I had that question on my mind already. Is it possible to even start? How could I look these starry eyed dreamers in the eye? Will it be a lie to give them hope? And then is there still a community? Is there still a community feel? And is the community still worth fighting for and saving? Those are my questions going into Tastemakers. I'm so glad that I went because I was, I was so full of doubt going into it and I almost didn't go. I almost didn't get on the plane. Especially my plane ended up being two hours delayed. And I was like, it's not even. It's an hour and a half flight. And you delayed it by two hours. Like, yes, what's the point? So I would say that the answer is it's no different than when I started publishing recipes online in 2008. It took me years before I made any money at it. But what that time frame gave me was the passion for it. I shared it completely as a passion there. I didn't even know you could make money until about 2011. And it was after the birth of my youngest, where I had almost died, that I even started doing it for money. And so these are lean years. But that also means that there are doors of opportunity that do not exist at any other time. When things are great, that's a really hard time to enter the space. It is because those opportunities are, are few and far between and they go to who's ever at the top, top at the moment, you know, and so it's the down times where there's the most opportunity. So don't let that scare you away. Lean times mean time for opportunity. It's also time to, like, rest, regroup, conserve your energy and really dive into the passion of it. Because if you want to have any sort of longevity in this industry, you have to have a passion for it. Because even if the industry has been up and up over the years and we've never actually had a downturn, that does not mean that creators themselves haven't faced significant ups and downs. Just like I lost 85% of my Google traffic overnight, you can get your Pinterest account suddenly banned and you go to zero. And, you know, so many things have happened over the years to so many different careers, and I've watched that roller coaster and I have sit and sat and held people's hands as they cried when they're at the bottom. And they've, they've faced those nightmare scenarios and it's made me very conscientious of the decisions that I make to make sure I'm not just riding one wave that I. And relying. Because there's always, oh, SEO's the answer. Oh, email lists are the answer. Everybody has the answer.

[A]

Yeah, yeah.

[B]

Let me tell you, there's no shortage of people who have the answer.

[A]

Yes, and now it's AI everything, right?

[B]

Yes, and, oh, now you got an AIO or and stuff like, yeah, listen, everybody's gonna have an answer to give you. But the ultimate thing that makes a difference, and I've watched so many people ride those up and downs and some have quit or, and just gone in a different direction or just went, you know what, I'm done. You really, it really comes down to passion and the reason why you're doing it. If it's just about the money, your soul might be crushed pretty quickly. And you do have to save yourself from burnout as well, because every creator faces it. No matter how safe you play it, you're still going to get burnt out by the ups and downs of this industry. And it can spit you up and it can, what, eat you up, Spit

[A]

you up and chew you up and spit you out. Yep.

[B]

Chew you up, spit you out, however those words go.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

And that's a tough reality. And so you have to have a lot of resilience and determination to fight through those down times. It. It doesn't matter. So Much what you do when you're at the top, it. It matters a lot more how you react to being at your lows.

[A]

A hundred percent agree. And I think too, like, for somebody listening, and correct me if I'm wrong on this, but, like, when we talk about passion, we're not necessarily talking about a passion for cooking all the time. A passion for the people who are going to show up to watch that. It's like, you love your chocolate cake. You're not passionate about that. You're passionate to see the impact that it can make in people's lives. Like, oh, bakeries are using it, and then other people get to experience it, or somebody's making it for their birthday, and that is really what holds it together. Am I passionate about Pinterest all the time? No. Right. Like, there have been multiple times where I'm like, am I going to stick with this? But I'm passionate about small business owners. I'm passionate about the success that they can find. And if one sliver of that can come from Pinterest, I'm all in on that. Like, I'm gonna go deep. I can't speak to anything else, but I think that's for you as well. Like, I, you know that one part of their day is cooking, and it might be cooking several different recipes. So that when each recipe is created, it's not necessarily that you're like, I love this. Like, Ragu. It's like, I dream about it. I mean, you might, but you dream about the impact. Right. And that has to be that north star, the compass analogy that says, like, this is the right way to go. And you.

