Today we’d like to introduce you to Hillary Hess.
Hi Hillary, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I graduated from Brigham Young University with a Bachelors in Home Economics with a week-old baby. It was quite the finish to my academic career and a springboard straight into the real-life motherhood lab, practicing principles I’d learned in school. We lived in California for 7 years and moved to Allen 16 years ago. During those years, our family grew from 1 baby to 7. I listened to a lot of parenting podcasts as I was trying to figure out how to rear my own family. I realized that I had quite a lot to say and wanted to be in on the conversation. That was how Helping of Happiness was born. At Helping of Happiness, we share family recipes, travel tips, home hacks, and house our parenting podcast. Our children are now ages 7-22, so we are still in the thick of all the family fun!!!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road has not been smooth. I had no background in anything tech-savvy. I felt like I was back in college, but I didn’t have a professor! I was gleaning all I could from YouTube, podcasts, and free mini-courses along the way. Being a mom and an entrepreneur is a tricky balance, especially with a ton of kids and very little time. One way we have tried to involve our family in my work is to have them participate in our food videos and help put on our summer cooking classes.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
We have 3 major categories that we specialize in at Helping of Happiness. We are probably most known for our delicious family recipes!!! We have hundreds of recipes on our blog, came out with our first cookbook last year (The Best Ever Babysitter Cookbook), and host cooking classes and camps during the summer. We love to give strategies for meal planning and meal guides for holidays.
Another big part of our business is our travel section. Spending quality time with my family is everything to me. Heading out on an adventure is usually the best way for us to do this with the least amount of distractions. Sometimes, we adventure around DFW and other times; we travel the world. On our blog, we provide travel guides and talk about family-friendly locations, restaurants, and fun activities. We have packing lists for all types of trips, so you are prepared for anything!
Lastly, we provide home and family hacks. There are so many details that go into parenting and running a home; we give little tidbits of advice and printables that help us keep things organized and happy. Our podcast has guests that cover all kinds of these topics.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
My sister and brother-in-law bought me my podcasting equipment when they heard about my dream. It sat in my closet for a year before I had the guts to go for it. My mom tells everyone she meets about Helping of Happiness. They have cheered me along all the way!! My husband and kids have also been amazing to jump in videos, taste lots of food – often eating a cold dinner because I had to take pictures of it first. I feel very blessed.
Pricing:
- $24.99 Best Ever Babysitter Cookbook
Contact Info:
- Website: helpingofhappiness.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/helping_of_happiness/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HelpingofHappiness/
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@helpingofhappiness?si=lJ6PhZewfc6KH9g4
- Other: https://www.helpingofhappiness.com/shop
Image Credits
Hillary Hess
Heidi Tagliaferri
