To celebrate Small Business Saturday, we sat down with Laurie Buckle, our CEO and founder for a quick Q&A! She answered a few fun questions about running her own business, including her inspiration behind the name CookIt Media and her go-to power lunch.
Laurie: Entrepreneurs run in my family, and in some ways I’d always thought of my corporate roles as being my “own business.” I worked in food magazines, but it was pretty clear that the shift to digital was coming. So I set out to better understand food bloggers and help them appreciate their value as content creators. That idea turned into a consulting business, which turned into a talent agency, and here we are today almost eight years later!
Laurie: Working in food, the ultimate goal has always been to get your reader or follower into the kitchen, to get them cooking. That’s where the food is the most delicious, the healthiest and the most fun. Just cook it – and everything good will come from there.
Laurie: That time we earned a spot on the Inc. 5,000 list of fastest-growing companies. I still have the Champagne cork!
Laurie: Let your enthusiasm show! When you love what you’re doing and you’re working to convince someone to back your idea, be your real can’t-stop-me-now self!
Laurie: Honestly, I can’t imagine doing anything else!
Laurie: There’s really only one answer to both of those questions: Riding the wave that is this always-changing, potential-packed, never-dull industry!
Laurie: Usually a salad. I make a batch of dressing every week, then use some version of my two salad formulas: greens, avocado, tomato, cheese, nuts, crunch (like tortilla chips) or greens, fruit (apples, berries), cheese, nuts, crunch (croutons, crackers). I’m big on crunch.
Laurie: Watching Fleishman is in Trouble (love Taffy Brodesser-Ackner so much); reading Horse; listening to Omar Apollo and the WIIM podcast.
Our EVP @molls.benton just returned from the first-ever Talent Manager Summit in Austin, TX. ✈️ Each month, the CookIt team meets with fellow managers and agency owners to discuss the current state of influencer marketing - this time they brought it from Google Meet to IRL! Meeting with an amazing group of both agency owners and female solopreneurs, the group spent two days discussing everything from company and team goals, how to be the best manager for your talent, ways to work best with fellow brands/agencies and of course ate their way through Austin! 🫶🌮
Three days in New York…
Three excellent meals (@themodernnyc, @leveaudor, @bungalowny)
4 client visits
One team and talent meeting at Grand Central’s sort of secret @thecampbellnyc
An elegant and enlightening @cherrybombe Council breakfast at @ladureeus in SoHo (macarons included)
A stop for @fortycarrots froyo at the downtown @bloomingdales (IFYKYK)
And a perfect day at the @cherrybombe Jubilee, where I got to catch up with @doriegreenspan, try a Gingham Matcha shortbread cookie made with @kerrygoldusa Butter, eat a chocolate fish and be inspired by @asmakhanlondon, @edeneats, @zaynab_issa, @woldyareyes, @kerrybombe (to name a few) and the real @gloriasteinem, who ended her conversation with Amy Richards by encouraging all of us to create community and dance!
@cookinginthemidwest’s weekend was one for the books! 🍞🧀🍅 What started as a simple, delicious Garlic Toast Meatball Sandwich recipe in partnership with @thenybakery quickly turned into a viral moment. Across platforms, his content - both the original and an ASMR version - gained over 33 million views (and counting!). Head to @cookinginthemidwest’s page and check out the ASMR version! 🎤
The talent at CookIt has been busy… And that includes @atasteofkoko, who took her #SXSW2025 experience to new heights - literally! ✈️ Partnering with @goodyearblimp, she soared into Austin for the 100th anniversary of the iconic blimp, marking its first return to the city in over a decade.
These are the moments that define CookIt - working with our talent to land unforgettable opportunities, pushing creative boundaries, and staying ahead of industry trends. As the team continues to attend events, build partnerships, and connect with brands, we want to know - where should we be next? 🎫 Hopefully, we’ll see you there!
Content creators know that a clean space is key - especially when the kitchen doubles as a studio. 🧽 This partnership between @noflakeysalt and @BISSELLclean goes beyond the kitchen and into the lifestyle space, showcasing how the CrossWave HydroSteam makes cleaning faster and easier - so there’s more time for creating. 🍳 Here’s to more thoughtful, smart partnerships that fit seamlessly into creators’ everyday lives!
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