The E2M Chef Connect team created three healthy lifestyle cookbooks comprised of entrepreneur and E2M fitness founder and trainer Jeff Witherspoon, Chef Jennie Casselman, and Chef Andres Chaparro. In collaboration with the SPARK Publications team and photographer Shane Amoroson, they produced this multi-award-winning, high-selling, life-impacting series of cookbooks Eager2Cook Healthy Recipes. To follow is a consolidated interview from great conversations with Chef Andres and Chef Jennie.
What sparked your interest in writing this book series?
[Andres] The idea for these books came from a clear need within the E2M fitness program. Many members expressed difficulties with meal planning and uncertainty about what to prepare. Our cooking classes beginning in 2020 revealed a real need for guidance in the kitchen for meals and meal prep, especially since many of the members are everyday people and aren’t trained cooks. The cookbook series aims to address the limitations members face with the limited items in the meal plan each week and to inspire them to be creative with the ingredients they have. It’s about showing them possibilities and options to create meals with the items that they do have rather than being limited by their current restrictions.
[Jennie] Absolutely, our E2M fitness clients needed a resource that would simplify their meal plans into easy-to-follow recipes. With a background in communication and a passion for writing, the opportunity to merge my expertise in communication with my culinary skills into a single product has been very rewarding.
What part of the writing and publishing process was harder than you expected, and how did SPARK Publications help you through this process?
[Jennie] Editing, editing, and yet more editing. Just when we thought we had submitted the complete recipes and materials, their exceptional level of professionalism provided an even higher standard of work.
[Andres] The hardest part was finding our flow in presenting the recipes, given the very different writing, creating, and adjusting styles of two chefs. SPARK Publications was instrumental in creating a recipe format and a style that worked for both chefs, allowing the recipes to be written in such a way that they appeared to come from one person. Additionally, the overall editing process was a significant help. It ensured that all the content flowed well and that we used consistent measurement abbreviations, among other important details. This meticulous attention to detail made everything come together more smoothly, greatly aiding our final product.
Share with the readers a time or two when SPARK Publications went above and beyond to produce the best version of your book.
[Jennie] SPARK Publications created a great digital way for us to gather our member stories and photos which showcased the member “Success Stories” throughout the cookbooks. They efficiently gathered and edited and designed each step of the way. They remained remarkably flexible while accommodating the various changes in our plans and timing.
[Andres] The SPARK Publications team excelled with their project management, coordination, and overall creativity throughout the entire project. The way they set up the photo shoot grid was a game-changer, providing us with inspiration and focus on the fine details we were initially unaware of. Their on-location art direction, styling, and coordination were invaluable. The knowledge we gained from these planning and art direction sessions was directly applied to the photos by our team for the next books in the series, laying a strong foundation for our future projects. The creative project management skills, on-site presence, insightful design, structure, and genuine care for our vision truly made a difference. It’s that extra mile the team at SPARK Publications went by providing white-glove service that significantly helped us complete and publish the book series.
Chef Jennie & Chef Andres thoughts on working with SPARK Publications:
[Jennie] Working with SPARK Publications eliminated the guesswork from the entire book writing and publishing process.
[Andres] This honest feedback, while at times hard to accept, was exactly why we sought out professionals—it was necessary.
How has the experience and your book impacted your career and business?
[Andres] It’s had a tremendous positive impact. Firstly, I’m being recognized in the most unexpected places, which is quite surprising to me. The increased visibility and name recognition have been fantastic. My business partners have been able to leverage this for significant advancements. It’s really about getting the word out and delivering a quality product, because if it’s not up to par, people won’t be interested in purchasing it, or in booking or engaging with us. At the start, I was the more reserved one on our team, and the experience was particularly beneficial as I transitioned to my next role. It assisted me in creating and developing a meal concept for the E2M Kitchen program, giving me the foresight needed for that initiative The skills I’ve honed in project management, organizing, planning, and ensuring everything is in its rightful place were enhanced by this publishing experience and have proven invaluable.
[Jennie] Our cookbooks have been Best Sellers for many months on Amazon and have given the E2M program and us authors visibility to a much larger audience that we can support with a healthy lifestyle and recipes.
What’s one tip or piece of advice you would give to a business owner or a thought leader who wants to write a book?
[Andres] The most important aspect is to have your ideas well thought out. Select a clear path and vision and stick to it. For a business owner or entrepreneur, this can be quite challenging, yet it’s essential that the book’s direction encompasses the focus, audience, and topics you wish to cover, and the writing style is nearly complete before you dive into the full production process. Getting that initial manuscript down before planning out the books is crucial; it prevents any delay in the direction of your book. It’s about having most of your content thought out and ready to efficiently integrate all the elements to bring your book to life.
[Jennie] It’s a lot of work! Determining the desired outcome and understanding the book’s general use are key to effective delivery. Be prepared to pivot and remain open to collaboration on ideas and mainly— trust in the professionals.
Can you share feedback about your experience with SPARK Publications?
[Andres] Working with SPARK Publications means you’re investing in their expertise and knowledge, and that’s exactly what we received. As creative Chefs, we often wanted to grasp every idea, to say, ‘I want this, I want that.’ SPARK Publications expertly guided us to refine our focus and discover the best path for our success, especially when we found ourselves pivoting and altering our direction. Their team was instrumental in keeping us on track. Their adaptability and receptiveness to changes in direction were remarkable. They welcomed our ideas but also didn’t shy away from advising against strategies that wouldn’t serve our objectives. This honest feedback, while at times hard to accept, was exactly why we sought out professionals—it was necessary. They showed us there are multiple approaches to reach a desired outcome or perspective. Throughout the process, the team was very nice and consistently professional, which we greatly value and appreciate.
[Jennie] Working with SPARK Publications eliminated the guesswork from the entire book writing and publishing process. As a newcomer to book writing, their patience and talent was invaluable. They guided me through each step, keeping us on course as we progressed through the series.
Share some Wins!
- Collaborated to teach youth healthy and easy cooking methods for after school. It fuels our hearts and allows us to contribute positively to the community.
- Utilized a portion of the proceeds from the book to contribute to several organizations and to build a playground for a family in need.
- Received positive feedback at national meetups, with attendees highlighting the impactful cooking advice from our books.
- Became multi-award-winning national authors for the book’s creative excellence.
- Earned Amazon best seller status for many months!
- Sold over 100,000 books… so far!
- Jennie was selected out of thousands of chefs to compete on an international TV stage with Chef Gordon Ramsay on the most popular cooking TV show on Fox, “Next Level Chef.”
Cover and food photography by Shane Amoroson.
Connect with Chef Jennie Casselman
Connect with Chef Andres Chaparro
- @Chef_andres_Chaparro on IG
Are you ready to publish your book? Learn more here.