She Launched It profiles female entrepreneurs. Connecting and uplifting the voices of women is our number one priority at It’s All Better Together. If you know a female entrepreneur that we should profile, please send them here and we will be in touch soon!
Meet Laura Nielsen of Lolo’s Desserts, food blogger and recipe developer based out of my home city, Omaha, Nebraska.
Laura is an accidental entrepreneur. Her business was founded out of a simple need for a distraction.
She was walking through a very difficult life season. First, her dad developed a brain tumor and spent hundreds of hours in the hospital. Second, she and her husband of six years wanted a baby, and nature was not cooperating.
After years of struggle, the couple decided to invest in IVF. Wrought with anxiety and a need for patience, Laura needed a new hobby. She had always been the entertainer, the dinner party hostess, the friend everyone wanted to cook for them. So she decided to marry that passion by creating a catering business.
She didn’t set out to change her career or even create a passive income stream.
But a catering company required nights and weekends. That wasn’t particularly the dream Laura wanted to build. She loved and still loves her 9-5 as a home health nurse liaison. She works to ensure children who are leaving the hospital have all of the supplies they need to stay safe at home.
With a curiosity for Instagram and blogging, Laura decided to sign up for some photography classes and start playing with her food more! She was ecstatic to have this creative outlet and learn some new trades.
Her photography, now stellar, is part a product of the photography coach, Sam Adler of Frosting & Fettuccine. Once Laura got confident in her food photography skills, she realized she had an income stream on her hands. She connected with social media coach, Chelsea Wessman and food business coach, Jamie Silva of a Sassy Spoon.
Now, Laura was confident she had the skills, talent, and support to create a real business! And the business started to snowball. She started getting feedback from followers who weren’t related to her! That was the spot where she realized, okayyyyy this could be legit!!
The food blogging industry is fascinating! Lolo’s Desserts has multiple revenue streams such as advertising revenue from ads on her website, affiliate marketing, product sales, and brand partnerships!
Currently, she’s working with many brands that you would recognize like:
- Hiland Dairy
- Runza
- Nestle
- Oregon Fruits
- Make Bake Shop
- Rodel Vanilla
They partner with Laura to create recipes and photos around their food brands and then for her to blog and talk about them on her social channels! And you must check out her Instagram because these photos are DROOL WORTHY and she does these brands so proud.
She also has published several cookbooks, which she sells on her website. Go buy them and make the Sausage and Zucchini Stovetop Casserole. Your family will thank you!
At this point, Laura is really starting to dream about what this business could mean. She realizes it may make sense to go full-time. Her husband is amused and excited by how quickly this hobby snowballed and feels both lucky and resentful that his house is always full of beautiful and delicious food!
She sees several awesome paths for what’s next. She’s considering a rebrand since she’s expanded so far outside of sweets recipes. Her focus is really landing on delicious but fast, accessible, and easy recipes for the working family – OH, HEY, GIRL, YOU FIT HERE!
The Impact of COVID on Lolo’s Desserts
Laura shared that her website traffic has gone up over 50 percent since COVID started. People are searching for recipes more than ever before.
Additionally, since her job allows her to work remotely due to COVID, she’s also found much more time to invest in the growth of her business by losing that commute.
Laura’s Favorite Recipes:
Dinner – Instant Pot Meatloaf
Dessert – Fruity Pebble Rice Krispie Treats
Laura’s Advice to Aspiring Entrepreneurs:
Just get stuff out there. It doesn’t have to be perfect. You can change. You can pivot. That’s how you learn. Be consistent. You learn every time you try something.
Done is better than perfect.
One last thing, yes Laura and Dave were successful in their IVF journey. Their daughter, Leah, is a great mommy’s helper with the Lolo’s Desserts business. Go check out many more pictures of Laura & Leah as well as a whole website packed full of accessible and delicious recipes.
What do you think of the food blogging industry? Have you been tempted to launch a blog? What questions do you have for Laura? Comment below!!
Such an inspiring story! I would ask her the nitty gritty details of how she got her blog so successful, as an aspiring food blogger myself I’m out here struggling! Lol kudos to her, and so happy she finally had her baby! Been on that same journey too, so I’m very happy for her.
Great one! Laura – what made you successful? Come share? <3 <3 <3
Hi Rachel! Sounds like we have a ton in common! Food blogging is so fun and also a ton of work! I would definitely say to follow bloggers you love and message them, ask questions, ask how they learned. I’m constantly learning. I invested in some big classes for photography, business and coaching and that has made the world of difference. Then there has been a ton of trial and error. Just keep putting stuff out there and connecting with other food bloggers. Email me and I would love to chat and answer any questions!! laura@lolosdesserts.com
This is such a fascinating article! I loved reading about her journey and can’t wait to see where it goes!
Thank you so much! It’s been a fun and crazy journey and I can’t wait to see what the future holds as well!
What a great story to read! I loved reading about her journey. I am definitely going to be checking out those rice krispie treats. My kids will love them!
Hi Sarah! Those Fruity Pebbles Rice Krispie Treats are always a major hit and don’t last long. I usually have to make two batches just to make sure I get some too. 🙂 Let me know what you think!
What a great story! I love your advice of just getting content out there that does not have to be perfect! Earlier this year, I was debating on launching my blog but listened to one of the Skinny Confidential podcasts when they said the same thing! They explained how it won’t be perfect, but that is okay because it is so important to launch your product and adjust. Thank you for sharing your story, and best of luck to you! By the way, your rice krispies look amazing!
Hi Cassie! Thank you so much! It’s so true, nothing will ever be perfect but you learn something with every post or blog or launch. It’s constant learning. And those Rice Krispie Treats are the BEST!
Really enjoying this series! Inspiring stories and amazing people doing amazing things. Thanks for taking time to highlight local makers!
This is inspiring. We are capable of so much more than we think we are. Thank you for this!
Really neat article. I truly appreciate ‘done is better than perfect. Good insight on how current times have affected your business. More sales!
Great to read a food blogger’s journey. I love how she collaborated to further her career.
I really love this story!! I’m also following what I love!
I actually enjoy reading other stories 🙂 And this was a good one!
Absolutely love Laura’s advice: “Just get stuff out there. It doesn’t have to be perfect. You can change it later.”
I convinced so many times in the past months that I should get rid of my inner perfectionist!
Thank you!
I loved reading about your journey to success! Being a food blogger is such a fun and creative outlet! Thank you for sharing your story!❤️
What an adventure! Thanks for sharing!
She’s so inspirational! So are you!!
I NEED some of those rice crispies! This was such a great read!
Love this story and everything in this post looks so mouthwatering!!
Amazing story! Best wishes Laura!
looks so good
What a great read and journey. This may sound weird but you look like such a friendly down to earth person that it made me like this article all the more
Love this article! Laura seems great and I will definitely be checking out her site!
What a great read. Thank you for sharing this inspiring story!
What an inspiring story of great success! Well done, Laura!
Another survivor:) I know your struggle.
I absolutely look your page. Thanks for sharing. I am checking out other post!
LaTisha | http://www.upandabroad.com
Love this! Such an inspiration to all those starting a food blog. Thanks for sharing.
I always love learning how people start their blogging journeys. I particularly like how one thing literally leads to the next for Laura.
Nathalia | NathaliaFit – Fitness & Wellness Blog