My Circle of Influence ✨
The 12 people who influenced me this year
The word influencer has gotten a bad reputation. To be an influencer can often mean you live a glamorous life and get paid to go on trips, try new makeup and restaurants, and share your life with admirers in sponsored posts. It has come to mean you don’t have a specific skillset or other job, but you are ahead of the trends, and millions of people online want to be like you.
The word influencer should have a second meaning to apply to the people in your life or online who genuinely influence, teach, and inspire you. When it comes to finding out about new things or gaining a new perspective, there are people who have changed me in a positive way this year - my circle of influence.
I enjoyed looking back at books I read, podcasts I listened to, food I cooked, and people I met to think about who impacted me this past year.
Have you ever heard the quote, "You're the average of the five people you spend the most time with?" In this era of being online, I think it’s more like you’re a mix of the 12 people you see online and in person.
Here are the 12 people that influenced me this year:
Theo- I married Theo in June of this year. Theo’s commitment to returning to social work school and learning and unlearning has been inspiring to witness. I shared more about Theo last year here and feel lucky to have him as the closest person to me every day.
Jo Gryfe - I met Jo earlier this year when she was organizing a community called People in Food. Jo has so much knowledge to share about the food industry and encourages me to keep going. Jo built a platform to develop my professional network through authentic connections, where I learned a lot this year.
Brothers - Brothers is a restaurant on the boardwalk in Rockaway. Their approach to food and presentation has inspired me for years. Their food is colorful and seasonal, and they mostly use plants. Watching them make whole foods beautiful and delicious has greatly influenced my cooking.
Chelsea Diringer of A Legume a Day is the original bean queen. When I came across her Instagram page, her passion for beans gave me permission to expand mine. She is an expert in nutrition, while also making beans fun and approachable. I interviewed Chelsea a couple of weeks ago on protein in beans and continue to learn from her.
Loria Stern - making food with color brings me joy, and one of the first people I saw doing this was Loria. Her use of plant-based colors and flowers from her garden inspires me. She even makes me want to move to LA for her ability to grow flowers all year round.
Kimberly Espinel - Kimberly strives to help people create better food content. I have learned a lot from Kimberly from what tripod to buy and angles to shoot and from her book, How to Make Your Food Famous.
Edgemere Farm - Growing food is not easy. This 1/2 acre farm in Rockaway produces endless food all season and is a constant reminder I want to grow some of my own food one day.
Amelia of Bold Bean Co - Bold Bean Co is a UK bean company taking the market by storm! The founder Amelia has been fun to follow on LinkedIn as she grew the company, went on the UK’s version of Shark Tank and shared her consumer insights. Watching her reminds me how much I loved being a founder and the power of bringing something new into the world.
Farm to People - If you know me, you know I am a fan of Farm to People. From the days of having my own farm box business, I know the hard work it takes to pull off what they do. Sourcing, packing, and delivering local produce is not easy, but they have been doing it for 10 years, and they are good at what they do, yet strive to be better every day.
Jewish Voice for Peace - Since Oct 7th of last year, I have been grateful for the work of JVP and all that I have learned from them. I wrote about my views on Gaza here and here and support their calls for a permanent ceasefire and ending genocide.
- - Having read Alicia's book, No Meat Required this year, seen her speak in person, and taken her newsletter workshop, I know she has greatly influenced my thinking and career. Alicia shows up as her authentic self online and is transparent about how she makes a living as a writer.
My Grandma - last but not least, I have spent some quality time with my 96-year-old grandmother this year. Beyond how generally amazing she is, her reflections at Thanksgiving were about how important having an open house and hosting has been to her life. Her home sounded lively and full of guests, and she always cooked for people. This is the life I want. I am influenced!
Thank you for reading Illuminate Food this year. I hope in some small way, I may have influenced you in a positive way to think about your food, learn more about the food system, or eat more beans.
Happy New Year
Love,
✨ Danielle ✨