A Sydney woman who gave up working for a "faceless corporate" eight years ago to pursue her lifelong passion from the comfort of her own home is now a social media sensation.
Nagi Maehashi had no idea the heights RecipeTin Eats would reach when she started the food blog from the kitchen of her Northern Beaches home.
Now, she's got more than 4.6 million social media followers, over 335 million people have visited her website in the last 12 months and she's got one of the best-selling books in the country.
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She didn't even know what a food blog was when she came across one, but it lit a spark that turned into a roaring success.
From "suits and stilettos pounding the corporate pavement" for 16 years to putting her all into something she loves, and most importantly something that is her own.
"I started doing some more research and I realised that people were actually making money off food blogs," she told A Current Affair reporter Dimity Clancey.
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"And I was like, 'imagine if you could actually make a living cooking and eating your favourite foods'. And what do you know, that's what I'm doing today."
Maehashi didn't have to compromise on who she is to find success.
There are no fancy chef hats in Maehashi's kitchen, just the promise of delicious home-cooked food.
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"I know it's really daggy, but I just don't do trendy food," Maehashi said.
The Sydney cook loves to make easy food that can be whipped up at home, but with a little more creativity than plain "meat and veg".
Her recipes include "spices that you have in your everyday cupboard" and use "ingredients that everyone can get from ordinary grocery stores".
Being "in control of her own destiny" has also given her an amazing opportunity to give back to those in need through RecipeTin Meals, a not-for-profit she launched in 2021.
Her team cooks hundreds of fresh, nutritious meals to distribute to "struggling, vulnerable and disadvantaged members of the Sydney community".
"I can make sure that 400 meals go out every single day," she said.
"It's a really good feeling."
The meals are all made from Maehashi's cookbook called RecipeTin Eats Dinner, which can be found at all good bookstores.
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