The well will eventually run dry

Honestly, Rory, you've been such an imperative part of the journey, because it's all about the storytelling. When I have people like you at the table, we're actually documenting the experience and putting it in the spotlight it deserves. It doesn't only help me — it helps the brands I'm working with, and that's something I appreciate every single time you come to the table.

That's what Literally Eat is all about. We put on experiences that put brands in the spotlight they deserve. And I have Rory, who works tirelessly to put me in the spotlight I deserve.

We're getting to a point now — with Literally Eat, and with your content too — where we want to see growth. We've proved ourselves. We're coming up on a year of events, and we've filled the table every single month.

There have been so many success stories. People come back to us and say, "Oh my god, this dispensary signed me on after the dinner, and now our product is in this retail location." Or they sold out at a retailer right after the dinner and the retailer placed another order straight away.

It's incredible, because I give these brands a chance to bring their products to the table and have fun. I create the meals based on the strains they give me and the products they have, and I'm inspired by everything they do.

The most extraordinary part of every single month is the people you wouldn't expect to be everyday consumers. We work with nail techs and hairstylists. Sometimes people who work in hospitals, in doctors' offices. We had an engineer once — I thought that was so cool. We have people come from out of state and get hotel rooms just to join the table.

These are our friends, our family, people we've met along the journey who just want to come and enjoy. It isn't an exclusive experience. It's not an if-you-know-you-know sort of thing. It's a community we're building, because we're travelling, we're doing the work, we're connecting with retailers and brands, and we're showing that we do the education to better ourselves.

That takes time and effort. We put ourselves on the forefront for these brands, and I think it's time we got the recognition we deserve.

Definitely during our last event. That was a real turning point, where I thought, whoa — this is getting a little too much. As spectacular as it was, and as honoured as I was to put it on, there comes a point where it becomes too much and we start losing the plot.

And the plot is that each dish is paired with a specific strain. We lost that along the way. It's a matter of getting back to the whole educational experience, because when you lose sight of that, it just becomes a free-for-all.

A lot of people say we're just a sesh. We call ourselves the sesh table, but it's more than a sesh and more than a free-for-all. It's an educational learning experience, a communal table that people come to from all over.

When there are so many players and so many hands in the game, it gets to be so much for me to keep the experience in the light I know it deserves. So the big question moving forward is: how do we stick to the plot while making sure our people are taken care of at the same time?

The expectation levels need to be reeled back in, because we have to remember there's compliance. That's the biggest thing.

A lot of brands reach out wanting to get bigger, better, more elaborate. But we have to remember compliance, and we have to remember what the experience is trying to promote. We're promoting products on the table while encouraging people to create their own experiences, just like us.

That's why it's amazing to see other brands doing infused dinners and infused events. Brands reach out and say, "Hey, we're having this event, we were inspired by you," and I think — wow, I'm really making a difference.

But there comes a point where I need to make sure this can be a viable thing we continue to do, because there is a future in it, if we keep doing it in the most compliant way possible. Big and extravagant is where people want to go, but coming back to the plot means realizing we're not that far ahead just yet.

We started in a house. People offer their houses, their spaces, and we invite our friends, our followers, people we connect with. We share the table, our experiences, our knowledge. If we keep sticking to the plot and make experiences like this easier and more accessible to everyone, we can all grow together.

The problem right now is that the support is very limited. There's only so much that Literally Eat can put out before the well runs dry.

There are so many things I want to get into. A cooking show. Interviewing growers from around the state. Culinary-focused videos showing people what a conversation between a grower and a chef actually looks like, and how you can bring the two together.

But the brands reaching out to create these experiences are either impossible to communicate with, or — and we all know what kind of economy we're in — the exchange being offered doesn't cover the costs.

We know what we can offer. We've proven it time and again, month after month. There has to come a point where Literally Eat grows.

Not at this time.

There are brands I want to work with who are already in the works of putting together deals that genuinely put both Literally Eat and their brand in the spotlight they deserve, and we're super grateful for that.

But we've already gone through the routes of working with the brands we wanted to work with, and the reciprocation just hasn't been there. Even at the very beginning, when there was no monetary value attached whatsoever, we were still getting pushback.

