A woman who started her own cookbook empire from a makeshift desk made from an ironing board and a borrowed computer has shared her tips for business success.
Annette Sym, the woman behind the weight loss manifestos ‘Symply Too Good to be True’ has sold more than four million copies since she began writing down her recipes in 1997.
After two decades of hard work, Annette’s debut cookbook is still on the bestseller list and she has penned seven more titles in her multi-million dollar series.
Annette Sym, (pictured) the woman behind the weight-loss manifestos ‘Symply Too Good to be True’ has sold over four million copies since she began writing down her recipes in 1997
After two decades of hard work, Annette’s debut cookbook is still on the bestseller list and she has penned seven more titles in her multi-million dollar series (Pictured in cake form)
Speaking with Sunshine Coast Daily, the 62-year-old revealed her humble beginnings as an aspiring author on her own weight-loss journey to a wildly successful health-food expert.
The 62-year-old (pictured before weight loss) revealed her humble beginnings as an aspiring author on her own weight-loss journey
‘I wanted to help people get off the yo-yo dieting bandwagon and I knew that telling them to live on grilled fish and salad for the rest of their lives wasn’t the answer,’ Annette told the publication.
‘Self-publishing that first cookbook was a huge leap of faith. I asked my in-laws for a loan and printed 10,000 copies hoping I’d be able to repay the debt.’
Annette knows all-too-well the difficulty of shifting extra weight – the bestselling author weighed 100kg at her heaviest and lost 30kg in 20 months.
It was a blurry photo of her in a swimming costume at Mooloolaba Beach which triggered her motivation to live a healthier lifestyle.
‘I wanted to help people get off the yo-yo dieting bandwagon and I knew that telling them to live on grilled fish and salad for the rest of their lives wasn’t the answer,’ Annette told the publication
Annette knows all-too-well the difficulty of shifting extra weight – the bestselling author (pictured before left and after right) weighed 100kg at her heaviest and lost 30kg in 20 months
‘It was horrendous; I weighed 100 kilos and was squeezed into my bulging swimming costume. I sat down and wept,’ Annette writes on her website.
‘When I looked at that photo I saw an extremely overweight, unhealthy woman and I was only 37-years-old.’
Instead of opting for unsustainable or strict diets Annette heavily researched how to lose weight with healthy recipes and light exercise.
‘I decided to forget dieting and looked into the health aspect of food. I came to the conclusion that if I was healthy, the weight would come off by itself. I immediately cut out salt, caffeine and alcohol and started walking and drinking lots of water,’ she said.
It was then that Annette’s ‘love affair’ with low-fat, tasty recipes began and was the catalyst behind her million-dollar empire.
She went from a size 24 to a svelte size 12 and turned her newfound passion for health food into her very first cookbook, which sold a remarkable 10,000 copies in two weeks.
Instead of opting for unsustainable or strict diets Annette heavily researched how to lose weight with healthy recipes and light exercise (Pictured on her wedding day)
She went from a size 24 to a svelte size 12 and turned her newfound passion for health food into her very first cookbook, which sold a remarkable 10,000 copies in two weeks
‘I decided to forget dieting and looked into the health aspect of food. I came to the conclusion that if I was healthy, the weight would come off by itself. I immediately cut out salt, caffeine and alcohol and started walking and drinking lots of water,’ she said
‘Fortunately, local printer John Schroder saw the potential and printed 20,000 more copies on a promise of payment when I received my first cheque,’ she added.
Annette’s business acumen has kept her cookbook flame ignited since the late 1990s and she is celebrating her 20th anniversary by rehashing her old books and refreshing every single page.
Some of Annette’s healthy recipes include instructions for making french toast, nachos, Mexican meatballs and satay pork burgers.
Annette’s business acumen has kept her cookbook flame ignited since the late 1990s and she is celebrating her 20th anniversary by rehashing her old books and refreshing every single page (Pictured before weight loss)
She shared her advice for others hoping to turn their passion into a career, and for Annette, it is all about surrounding yourself with the right people while constantly keeping your product ‘fresh’.
‘Employ people who are passionate about what you do – I write great recipes and can talk under water, but the success of my business wouldn’t have been possible without a bunch of other people who are passionate about their role in supporting me,’ she said.
‘We all have good and bad moments but with the right attitude you can achieve anything. Don’t give up on yourself, just remember we all have times when we feel down and want to give up but whatever you do, don’t. If I can do it so can you.’