How Best-Selling Cookbook Author Caroline Chambers Found the Recipe to Success

Welcome to Second Life, a podcast spotlighting successful women who've made major career changes—and fearlessly mastered the pivot. Hosted by Hillary Kerr, co-founder and chief content officer at Who What Wear, each episode gives you a direct line to women who are game changers in their fields. Subscribe to Second Life on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anywhere you get your podcasts to stay tuned.

Caroline Chambers, the mastermind behind the popular Substack newsletter and cookbook What to Cook When You Don't Feel Like Cooking, embodies the journey of finding one's true calling through life's unpredictable turns. She initially carved her path in the marketing scene of New York City, where she started a floral design business on the side to manage living in the city on an entry-level job salary—as so many do.

However, after years in advertising, she realized her heart wasn't entirely in it—city life had lost its charm, and love called her to San Diego to be with her then boyfriend, now husband. In San Diego, Chambers explored various facets of the culinary world—from catering to working in test kitchens, contributing to the New York Times Cooking section, and engaging in recipe testing. Her journey was one of exploration, trying to find where her unique skills and passion intersected.

She reached a turning point when she ventured into freelancing, which allowed her to publish her first cookbook in 2018. As social media platforms grew, so did Chambers's audience. Her real breakthrough came with the launch of her Substack newsletter, What to Cook When You Don't Feel Like Cooking, in 2020. As one of the early adopters of Substack, she connected with people through her straightforward, no-nonsense approach to cooking, sharing recipes that were both delicious and simple enough for even the most reluctant cooks.

The success was undeniable. Today, Chambers boasts 409,000 subscribers, a testament to her influence and the universal appeal of her content. Her Substack has evolved into a broader What to Cook universe, including a podcast and a best-selling cookbook released in August of the previous year. Listen to the latest episode of Second Life to hear how Chambers transformed her personal passion into a career that resonates with hundreds of thousands.

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