Meet Cassidy Reeser | Registered Dietitian & Content Creator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Cassidy Reeser and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cassidy, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
There are a few reasons that I started my business, but one of the most appealing parts of owning a business is setting my own schedule. Even though I’ve been running Cozy Peach Kitchen for almost seven years now, I still have to remind myself almost every week that I am the one setting my deadlines and that means I can be flexible with work-life balance.

The first several years of owning my business I was also working full-time in travel-heavy jobs. I came home exhausted, but I still had to find time to make my dream of working full-time with Cozy Peach Kitchen a reality, shooting recipe videos on the weekends and spending evenings writing blog posts.

This created a major lack of work-life balance. What drove me to keep at it is that I truly love cooking and recipe developing, and I knew that I wouldn’t always be working 60 hours a week. I looked forward to working on my business, and in a way it felt like a creative outlet and not “work”.

Fast forward 3 years of turning Cozy Peach Kitchen into my main business, and work-life balance is now one of the key drivers in how I approach my daily job.
Because my home is my business, I have to be very intentional with work hours. I do not work on the weekends, and I try to keep cooking for work (recording videos or photographing) to traditional business hours.

Cooking used to be my main creative outlet, and unfortunately turning it into a business took some of that away. I try to cook at least one meal a week that I have no intention of sharing on my blog. I also found a new creative outlet, painting, that I do with no intention of ever turning it into a business. Finding creative hobbies outside of cooking and creating work-life balance guidelines for myself has been incredibly important for maintaining happiness while working and living in the same place.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
The goal of Cozy Peach Kitchen is to share approachable, comforting, and nourishing vegetarian meals that take the guesswork out of eating vegetarian. As a dietitian, I know that people face many barriers to creating healthy meals, be it budget-related or time-related. I try to keep all of this in mind when I’m sharing recipes.

When I decided to go to school to be a dietitian, I had no idea that I would end up starting a business and working for myself. Being a dietitian felt like the right path for me because it combines my love of food, working with people, and being creative.

I’ve always enjoyed creating content online (starting very young with Neopets and progressing to Tumblr) and since college I knew I wanted to create a food blog, I just couldn’t get myself to take the leap or find the “right” time to start. In 2017 I started working full-time as a registered dietitian in skilled nursing, and with busier scheduled-out days I realized that if I didn’t start now I was always going to find a reason not to.

I’m very proud of myself for having an idea and following it through. Being a business owner is very difficult sometimes, and I don’t remind myself enough how amazing it is that I had a dream in 2017 and here I am in 2024 living it.

The internet changes very quickly, and even in just 7 years of running a food blog it is amazing to think of how much my business has had to change along with it. From just sharing photographs of recipes on Instagram in 2017 to creating videos for TikTok in 2024, and writing super short and simple blog posts to learning all about SEO, there is always going to be change.

I roll with it but I keep true to myself, and I think that’s just what you have to do as an Internet creator. I’ve learned that I don’t always have to do the next new social media platform or trend to succeed, but instead I should focus on the places where I really shine and where I enjoy creating. If I’m creating recipes and videos that I’m excited about, others notice. It’s easy to get clouded by comparison with other content creators, but reminding myself of my “whys” helps me stay true to myself.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My idea of a good time includes trying new beer, food, and hiking! I’m on a mission to try every brewery in the city. I love the large outdoor patio at Sceptre Brewing for a casual Saturday afternoon beer, and while in the area it’s always worth stopping at Three Taverns and Inner Voice Brewing.

Revolution Donuts in Decatur is a great place to stop for vegan donuts (you really can’t tell they’re vegan) and I will always find an excuse to get cold brew from Banjo Coffee.

For a casual lunch, I love Harmony Vegetarian in Chamblee because I can always try something new and I know it will be fantastic. La Semilla has creative plant-based Latin dishes, and it’s great as a date spot. Atlanta has a ton of awesome vegan restaurants, so I would add a new one I haven’t yet visited to the intinerary.

When the weather is great I love visiting new parks throughout the city. Piedmont Park is always a great option for strolling with a smoothie with friends, but Mason Mill Park in Decatur, which connects to Lullwater Preserve, is a great place to get lost in nature without having to drive an hour north to the mountains.

I would also rent a movie from Videodrome or see a movie at the Tara Theater to round out the itinerary. And if the Hawks are playing, that is a must-add to the itinerary.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I have to dedicate my shoutout to my mom, because she’s the one who taught me to cook and steered me toward working in the health profession. Even though as a child I didn’t love helping with cooking and baking, it taught me many valuable skills that I didn’t recognize until later. Being an online business owner, working alone from home, and sharing my personality online every day for anyone to interact with is the perfect formula for self-doubt, and having a cheerleader to remind me of why I choose to be a business owner and do uncomfortable things is so important.

Website: https://cozypeachkitchen.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/cozypeachkitchen

Youtube: https://youtube.com/c/cozypeachkitchen

Other: Cookbook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CHL7DKZ6

Image Credits
First two images: Brandon Luaces (brantakesphotos.com)