Today we’d like to introduce you to Josie Scherer.
Hi Josie, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
In Jo’s Kitchen started as a creative outlet where I could share my love of cooking, recipe development, and bringing people together through food. I’m a self-taught home cook, and so much of my passion for food comes from my Italian-American family and the memories I have of cooking and eating together growing up.
Over time, what started as simply sharing recipes online grew into a community and eventually a business. I’ve had the opportunity to work with brands I genuinely love, host events, continue growing my audience, and explore new ways to turn my passion for food into a career.
Most recently, I decided to take that passion a step further and enroll in culinary school at Cordon Bleu Firenze in Florence, Italy. I completed my first year this summer, which gave me the opportunity to deepen my technical skills, learn more about traditional Italian cooking, and bring an entirely new perspective back to In Jo’s Kitchen. I’m still balancing my career in marketing alongside building In Jo’s Kitchen, but it’s been really exciting to see something that began as a hobby continue to evolve into something much bigger.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It definitely hasn’t been a completely smooth road, but I think most of the challenges have come from trying to make room for something I really love while still balancing everything else in my life. For a long time, In Jo’s Kitchen has been something I’ve built in the hours outside of my full-time job—nights, weekends, and any free time I can find. Learning how to be a recipe developer, content creator, editor, and business owner all at once has involved a lot of trial and error.
Adding culinary school into that mix has taken that balancing act to another level. My three-year program runs from November through early July each year, and because the school is based in Florence, my classes are conducted on Italian time. During the months I’m in the U.S., that has meant waking up extremely early for class before starting my full-time marketing job, and then relocating to Italy from April through July for the hands-on portion of the program.
There have definitely been moments when balancing work, school, content, and life has felt like a lot, but it has also taught me how much I’m capable of when I really care about something. I’ve had to become much more intentional with my time and accept that I can’t do everything perfectly all at once. I think learning to give myself that grace while continuing to show up has been one of the biggest lessons along the way.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
In Jo’s Kitchen is all about making really good food feel approachable. I primarily create and share recipes inspired by Italian and Italian-American cooking, along with the fresh, seasonal style of cooking I love here in California. I’m drawn to recipes that feel special enough to make for friends or family, but realistic enough that you’ll actually want to make them at home.
I think what sets In Jo’s Kitchen apart is that it has always been rooted in genuine curiosity and a love of learning. I started as a completely self-taught home cook, and now I’m able to combine that perspective with what I’m learning through my culinary degree in Italy. I never want food to feel intimidating or overly complicated, so even as my own skills and knowledge grow, I want my recipes and content to remain approachable for the person cooking along at home.
I’m most proud of the community that has grown around In Jo’s Kitchen. Seeing someone make one of my recipes for their family, bring it to a dinner party, or tell me that something I shared gave them the confidence to try cooking something new is still one of the most rewarding parts of what I do. I’m also really proud that I’ve continued to let the brand evolve with me. What began as sharing food I loved has grown into recipe development, brand partnerships, events, culinary education, and a much bigger vision for what In Jo’s Kitchen can eventually become.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
What I love most about San Diego is the lifestyle. It’s pretty hard to beat being able to spend a Saturday morning at a farmers market, grab lunch somewhere amazing, and end the day at the beach. I also love how much the food scene has grown—there are so many incredible restaurants, chefs, and small businesses here, and we have access to such amazing local produce year-round.
What do I like least? Probably that everyone else has figured out how great it is here too! The traffic and cost of living can definitely be a downside, but it’s still a pretty incredible place to call home.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.InJosKitchen.com
- Instagram: @injoskitchen
- Facebook: @injoskitchen
- Other: @injoskitchen on TikTok!
