10 Years of PaleOMG

It’s been 10 year since I wrote my first blog post. 10 years of creating recipes, pouring my heart out to strangers, and really finding myself along the way. When I started my blog 10 years ago, I was 23. I’m now 33 and barely recognize who I was back then. So much growth has happened over the past 10 years and I have a digital diary to watch myself fumble, fall, and pick myself up again…over and over and over. I look back at my small minded 23 year old self and I wish I could help her find her way a little faster. I wish I could tell her to stop worrying about what others think, to stop being obsessed with meeting a guy, to start working on the deep pains that were holding me back. These past 10 years were just about building PaleOMG and creating a business out of nothing; it was about creating a person I could be proud of, a person my younger self could look up to.

I’ve written around 2500 blog posts the past 10 years. I started off barely knowing how to cook, failing many many times at different recipes, but sticking with it day after day. Most posts are about food, but as you walk through the years, you see PaleOMG evolve. Food, then fitness, then fashion, then decor, and travel, beauty, and then on to fitness programs. When I think back to 2011, I remember most of my friends and family thinking it was silly to have a blog and a waste of time…but I didn’t think so. I believed in what I was sharing, even if it was just talking about my first (and only) Brazilian wax. It didn’t make sense to most people I knew and I pissed off a lot of people along the way since I tend to not have a filter, but I believed in it. And I believed in myself.

For me, PaleOMG wasn’t just a hobby and it isn’t just my business…it’s a diary of self-realization and self-expression. It’s where I have learned who I was and who I want to become. This blog is so much more to me than anyone will know. And if you have been along for the ride for any amount of time, THANK YOU. Thank you for being there at my worst, at my lowest, and thank you for giving me the time to grow and become the person I had always hoped I could be. Because of you, this blog is still here. Now let’s take a little walk down memory lane.

2011 – In 2011, I decided to start a blog after writing the nutrition section for a CrossFit gym I was working at. When I left that gym, I wanted to continue writing and creating, so a friend helped me create a blog! I was working at multiple CrossFit gyms, up by 4am and not home until 8pm, so cooking was left to weekends or photographing recipes in a crockpot at 4am before I left for the day.

First recipe on May 2nd 2011 – Maple Mustard Chicken

I remember being quite proud of this photo of Banana Bread Waffles w/ Blackberries & Chocolate Chips. Wow.

I started getting really creative w/ flavors with this Coffee Rubbed Pork w/ Cocoa Infused Sweet Potatoes and Blueberry Glaze…and by creative, I mean I found a way to have dessert and call it dinner

I competed in the 2011 Southwest CrossFit Regional and finished 11th. That’s my ex-boyfriend in the background who had to be a judge for me when we were not together. What up, Jon! Sorry about that.

2012 – I started to understand that photos couldn’t be taken on your phone in a crockpot. Photos need to be done in natural light with some sort of real camera (since iphones weren’t what they are today). I began working less at multiple gyms and had more time to create recipes. My life, at this time, completely revolved around CrossFit, paleo, and competing.

I wrote my first A Day in the Life with JB post

I updated my site for the first time thanks to a PaleOMG fan who did it for free since I was completely broke and my site kept crashing

I launched my first PaleOMG tanks & t-shirts thanks to a couple friends

I made my first cooking video. It’s horrifying, terrible, and I love it so much. And I love my BFF even more for taking the time out of her life to record it for me.

I made Sweet Potato Brownies & Simply Blueberry Muffins, which both became my most popular recipes back then

I participated in my 2nd CrossFit Regional, coming in 8th place

2013 – After breaking up multiple times in 2012, Brian and I were official and I knew he was the one. This was the when my interest in CrossFit began to shift and I start paying more attention to my work and my actual longterm health.

I wrote my first cookbook, which I was pretty disappointed in, and it made my want to write more

I went to Paleof(x) for the first time

I went on my first trip with Brian

I made Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins, which became one of the most popular PaleOMG recipes that year

I went on accutane and documented my experience, as I became more comfortable sharing vulnerable and personal stories

2014 – Brian and I moved into our first apartment together and really began to figure each other out and learn to communicate. Living in that first apartment together not only brought so many memories, but Brian surprised me with Jackson in that apartment, as well. 2014 was a great year, even with its challenges.

I made my most popular recipe EVER, my Pizza Spaghetti Pie, which has almost 300 reviews and almost 800 comments

I made my Coffee Cake Banana Bread, which is another super popular recipe to date

I began seeing CrossFit & paleo a little different than I had before

I launched my second cookbook that I co-authored and became a New York Times Best Selling Author

I went on book tour for the first time

I shared my first fashion post and began to take PaleOMG in a new direction, outside of just food, which helped me begin to work with more brands

2015 – This was a big turning point for PaleOMG. In 2014 I decided I wanted to expand my brand into things outside of paleo and I had a lot of pushback on social media. But I stayed true to who I was and what I wanted, and I began blogging about anything I was interested in at that time.

Brian and I got engaged

I ate my way through Portland and tried on wedding dresses

I began creating my third cookbook, which I shot out in Pittsburgh with my friends Bill & Hayley. I cooked, they photographed!

We bought our first house together

I launched my third cookbook, which was by far the most proud I had ever felt about a cookbook

I went on book tour with my close friend Vanessa Barajas who just came out with her book. This book tour gave me memories that I will never forget, it was such an amazing chapter in my life

I started playing around with some fun designs in our first home

I began to get better with photography and Lightroom after learning so much from Bill & Hayley

2016 – This was such a fun year. It was the first year I finally began to feel comfortable in my skin, the first time I felt like I knew who I was, and the first time I began doing things outside of my comfort zone to challenge myself in new ways.

