C-K’s Work/Life: Don Baiocchi of Paleo Gluten-Free Guy.

C-K Work/Life features stories about the many hobbies, passion projects, side gigs, interests and hustles that C-Kers pursue in their lives.

Don Baiocchi has worked at C-K since 2006. He is a Senior Administrative Assistant for our PR/social, brand planning and Edward Jones account team and is an actor. But that’s not all, he also has a love for food, specifically food that follows a Paleo and/or gluten-free diet. Just last year launched his blog, Paleo Gluten-Free Guy to share different recipes and recommendations for those anyone interested in eating Paleo or gluten-free.

When and why did you decide to start your blog?

It’s brand new as of Dec. 1, 2018! I had been sharing food I made on Facebook and Instagram (as one does) and kept getting positive feedback. The more I thought about it, the more I thought I had something to contribute, so I started a separate Instagram account, which is fun but has its limits. I then finally built a blog to create something more comprehensive.

Why did you decide to focus on Paleo and gluten-free diets?

I basically obsess about food all the time. I was a super picky eater as a kid, but once I started cooking and baking in college, I became greedy to try everything I could. I had to go Paleo for health reasons but there was no way I was going to give up eating well. Now the way I eat is so normal to me I forget that it’s not normal for a lot of people, so I’m trying to share recipes that anyone would like regardless of how they eat or how much they cook. Food makes people happy, food photography can be beautiful, so I’m basically just trying to provide more happiness and beauty in the world.

How do you find time to keep the blog alive while working at C-K?

Nights and weekends! The main thing I told myself when starting this blog is, it can be whatever you want it to be. So, if that means only working on it at nights and weekends and posting about once a week, that’s perfectly fine for me.

You are also an actor as well – Seriously how do you find the time?

There can be a lot of downtime for an actor. When I’m between acting gigs or classes, I start to feel physically and creatively antsy. So, this blog is a great way to scratch all those creative itches without waiting for someone else to give me the opportunity to do it, as is normally the case with acting. I’m cooking all the time anyway, so the blog is a great excuse to be more creative about it.

What has been the most rewarding part of starting your blog?

After so many years of cooking other people’s recipes (which I still enjoy), it’s been a great challenge to have to create my own content. Taking a recipe from a thought in my head to a post with a recipe and photographs I did myself is really satisfying.

Has being a blogger help you in your life at C-K?

At C-K our motto is make friends, not ads. When people find out about my blog it sparks really interesting conversations, which shows our motto in real life. I’ve found that there’s such a range of how much people cook at home, how good (or not) they feel about their skills, and what they like to cook so it’s interesting to hear different perspectives and recommendations.

What is the best piece of advice you received about your career?

Be kind to others. Seriously. Obviously, you should do this just for the sake of it, but you also never know what connections might help you professionally as well. No one wants to work with a jerk.

Anything else you want to share?

In this era of #selfcare, cooking can be a highly satisfying way to nourish yourself and others. There are so many things in life we can’t control, it’s comforting to know exactly what you’re getting when you make your food from scratch. And people get so happy when you cook something for them it’s kind of adorable. If it seems too intimidating, just remember it’s like anything else: the more you do it, the better you get at it.

For more information, check out Don’s blog: https://paleoglutenfreeguy.com/ or give him a follow on Instagram @paleoglutenfreeguy