Sep 12, 2008
Low Fat Cooking Queen – Meet Annette Sym
My guest today is Annette Sym, the founder of Symply Too Good. Annette is the low fat cooking queen. She has written 5 low fat cookbooks so far and all of them are best sellers. Annette’s books have sold millions of copies and in the process Symply Too Good has become a multi-million dollar award winning business.
How did you come up with the idea for your business?
 |
Having struggled with obesity for most of my life I knew first hand how hard it was to stick to a diet and also how horrible it was to live of ‘diet food’. During the time I was losing weight I devised all these fabulous recipes that not only helped me lose 35 kilos but made the journey easy. It seemed a good idea to put the recipes into a book and publish it. I felt there may be others out there just like me who would value what I do and thank goodness I was right. |
How do you plan your day? What are your time management tips for mothers with businesses who are trying to juggle work and home lives?
I live by my diary. Even to the point where I write in my exercise time so that I have no excuses. When I first started my business back 9 years ago my 3 daughters were 17,15 and 11 so they were able to look after themselves a bit so that helped. I found that what worked best for me was to learn how to delegate.One of the first things I did when I started my business was to get a cleaning lady and an ironing lady. This meant that when I did get some spare time I could dedicate it to my children. Sometimes there is guilt associated with working mums and so for me I felt that it was better to work on quality not quantity. I actually sat down and had a ‘meeting’ with my girls and explained to them how excited I was about writing the cookbooks and how much it meant to me to do this and that they may find that mum just wouldn’t be there sometimes. If I was interstate or speaking at a function or on the phone all day it meant that they had to wait to talk to me. Sometimes this is hard for kids to grasp but I also explained to them that if this business was successful than they may get a nice holiday out of it and also we may be able to afford the things such as new shoes, cds etc. that at the time we couldn’t afford. I think that the best thing was explaining to them how much it meant to me to do what I do and how much it was going to help people and from this they understood it better. I can be obsessed with my business so it really is about giving to your family when they really need you and validating them. If you do this then they won’t mind the other little inconveniences that come along. My daughters are proud of me and tell me this often, I showed them what you can achieve if you dare to dream and that women in Australia can achieve amazing success. As long as your children (and husband) know that you are there for them and that they are your number 1 priority then things work out.
You have launched 5 books so far – all of them best sellers. All the five books have very interesting menus. In the books, you show us the low fat way of making these mouth watering dishes. How do you come up with these menus and their recipes?
Good question…..I just play in the kitchen. I get ingredients and think “now what can I do with this”. Often I adapt favourites such as lasagna or sticky date pudding and put a healthy swing to them but many of the recipes I have created. I love the flavour of pizza so I have used this in various ways such as my PIZZA PASTA BAKE in book 4, I use the ingredients such as onion, capsicum, mushrooms, ham, tomato and cheese and fold this with pasta and a tomato sauce and ‘viola’ a fabulous tasting recipe for the family to enjoy is created.
Do you set ‘Goals’? Are ‘Goals’ important?
I am the goal queen. I love making lists and having goals gives me a clear focus on what I want to achieve and where I am going. For example I do ‘goal poster’ and have it in my office. I have written what I want to achieve in the next 3 years and as I achieve them I cross them off. I have this looking at me every day so it keeps me thinking about my goals all the time.I also use this type of poster when I write a cookbook. For example when I wrote book 5 I had each of the categories listed and numbered e.g. CHICKEN and numbered 1-10 and I would write in pencil ideas that I had for each section. As they were completed they would be written in with a thick red texture. This way I could quickly and clearly see how much I had done and also it was very exciting to see the poster fill up with lots of red writing.I say “Goals are a dream with a deadline”. And if you are not clear on what your goals are in your business then how can you climb the ladder of success ?
Your product ‘CD-Rom Menu Planner’ is very impressive and can definitely make the lives of business mothers a bit easier. Can you tell us a bit more about this product?
Many times people say they know what they should do when it comes to losing weight but just don’t do it which is why I created my Cd-rom menu planner so that it helps people to have a clear plan of what they are to eat and how much to have. I also did a 28 day weight loss plan in book 5 which has been a huge success for many people. Mums are so busy that it really helps if you can check out a list and know what you are to prepare and eat for the day. It does mean that you have to shop and spend time in the kitchen but it will organise you and help you shed those unwanted kilos easily. My cd-rom menu planner is like having your own personal weight loss club at home. For those who haven’t got the time to go to weight loss meetings or can’t afford it then my menu planner will solve this problem.
Can you tell us the most effective bit of marketing you have ever done?
I think creating the life size statue of myself in the swimming costume at 100 kilos. It is a great before and after and shows that I was once an obese lady and so I know how it feels to be overweight. I think it gives people hope to know that I was able to lose 35 kilos and have also been able to stay in my healthy weight range for over 14 years. I also think that having recipe books that have a picture of each recipe, easy to prepare and ingredients readily available in supermarkets was a bonus as well.
Finally, your five keys to success?
1. Believe in what you do. Your business must be your passion otherwise you will resent the long hours. For me when I am at work I am at play, I love every minute of it and don’t feel like I am working.
2. Research all areas of the business before you commence. Make sure it is a viable business that the public will want, need and desire.
3. Take baby steps, don’t rush things.
4. Eat a healthy diet and exercise, it will keep you alert and energized to work long hours and think smart. If you get sick or are unwell all the time I ask you how long will your business survive if you can’t get your head of the pillow? Your healthy should be your top priority.
5. Don’t make decisions based on fear. When in doubt listen to your gut feeling, it will never let you down.
Sites Of Interest
Read Annette’s Butter Chicken Recipe Here – Low Fat Chicken Recipes