Today we’d like to introduce you to Lana Ebrecht.
Hi Lana, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
For as long as I remember, I had this infatuation of taking pictures of my food. It was more for my personal desire to be able look back and reminisce about all the delicious meals I have had. As the years went by, I would share some shots on social media (Facebook) and I would receive comments from those that appreciated a good pasta picture. These food-centered posts would later become part of my regular rotation between photos of my family & kids that I shared with my friends and family.
It wasn’t until 2018 where I began to see my brother’s girlfriend share stories on her Instagram account of awesome events she was attending with Yelp (Boston). She was a “Yelp Elite.” I had to know more about this ASAP. I turned my hobby (obsession) of food photography into documenting my journey on Yelp for others to read about. I made it a goal that by the end of that year, I would become Elite. Three months later, I achieved my Yelp Elite badge and very soon started enjoying all the perks that came along with this. A year later, I stumbled upon a few “food influencers” on Instagram and realized there was this whole world of foodies just like myself. At the end of 2019, I created my IG page, MamaLanaEats, and the rest is history. By no means is my food blog a “large” one at that, but I have slowly gained dedicated followers along the way. Through this platform, I have met so many amazing people and created new priceless friendships. We all share a similar bond and desire- to share epic food with the world.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My IG page has gone through its ups and downs. I feel like I have kept a steady pace of gaining new followers that are interested in my content. There are weeks where it does get kind of frustrating when I see the numbers drop but then I sit back and think, “What is the real purpose of your IG, Lana?” Truthfully, all I want to do is spread my love and appreciation of good food with everyone. I know that if I visit a fabulous local place, I sure as heck want others to visit as well. If I make something tasty, I need to be sure my followers have a chance to make and experience it as well!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I work full-time in the financial industry. MamaLanaEats is my full-time hobby alongside being a wife and mama to two handsome boys.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
I have learned that I just need to keep it real. Just be Mama Lana! There are so many influencers out there who have 2x, 3x, 10x… shoot… 100x more followers than I do. It’s easy to fall into a trap and say, “Man, I wish I was like them.” I have learned that being myself is the best and easiest thing to do. There’s too much fake in the world right now and I’m not about to add to it.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: MamaLanaEats
