We had the good fortune of connecting with Candace Bell and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Candace, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
When I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease, I turned to food blogs to help me learn all I needed to know about going gluten-free. Once I mastered the gluten-free lifestyle and turned my health around, I wanted to create a website full of recipes and resources to help other people with Celiac Disease, in the same way food blogs helped me. If I can help even just one person know that being gluten-free doesn’t have to be difficult, I feel like I have accomplished my goal.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
My website, The Wheatless Kitchen, is a gluten-free food blog that celebrates whole foods. I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease almost 10 years ago, and it was a huge lifestyle change at first. I was overwhelmed with all that I had to learn, so I turned to other food blogs to learn about Celiac Disease and how to cook gluten-free recipes. A few months in, my health was returning, and I couldn’t have been happier. I was cooking gluten-free recipes and having so much fun in the kitchen, so I decided that I wanted to share my recipes with others. I knew that I had something special to share, and I wanted to help other people with Celiac Disease in the same way that other blogs had helped me. I didn’t want people to feel alone when they receive this diagnosis, and I wanted to show them that living a gluten-free lifestyle doesn’t have to be difficult or stressful.

The blog started as a hobby, and has grown so much over the years. My recipes are unique because they are not only gluten-free, but also dairy-free. I try to include all different types of recipes for everyone living with different dietary restrictions. Consistency, hard work, and lots of practice is what helped my website grow to what it is today. Things are always evolving when it comes to online businesses, so I am constantly trying to learn new things. But the most rewarding thing to come out of the blog are the connections that I have made with my readers over the years.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would definitely take my friends to do all of the outdoor activities that Phoenix has to offer! Hiking Camelback, visiting Papago Park, and maybe even taking a quick trip up to Flagstaff. The Phoenix area also has so many good food spots that offer gluten-free options. We would go walk around Old Town Scottsdale and Kierland Commons. A few food spots between those two that I love are True Food Kitchen, Farm & Craft, Gluten Free Creations Bakery, Flower Child, and Pomegranate Cafe.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My husband has always been my biggest supporter and encourager. He was completely on board when we needed to change to a gluten-free lifestyle, and has always been a huge supporter of The Wheatless Kitchen. Not to mention, he is my chief taste-tester for all of the recipes on the website!

Website: www.thewheatlesskitchen.com

Instagram: @thewheatlesskitchen

Image Credits
Photographer: Joshua Ratliff

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