[B]

You are hitting the nail on the head. Maybe I shouldn't be using so many analogies either. I'm like, I'm. Do you hit the head on?

[A]

I'm an analogy person, too, so I love it.

[B]

Like, I'm gonna get them all mixed up now. But no, like, that's exactly it. And I know that you've had similar experiences with food. It's. I describe it as, you know, I'm giving these people these recipes that they're using for every day cooking, but also for birthdays, for holidays, for funerals. They bring it to friends who are in need. They cook a meal for a special person in their life to try and impress a date. You know, all these different moments of life that I get to be part of a very small part of. But. But you people have traditions where they make my recipes. That is the honor and privilege of a lifetime. And I take that very Seriously. And, like, it's. It's this honor and. And something that I have this opportunity to do in life, but on a grand historical scale. It's unique, and it. It matters to be able to. To influence so many people in such intimate moments of their life. Like, that's the passion right there, that. That fulfills my soul. A high score on a number of views on a video does not fulfill my soul.

[A]

Right. Yes.

[B]

But like, those notes from people at. Or just comments about. Oh, this is a tradition in our household. I, like, makes my jaw drop every time.

[A]

Yeah, man. I have loved our whole conversation, and I love kind of where we've come in. This place of 2026 is a new landscape, but your spirit of pioneering and championing and supporting not only other small businesses in your space, but also the people that are showing up, I think is the, like, fresh wind that we all need to say. Maybe it's not always these conversations about algorithms. Maybe it's about telling stories of how we're showing up and being in person, being in those places, even though flights get delayed or, you know, like, conferences and conversations in the hallway or things that happen in the margins. Like, those are things that I would even tell a new business owner. Show up in those places because that is where you're going to get the encouragement and the motivation. You can get anything you want, information online, but, like, be with people like you who have seen the industry change and shift, you know the history, and you can get wisdom. Because we are now at the point where the online industry, we'll call it, has wisdom, and there are people with good wisdom out there that can be passed on to those who are just entering into it. And I would say never be above that, right? Like, regardless of how old you are or what position you are in, seek it out. Like, somebody has a different vantage point. Somebody has a different experience. Like, get in the ring with them, because you will learn so much. And I'll just go follow Rachel. Like, go follow what she's doing, because I think you have this good balance of, like, talking about how things are personal, which is hard. Right? It's hard when you are very public and you do one thing, but we can't separate these pieces of our lives from what we do. Like, your health story is aligned with Stay at Home Chef. Like, it just is and it always will be because it's you. Right? But anyway, I could go on and on, but where can people go to connect with you, to follow you? Like, what would give them just a cool glimpse into Both the cooking Rachel, but also the personal Rachel.

[B]

It's going to be Instagram or Facebook stories. Same content on both stories is probably where I really shine right now and always have because it's just such a. An organic way to show up and be present with people. And I would say I'm not very curated in what I share in stories, but that's probably why they have been so impactful for people and why no matter what, as long as I'm showing up there, that's where I get the most connection with people. And I really do answer my DMs, too, like, and it's me. So you can also just DM me through stories.

[A]

You know I'm there and I hope people do. I mean, obviously, like, don't flood your DMs, but you can. Because I think it's just, I have so enjoyed not only this conversation, but the history that we have together. The anchor, like, I always know if I have a question or I'm worried about something, I can slide into your DMs and be like, I need to know what you think about this. And you. It's good. We've had that. We've had mutual connections over the years that have felt. I think I'm honored to have you as a partner in this business that is someone who I know has my back and you have. Of mine and the trustworthy connection. So thank you for finally coming on the podcast. And I'm so glad that we are here at this point where Rachel 2.0 or 3.0 or whatever we want to call it is here. And I just hope that you have continued success in your business and health. Right. Like, just to continue to go on this journey. So thanks so much.

[B]

Thank you. And you're going to make me cry because I feel the same way about you. So thank you. Thank you. Thank you for having me.

[A]

You bet.