Now, the monetary value Literally Eat puts out versus what the brands put out — it has to start getting more equal. Because like I said, the well will eventually run dry.

We need more retailer support and more brand support.

Brands reach out every month expecting Literally Eat to put on this elaborate experience and run the whole show. Then they show up to the table — which is great, and they provide product, which is the main thing we're offering. But if we want people to come back for more, we can't keep relying on Literally Eat, and on her guests, to provide that experience.

We need to become a business. We want to become an entity. Right now it's a shared experience, where Literally Eat is digging out of her savings account every month on top of asking our guests to put out money.

I think we've both confidently honed in on our skills to a point where we can start being proud of our work.

I want to get to a point with Literally Eat where we're just sending out invites every month, and the brands and retailers supporting the experience provide everything we need to make it happen. That's what I see other brands doing — invites go out and it's a free experience. So why can't Literally Eat provide the same, when she's already providing it off her own back?

First off, Ceci — Go Green with Ceci. We call her the elevation assistant, but she's way more than that. She's Literally Eat's assistant through all of this, and Ceci is her own entity — she's available for services outside of Literally Eat. Go Green with Ceci and Literally Eat are two separate entities, so if you need a bong or a dab bar, call Ceci. She's available for hire.

She's the person I rely on every month to make sure the experience is at the tier it's supposed to be. She helps serve, she keeps me organized, she makes sure everything is perfect.

Then my closest childhood friends, who stick by my side through all the craziness — Janelle, Soraya, Jacob, Sam, Tiffany, Emma, Isaac. I wouldn't be able to do any of this without you. You've kept me sane through the ups, the downs, the highs and lows.

This past dinner we had Elena, Ceci's best friend, also available for hire alongside Ceci — the dynamic duo, absolutely incredible. And we had Chef Yas and her close friend, who absolutely slayed in the kitchen this month. Everyone deserves a spot at the table, and I'm honored to put everyone in the spotlight they deserve.

And last but not least, Rory. There's no one I'd rather have by my side documenting this journey. It's people like you who bring more people to the table — you give people that level of comfort to say, "Hey, I should come and join this." You tell my story so beautifully, and you put my work out there in such a unique, eye-catching way.

We've had this conversation so many times: the first three seconds of a video have to grab your attention or people scroll away. Even the first second and a half. You've done your job and exceeded expectations to make sure my dinners are in the spotlight they deserve.

To all the other influencers who've come out to our dinners — Kira, Shandy, so many others along the way — thank you. To everyone who's shared their experience, posted on their stories, made personal posts. And to all the brands who believed in me — Kusala Care, Parks Grove, Schnick Shnacks, Astro. And Magic Garden Botanicals as well; can't forget about them, because they put on such a show and they were a huge support.

Now I'm honored to say we have retailer support too. The retailers are seeing what we're doing — Wildflower, Honorable Plant, Next Chapter, Vigor, Shipwrecked, Zen Leaf. It's been crazy to see how much love and support is pouring out. All I want is to keep doing what I do, and to thank everyone for giving me the opportunity. But there comes a point where I need that support to continue the journey.

I'm looking for more retailer and brand support, because my end goal is for this to no longer be a shared experience. I want to be a brand people can rely on. Right now, Literally Eat is just a community — I ask people every month to join the table and share what they can so we can make it happen.

But I know what we can hold. I know the business we can turn this into with my private chef experience. What we're creating right now could be tenfold what we're already doing, if I get the support we need. It could be far beyond our wildest dreams.

I get guilty of it too. I have to look at myself in the mirror and say: I'm worth it. I'm ready to take the leap and start asking for more. Because at the end of the day, I want to be able to invite the people who made this all possible, and make sure everyone who's supported me gets that seat at the table.

Don't sell yourself short. Your work, and the way you portray what I put on, really did help grow this into what we're creating today.

And I want to remind everyone what compliance actually means. Right now we provide an experience inside our own home, with our friends, our family, people we know personally. Food costs money. Weed costs money. We know that. The problem is that we're depending on the wrong people to put out that monetary value.

So my question is: how can Literally Eat — and entities like Rory, like Go Green with Ceci — turn into something viable that brands can put their trust in, get their name out there with, and rely on for the experiences and services we provide?