Iām so excited to share this interview I had with Erin Morrissey from Erin Lives Whole.
I met Erin two weeks ago at a yoga class in Tribeca that was hosted by PS Snacks. Remember that time I banged my foot on the mirror and dropped the F-Bomb during a candle lit yoga class???
YAAAH ā she was there to witness it ALL andĀ still talked to me after the class despite me interrupting her ~zen time !!
Following the yoga class, we fueled up at the overnight oats bar. After topping our overnight oats with PS Snacks, Erin and I chatted and we immediately bonded overā¦
ā” The fact that Erin lives in Philly & her boyf. and my brother worked together at Boeing last summer ( which is HQ-ed in Philly ā WHAT A SMALL WORLD !! )
ā”Ā How she likes to balance her champagne with green juice and I like to balance my rosĆ© with kale
ā”Ā OH ā and she isĀ FULL TIME FOOD BLOGGER & sheās LEGIT AF !!
Erin is a food blogger and wellness influencer who inspires her 50,000 instagram followers to lead a healthy, balanced life with her healthy recipes and wellness tips. All of her recipes are created with natural and wholesome ingredients. While she does keep nutrition and wellness at the forefront, she makes sure to not sacrifice flavor.
Erin encourages others to be the best version of themselves and she is SUCH an inspo in the wellness space. Without further ado, here is Erin!
How did the name āErin Lives Wholeā come about?
ELW: For me, my name comes from living the most well rounded life that I possibly can. I think a lot of times people automatically associate this with being perfectly ācleanā or āhealthyā but to me, thatās not what āliving wholeā means. It took many years to get here, but Iām now able to live a life without worrying about perfection, both in terms of looks and health. I live whole in the fact that I love healthy, nutrient dense foods, but also love ice cream and fries as much as the next guy. By living this way, Iām able to make room for both, and Iāve been able to see how this has reflected in my passion and drive for creating and truly living my life.
How did you end up in the health and wellness space? Did you always see yourself becoming a full time blogger?
ELW: No way! If you would have told 18 year old Erin that she was going to be a health and wellness blogger one day, she probably would have laughed, and then bit into her next round of drunk pizza. But really, no. I went through some life changes that sparked my passion for eating well and trying to feel my best and decided that instead of just following bloggers day after day, why not start my own? So I did. And it has been the best decision of my life.
What are your top three pieces of advice for those who are just starting to grow their blog?
ELW: 1. Donāt just focus on one platform. Yes, Instagram is hot but what happens when something goes wrong? You need to spread yourself out there with a website, Pinterest, Facebook, etc.
2. Engage with your community. I try to answer every DM, comment, post that comes my way, and if I canāt that day, thatās okay, but I will the next day.
3. Be consistent. When I started to post every day, I saw people who came to know that I was going to post and would expect it. One time I didnāt and I had texts from people like āAre you alive?!ā. Consistency is key.
What has been your biggest or āfavoriteā challenge youāve experienced as you created and grew you brand?
ELW: I was shadowbanned on Instagram for two weeks. It rocked my world. I lost tons of followers and the worst part was that I didnāt even know why. But it forced me to remember that we canāt rely on one single platform. That same week I hired someone to help me with my Search Engine Optimization and my Pinterest and I saw more $$ come in than ever before. Lesson learned.
What is/are your most popular recipes?
ELW: Chickpea brownies + flourless sea salt almond butter cookies. For good reason, right?
Fridge and pantry staples? Fave way to sweat?
ELW: Califia Farms creamer for coffee, TJās Almond Butter. Pantry: Banza pasta, oatmeal, sourdough toast, wow these are all carbsā¦ haha nuts, avocado oil, granola. SWEAT: FLYWHEEL! I love spin.
Your recipes are SO delish and unique; what inspires your recipes?
ELW: Iām a food magazine LOVER! Bon Appetite, Cooking Light, Food + Wine, etcā¦ I always see great ideas and then think about how I can twist it to make it healthy or different. I also love seeing what other bloggers make.
Aside from blogging full time, you also work for PS Snacks ( my new obsession!! ). I admire you for your hustle! What do you do at PS? How did you end up working there? Is there anything you have learned from working on the brand side ( as opposed to the influencer side )?
ELW: Yes!! Itās so fun being on the brand side as opposed to the influencer side, I feel like I understand both so Iām learning a lot about the best way to communicate and it has been great. My boss, CEO + Founder, Nikki, is incredible. She gives me plenty of freedom to be creative, and trusts that Iāll do my job, which is how I perform best. We met at one of the Expos and we always stayed in contact; I actually reached out randomly and the stars aligned. When I quit my job, I freaked out about not having any sort of structure, but then I took on P.S. Snacks as the Community Manager and it has forced me to structure my days, but in the best way. I LOVE working there and am so thankful the opportunity came up.
What is your morning routine?
ELW: On repeat: Wake up at 6, workout (run or Flywheel), shower, COFFEE ā a habit Iāll never quit., breakfast + get to work. Simple, easy and not high maintenance at all.
What does your ideal Saturday look like?
ELW: Wake up and work out (with my boyfriend if I can convince him!!), brunch at one of our favorite Philly spots, then a beer garden later on. Iām a health and wellness blogger that likes to drink with friends ā a rare sighting š
Fave restaurants and coffee shops in Philly?
ELW: Restaurants: Talulas Garden, The Love, Helm. Coffee: Rival Bros, Function Coffee Lab (great spot to do work!)
Whatās something your followers donāt know about you?
ELW: Honestly, I think they know everything. Iām an open book!
ELW:Ā Ā @erinliveswhole or www.erinliveswhole.com
I hope you all enjoyed this interview as much as I did.
Why Iām OBSESSED with Erin from Erin LivesĀ Whole Hello hello HELLOOOO !! I'm so excited to share this interview I had with Erin Morrissey from Erin Lives Whole.
