In honor of Mother’s Day, we’re spotlighting the talented mother/daughter duo behind Crowded Kitchen, Lexi Harrison and Beth Sinclair! What began as a simple Instagram account has quickly grown into a six figure business with no evidence of slowing down. Over the years, Lexi and Beth have attracted over 214k followers with their beautifully photographed family friendly vegan recipes.
We sat down with Lexi to get the inside scoop on how her relationship with her mom has changed since starting the blog, her tips for starting a business with a partner, and what’s next for Crowded Kitchen.
Lexi: So back in college, I started a food Instagram account called Super Food Runner just for fun. I had no intention of turning it into business whatsoever. At the time, my mom had been taking an online course about plant-based cooking and photography, so when I went to study abroad for a semester, she took over the Instagram account. That’s how she got involved.
When I graduated from college in 2016 with a degree in English, I didn’t totally know what I wanted to do, but I knew I wanted to do something related to food. I was applying to a lot of food editor positions for various publications, and I got a job at a food media startup. We kept up with the Instagram page very casually, but it grew quickly. I actually only worked at my new job for one year before leaving and moving back home to Michigan so that we could focus on the blog. In the fall of 2017, we rebranded to Crowded Kitchen, and we’ve been working together full time ever since! My husband also joined us full time in 2020, and it’s been great having more family involved.
Lexi: Both my mom and I have several food sensitivities. We’ve always had these [dietary] issues but didn’t think much about them until high school. I ran competitively in high school and my mom was actually my coach! Since we already had that really close relationship with running, nutrition became a really big part of our relationship as well.
We both became more interested in fueling the body properly, thinking more about what we were eating, and cooking more from scratch. I mean, my mom always cooked a lot from scratch when I was growing up, but high school was kind of the point where we really started consciously thinking about it a lot more. And then from there it just kind of blossomed into a passion and we started developing our own recipes.
Lexi: Ooh let me think. Probably Christmas cookies. When I was younger, I wasn’t into cooking savory recipes, only baking. I definitely remember making my grandma’s spritz cookies. I remember putting the dough in this special canister, twisting it, and watching it come out in this cool shape. I was really young but I remember loving it.
Lexi: Pros, definitely the flexibility and being able to create our own schedule. To me, that’s the best part of it. Also, being able to control the direction that the business is going in. It’s just nice to be able to shape that ourselves.
Cons are kind of the same thing. Since we’re working on our own, there’s a constant pressure to be doing more, to be doing better, and to be working all the time. Trying to find the balance between working enough to make the business successful, but not working so much that you lose the good parts of it.
Lexi: Since high school, we’ve had two different relationships — mother/daughter and then coach/daughter. Now we have a professional relationship, too. I’d say the most challenging part was moving back home to pursue the blog full time. I went to college out of state, then I was in New York for a year, so moving back home after that was difficult. I was at a totally different place in my life at 22 than I was in high school. It took maybe a year, year and a half, to get used to that dynamic again. Especially since our business was growing so quickly and my mom never imagined that she would have this huge full time career this late in her life. So it took us a little while to figure that out, but for the last couple of years we’ve really gotten into a groove. We really love working together and I definitely would not change that at all.
Lexi: My mom does all of the recipe development. That’s where she spends 95% of her time. I do all the photography, videography editing, as well as all the other stuff. Oh, and my husband does a lot of the backend stuff for the website, as well as some video editing, and things like that.
Lexi: It’s really important to make sure that you have different but complementary strengths. When we first started our business, we were both taking on the same tasks, splitting up the recipe development and the photography. My mom also loves photography, but we realized over time that photography was my bigger strength and recipe development was hers. So once we really settled into those roles, everything went a lot smoother.
It’s hard to start a business with somebody when you’re not clear on what each person’s responsibilities are. But I think the most important thing is trust. You want to be in business with someone you completely trust, so that you are both on the same page with all the different aspects that go into running a business.
Lexi: I think our first really exciting moment was a couple of years ago. One of our photos was featured on the front of Thrive magazine! We’ve also gone on a couple of brand trips together over the years. There have been these moments where we’re like, wow, this is so cool that we’re able to live this life and be together so often. But honestly it’s the smaller moments that really make us appreciate what we’ve built together.
Lexi: Okay, so this advice wasn’t directly given to me, it’s something that I picked up from the Food Blogger Pro podcast. It’s the idea of improving 1% every day. I think about it a lot. So, to put it in perspective, I wouldn’t say I’m the most patient person, but I’ve gotten better over the years realizing that it’s the slow, small efforts every single day that result in larger success. I really try to remind myself of that often. I feel like it puts me in a much better mindset and helps me realize that, you know, nothing’s going to happen overnight, but it will happen in the future if you keep working at it.
