Today on the blog, we’re thrilled to be sharing an exclusive interview with one of our favorite creators – Ali Primrose of Lyke Minded. If you follow her on Instagram, you’ve likely fallen in love with her beautiful (and delicious!) recipes along with her mindful California lifestyle. We’re diving into her personal aesthetic, the inspiration behind her new cookbook, and her tips for living more mindfully. Keep scrolling to read the full interview!
01 / We always love following along with your California adventures! Can you tell us a little about your background and what brought you to start your own business?
Thank you! I am truly obsessed with my homeland of California! PCH adventures are just the best… Am I right?
At this point, I think the only thing you could call me is a renaissance woman. I have fallen in love with SO many facets of creativity and business throughout my life so, it has been really difficult to “stay in a lane” when it comes to my career. Many people don’t realize that Lyke Minded is not my full-time job, but it’s not a hobby either.
I went to FIDM and studied visual communications (anything that manipulates the eye). From marketing to window displays and graphic design, I quickly found out I was intrigued with all things creative. In high school, I worked at the local surf shop and started dabbling in social media. When college came around, my focus shifted from retail to interior design. I worked for Kravet running their visual merchandising and then design/marketing at Serena & Lily. That’s when Lyke Minded happened. I was killing it in sales, marketing, event planning, and creating the occasional charcuterie board — I knew I wanted to share what I was up to and show people my fresh perspective. Everyone LOVED the food element and interactive content, it became more of a “portfolio” than anything.
So, I decided I was going to multitask social media accounts, full-time creative direction for small businesses and interior designers, graphic design projects, and sharing recipes and inspiration on @lyke_minded. When people started to re-create my recipes and share how it made them feel, something changed. I was no longer sharing for myself, I started sharing for others. I wanted to inspire them to be mindful and artful in everyday cooking + living. Hence, the Lyke Minded Cookbook.
02 / You have such a unique style and point of view. How would you describe your personal aesthetic in a few words?
This is SUCH a hard question for me. I’ve tried to nail it down many times and this is ultimately what I came up with… California Coastal Funk meets European Garden Ranch. There is something about the juxtaposition of homestead lyfestyle and unconventional modern living that I love!
03 / Congratulations on your new cookbook! In it, you focus on the concept of a mindful lifestyle. What does that mean to you?
Being mindful to me means taking a second to bask in the beauty of raw elements and pivot your intention to create. It means slow down! Lift your head up and set artful goals: “I want to create a beautiful meal tonight that is not only aesthetically pleasing, but also makes me feel good.” When you change your perspective to be more grateful about your surroundings or what you are putting into your body, you’ll get butterflies just thinking about how fruitful you will feel when your effort is truly organic. Make a bowl out of the colors of the rainbow, go on a walk and collect garnishes for your tablescape (you can find me on PCH collecting branches at least 1 x a week), plant herbs to use when cooking for a farm to table experience, no matter how big or small.
04 / What was the biggest challenge when putting together your cookbook?
Staying timeless and true to myself. Timeless is a word I try to use in everyday living. From my wedding to styling/design and the cookbook, I have stayed tried-and-true to remaining timeless. That was NOT easy for this book. I wanted crazy funky graphics and a striking cover, but I reminded myself that I want to look back on this book in years to come and never feel like it could or would go out of style. It was also really important to me that my recipes come only from me or my family. Many of these dishes are heirlooms from my parents and grandparents. I did not want to look elsewhere for recipes or gain too much inspiration from others. Taste is so personal and people seem to love my taste buds… I didn’t want that to be interfered with. I wanted to remain original.
05 / Do you have a favorite recipe or one that you keep going back to again and again?
I could eat the pastas daily.
06 / When you’re not working (or cooking!), what does your day to day look like?
My husband and I spend a lot of time at the beach or with our 2 pups, Larry David & Ford. We love to be outside and embark on new-found explorations or restaurants!
07 / It must have been scary to step out and take a chance on this new venture! Looking back, is there a piece of advice you’d give your past self?
Breathe! I completed the book in less than 9 months from concept to print. I became infatuated and spent all my nights and weekends burning the midnight oil. Although I don’t regret my efforts, I wish I was a tad more patient during the process.
08 / Could you share 5 tips with our readers on how to live a “Lyke Minded” lifestyle?
Make your bed every morning.
Put on music in the kitchen before you start cooking.
Set the table and EAT AT IT candlelit!
Go outside for 10 minutes a day.
Read more. Travel often. Take pictures.
Thank you so much for following along with our latest creator interview! For more, you can follow along with Ali at @lyke_minded, visit her website, and order her cookbook online. If you missed our previous conversations with Boxwood Avenue, The Identité Collective, Susan Connor, and Jennifer Daily, head there to catch up. We’ll see you next time on the mgd log!