- Words by Toby Tannas Photography by Darren Hull
When Tori Wesszer greets me at the periwinkle-blue front door of her West Kelowna home, I feel like I already know her. As one of her 171,000 followers on Instagram, I鈥檝e logged a lot of hours watching and learning from this dynamo. Tori has cooked up a huge audience by following her passion for food.
鈥淭here鈥檚 so much joy in feeding people,鈥� she says with a smile. 鈥淔ood is love. It brings such a huge amount of pride and satisfaction when we can feed someone.鈥�
A dietitian by trade, Tori is emerging as one of Canada鈥檚 top lifestyle influencers. Her Fraiche Living blog and Instagram account inspire thousands of people daily. , Tori鈥檚 newly published cookbook (created with cousin Jillian Harris), is climbing the bestseller lists and she鈥檚 just about to launch a new meal-planning tool on her website.
鈥淚 want to help people get a healthy meal on the table. Feeding your family a good, balanced meal that you can all eat together around the table is achievable.鈥�
Tori鈥檚 wizardry in the kitchen began at a young age.
鈥淲hen I was a kid I just loved reading cookbooks. My parents would have friends over and I would cater their parties at 12 years old, just because it was fun.鈥�
Tori is still having fun in the kitchen despite the fact her passion has become her full-time job.
鈥淢y mom jokes with me and asks me all the time how I can still like cooking dinner, but I do,鈥� she laughs. 鈥淚鈥檓 very aware of keeping the passion alive. I never want it to feel like a job.鈥�
When she鈥檚 not dreaming up new recipes or testing them in the kitchen, Tori and her team are busy writing, photographing and planning content for the blog.
鈥淚t鈥檚 more difficult than I thought it was going to be,鈥� she admits. 鈥淲hen I started I thought, 鈥楬ow hard could it be to blog?鈥� Turns out there is a lot to it, which ultimately is part of the journey and the joy.鈥�
As a mother of two young boys, Tori loves and appreciates the flexibility of working from home. She admits, however, that a healthy balance between work time and personal time is a new thing for her.
鈥淭he boundary thing has been a bit tricky for me. Up until very recently, I would put my kids to bed and then go back to the computer and work until I got tired. Sometimes that was at two or three in the morning.鈥�
Hiring a small team, including a business manager, has helped put more structure into Tori鈥檚 work days. There鈥檚 another side to the business, though, that鈥檚 definitely not nine to five. A successful influencer must have a strong connection with their audience.
鈥淧art of my work is sharing my personal life,鈥� she explains. 鈥淧eople want to see a connection, something that inspires them.鈥�
A big part of Tori鈥檚 appeal is her openness. Through Instagram stories, fans get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of her life at any hour of the day. They see into her home, her family life and her friendships, and sometimes it gets really personal.
鈥淵ou have to show some of the realness, you have to be a bit vulnerable, you have to show what your life is about, otherwise I don鈥檛 think there would be too much for people to connect to.鈥�
Tori鈥檚 ultimate goal is to inspire people. Her hope is that Fraiche Living fans feel inspired to simplify and beautify their lives. She鈥檚 very clear about one thing: she never wants to give the impression that her life is perfect.
鈥淲e are living in a really crazy society. We鈥檙e surrounded on social media with pictures of perfection, homes that look perfect, kids that never fight. It鈥檚 just not realistic.鈥�
A scroll through the Fraiche Living website and Instagram feed is a feast for the eyes: dreamy, delicious 鈥� dare I say 鈥減erfect?鈥� 鈥� photos of food, family, fashion and d茅cor.
鈥淲e do our best to make the pictures look the best we can, there鈥檚 no doubt about that,鈥� she concedes. 鈥淏ut what you see in the grid should be taken as something to inspire you. It鈥檚 not in any way an indication that that person鈥檚 life looks like that all the time.鈥�
Tori offers to show me her basement as an example of 鈥渞eal life鈥� with two boys. (For the record, it鈥檚 a bit messy!)
She appears on camera without make-up, she鈥檚 open about having rough days and she shares heart-wrenching 鈥渕ommy鈥� moments.
鈥淎 life well lived comes in so many shapes and forms. I feel passionate about that. I have down days where I nitpick myself. I know most women do. I鈥檓 so thankful to have a great support system.鈥�
Tori always makes time to connect with her husband Charles. It鈥檚 not surprising they most often meet in the kitchen.
鈥淐harles is a really great cook. It鈥檚 really nice to have someone in my life who understands what drives me and shares that passion. Our idea of a great night is cracking a bottle of wine, and then we put Frank Sinatra on and cook together.鈥�
In the learn-as-you-go world of social influencers, Tori is becoming a star. She鈥檚 relatable, she cares, she鈥檚 got passion and drive. You definitely get the sense she鈥檚 just getting started.
鈥淚 have this massive gratitude to be honest and it makes me emotional. I love what I鈥檓 doing and there鈥檚 so much more I want to do.鈥�
Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
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