Lexi: Half Baked Harvest. I was always really inspired by her photography and her recipes, so she was one person that really got me into this in the first place. Another one of my biggest influences is @the_bojon_gourmet. I’ve been following her for so long! I love her photography so much and we’ve kind of become Instagram friends, which is surreal, because she’s so incredible. Other than that, I mean, there are just too many to name! There are a ton of photographers that have really influenced me because I’m self-taught. I spent several years just following other people on Instagram and figuring out how to create what they do in my own way.
Lexi: That’s really hard! One recipe. Um, okay. I’m going to say our Vegan Lemon Rice Soup is probably my favorite recipe and the one that I make most often. It’s just so, so good. I love it.
Lexi: We’re hoping to start working on a cookbook soon! It’ll probably be awhile before it actually comes to life, but we’re starting to think about it.
We have another team member starting full-time in June, so I think that’ll hopefully help us implement some of these bigger projects that we’ve been thinking about, like potentially some kind of course. We’re hoping to grow our TikTok and just, you know, continue building our brand all around.
@crowdedkitchen Truly my favorite soup ever 🥣 #veganrecipes #soup #soupseason #veganfood #healthyrecipes #lemon ♬ Lemon Tree - Gustixa
Big changes over here! 🎉 Foodies Stay Fit is now Inspired With Val (@inspiredwithval)!
As creators grow, they often grow on top of their original niches. What starts as a specific focus can naturally evolve into more of a lifestyle - and that’s exactly what happened here. A broader brand name made sense to better reflect everything Valeria does and the full picture of her life and content.
This rebrand was inspired by realizing her content has grown beyond just recipes into a fuller reflection of real life - balance, wellness, motherhood, and realistic healthy habits people can actually stick to. As she’s stepped into this new season, putting her name at the forefront felt like the natural next step, allowing Valeria to continue inspiring others (alongside her husband) to live healthier lives in a more personal and authentic way.
Since the rebrand, Valeria has noticed deeper connections and more meaningful conversations - especially with moms who relate to the hectic, unpolished, real-life moments just as much as the polished content. The community feels more connected than ever!
For any creator considering a similar move: trust your gut and go for it. If it feels aligned and authentic, everything else tends to fall into place. Change can be scary, but it’s often what helps you grow! 💛
Dan, or as you might also know him, @tfimb, recently hit 100K followers - a well-earned milestone! 🎉 The growth has been rapid, and over the last month and a half alone, he’s gained 20K+ followers, all while maintaining an engagement rate above 15%. Known for sharing comfort food recipes with a unique twist (and occasionally stepping into grilling content), Dan continues to build a highly engaged audience - follow his journey for the exciting trajectory ahead!
A few weeks ago, we had the chance to explore Winter Fancy Food Show by @specialtyfoodassociation in San Diego, and it was a reminder of how quickly food trends evolve - and where creators and brands can step in to tell the story. ✨ Here’s a snapshot of what stood out:
𝐒𝐞𝐞𝐝-𝐨𝐢𝐥 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞: This is prominently stated on packaging and a key talking point from many brands.
𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐢𝐧, 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐢𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐢𝐧: From popcorn to chips to nutritional bars, it could’ve been the theme of the show.
𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐢 𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐩: Continued launches of chili crisps, including chutney chili crisps.
𝐀𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞: Not literally alcoholic, but several Dirty Martini–flavored charcuterie offerings from @brooklyncured.
𝐁𝐞𝐞𝐟 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐲 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐨𝐧: Several brands promoted being pork-free with beef bacon and beef pepperoni.
𝐓𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐚𝐮𝐜𝐞 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫: Several brands, like @ciaopappy, promoted their family recipes.
𝐉𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐎𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: A standout brand, Eat Onion, promoted their pre-jarred onions so you can “cry less and cook more!”
𝐕𝐞𝐠𝐠𝐢𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬: From dehydrated crisps to puffed chips, brands like @superwowsnacks highlighted miso- and ranch-flavored veggie chips.
𝐈𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲: Jamu uses a traditional Indonesian technique of blending turmeric and ginger to support digestion. @drinksolti, now sold in Starbucks, was also serving ginger shots and chlorophyll beverages.
𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐅𝐥𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐆𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞: In the best way, global flavors are expanding into everything from ramen popcorn to Sichuan hot pot dark chocolate.
We’re incredibly honored to be nominated for Top Boutique Agency in @withjulyhq’s 2025 Creator Agency Awards! 🎉
CookIt turned 10 last year, a milestone that gave us the opportunity to reflect not only on how far we’ve come, but on where the creator economy is headed next.
With that perspective, we’ve become increasingly clear about one thing: the future of this industry belongs to creators who are built for longevity, not just momentary reach. That belief has shaped how we operate and why we’ve continued to evolve the traditional agency model — placing creators and their growth at the center of everything we do.
If you think like we do, please vote for us via the link in our bio. It only takes a minute. And thank you for supporting what we’re building!
Starting off the year strong! @imashleybreannn on the CookIt roster reached 100K followers on Instagram yesterday! 🎉 Swipe through memory lane to revisit some favorite partnerships along the way, including @getgraza, @labreabakery, and @amoretti. 💛
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