I hosted my first retreat in Costa Rica

We got married in Jamaica

I fell in love with curry

My plan to expand my brand really began to pay off when I started to work with brands like Nike

I began sharing my experience with skincare and the treatments I had tried for acne scarring

I got my eyebrows microbladed and changed my face for the better

I started my podcast

I filmed my first real vlog, which meant I had to learn how to record & edit on my own

2017 – This became my year of travel! I was lucky enough to work with lots of different cities and explore places I had never been! I was traveling at least once a month and was definitely ready to be at home more by the end of the year. And I began coming out with a TON of fashion posts since it was one of my main interests that year.

I began traveling & working with different cities & hotels – Arizona, San Diego, Dallas, Aspen, Santa Ynez Valley, Boise, Walla Walla, and Boulder were just some of the spots I was lucky enough to travel to and work with

I created the workouts for the fitness section in the Fed & Fit Cookbook with Cassy Joy Garcia

I made the easiest carnitas ever

We celebrated our one year anniversary in Costa Rica

I made some wicked good Watermelon Jalapeño Margaritas, which Brian makes very often to this day

I wrote my first Denver Series post, all about the best restaurants in Denver, which I definitely need to update soon

I sailed through the Caribbean for the first time

I made the most delicious waffles of all time

I created my first pair of PaleOMG leggings with Four Athletics, which became an ongoing partnership that just got better and better as we grew together

2018 – This year continued with lots of travel, but this was the first year I really began to see PaleOMG going in a different direction, more towards fitness. I had began testing my own style of programming and experienced fantastic results and I wanted to share that with others, so I began sharing more instagram workout videos and workouts on my blog!

We fell in love with Cabo

My travel bug continued – Guadaloupe, Houston, Palm Springs, Aruba, Myrtle Beach, Cabo, Leavenworth, Montréal, Charleston, Phoenix, and New Zealand

I made the best iced mocha lattes you ever did taste

I created my first Snack & Sweat Series, sharing workouts and post workout snacks to help you get fit while feeding yourself the right nutrients after

I filmed more beauty vlogs

Jackson tried to die on us for the FIRST time when he contracted leptospirosis

2019 – This was a big year of change for me. Not only did I begin to have a more optimistic outlook on the world, but my life was forever changed when I saw an astrologer and she laid down some facts from my past and some ideas for the future. It really set me on my first interest in spirituality and the power of perception.

I decided 2019 would be my year of confidence and stopped talking shit about myself in my own head

I started sharing posts that felt more meaningful to me, like how someone can create a healthier relationship with food and exercise

I made some insane brownies that have THREE types veggies in them

I taught you how to shave your face

I talked my husband into quitting his job and changing both of our lives for the better

I started working out on my own mostly full time, instead of in a class, trying out different types of programs and I started creating my own program for myself that would someday become Power Sculpt

I hosted my second retreat, this time in France

I documented my microneedling experience

I got off birth control for good, finally taking my health in a better direction

I traveled to Bali with Brian and my friend Jess, where I met my astrologer, and began to see the world through a new lens

I began sharing workout videos, which got me thinking about actually launching my own fitness program, instead of just thinking about it

2020 – Brian and I made a big leap, moving into a new home and creating a space that worked for my business and hopefully him working from home in the future. This move made it possible to shoot workout videos for our home, which really paid off once Covid hit.

I rebranded my website and launched my first fitness program, the Power Program

Jackson tried to die on us AGAIN. After going in for emergency neck surgery, he had post-surgery complications due to his kidney disease from his previous lepto and improper vet care. I finally said fuck this, moved him to CSU, where they were able to save his life. He continues to get better and better with each passing day!

Then Covid hit the US and my friend Jess was hit by a car. 2020 was wild.

I launched my second fitness program and meal guide for people who are limiting on time – Power30 & Power30 Recipes

I made the most delicious Strawberry Crisp

I launched my third fitness program to help with people working out from home with no equipment during Covid – Power Body

I decided to do the opposite of paleo and I began eating beans, and my life forever changed because of it

I made a stupid good single serve brownie in a mug

I launched my fourth fitness program – Power Sculpt – based on the programming I had created for myself for the past 2 years

We built our own home gym and had a designer create our bedroom and my office

I launched my fifth fitness program – Power Program 2.0

2021 – Well, it’s just getting started. And within the past 10 years, so much growth has occurred. I’m more optimistic, more excited for the future, happier with what I have to offer, and continually curious about the world around me. I’m more empathetic of the people I come across and much more aware of my own behaviors and the things I need to work on.

I decided 2021 would become my year of curiosity

I asked you to take a deeper look at your alcohol consumption after a rough 2020

I started incorporating beans into everything

I shared why overexercising may be slowing your progress

I traveled to Cabo and got yelled at a lot for it. Then traveled to Costa Rica the next month and no one seemed to mind

We celebrated our fifth year of marriage

And now I wait to see what the next 10 years may bring. The last 10 went by in a flash so I guess I need to buckle up for what’s to come! I feel in 2021 has some exciting things in store and I can’t wait to take you along for the ride with me! I’d love to hear from YOU and how long you’ve been following PaleOMG! Thank you for being part of this journey, for forgiving me through my times of growth, and for supporting me through all the cuss words along the way. YOU are the rockstar in all of this!