Apple Cider Vinegar and the Danger of Trying to Be Part of the “In” Crowd
Photo by Elevae Visuals
Cookbook publishing has a cool kid problem. Someone starts to do something a little different than everyone else. They may have a cool aesthetic online and in person. People start to catch on wanting to copy them because they’re popular. If that’s what’s working, why would you do something different—like coming up with your own point of view? But at least, you’re cool, right?
When Instagram took off in 2012, the social media influencer was born. Bloggers paved the way with ad monetization, but in a matter of minutes (theoretically), you could post a picture on Instagram with a small caption and be done. In the beginning, it was aspirational—something you could enjoy in chronological order and then put away.
As the app grew though, it became a tool for advertisers to use content creators as the faces for their companies. Through monetization and increased audience reach, Instagram influencers were able to make whole brands off of their content—without having to worry about SEO and long blog posts. You could post photos of your trip to Greece or dinner with your equally beautiful friends and get hundreds and thousands of likes, which equals cha-ching cha-ching. But there’s always a price to be part of the “in” crowd.
In Netflix’s Apple Cider Vinegar, you see the scripted version of Belle Gibson’s rise to fame. An Australian health influencer who claimed she cured her cancer through her recipes. She built a multi-million dollar app, got a cookbook deal, and then saw it all flushed down the toilet because of charity fraud.
But she never had cancer in the first place.
Instead, she used this disease to curate a lifestyle brand and influence people to follow the same path. In part, she allegedly saw the success of other influencers, one being the fictional Milla Blake in the series, and chose to copy the playbook.
In the early days of Instagram, health influencers were sharing ways they naturally cured themselves of terminal illnesses. One influencer being Jessica Ainscough, whose story is strikingly similar to Milla Blake’s in Apple Cider Vinegar. Blake’s applied cancer treatment for her epithelioid sarcoma included juicing every hour, on the hour, for 13 hours a day and twice daily coffee enemas. It’s the same method the real life Belle Gibson said “cured her of cancer”.
Jessica Ainscough gained over a million followers, published a cookbook, and built a community of people who were advocates for her and the hope she inspired. According to her father, she did extensive research when she got her cancer diagnosis. After looking at all the options, Gerson Therapy seemed to be her best bet, and it worked for a while. Ultimately though, complications with radiation would take her life just a few months shy of her 30th birthday.
It’s reported that like in Apple Cider Vinegar, the real-life Belle and Jessica were not friends, but Belle used any connection to Jessica as leverage for her own brand. It’s who you know right? Everyone wants to be part of the cool kids club, and the publishing industry has a hand in it because they’re in the business of selling books. And what sells cookbooks better than a guide for curing cancer through your diet? Especially if you’re attractive and take Pinterest-worthy photos?
That’s not an accusation; it’s a fact. Large platforms draw dollars, so if a publisher finds an author with a highly engaged audience who has a mission, why wouldn’t they want to sign them? The danger lies in jumping on a trend because you think it’s your only way to get a cookbook deal or the recognition you desire. You abandon your point of view or personal story to fit into the mold of the moment.
Some current molds sound like:
You need to fix your gut health.
Oh, and if you want to avoid (naturally) occurring insulin spikes, get this supplement.
These crazes have made way for cookbooks on all of the above. The obsession with clean eating (which is kind of garbage anyway) has made room for thousands (yes, thousands) of cookbooks on the topic. So, it could be easy to fall into the trap of making something it seems like people want and will put some money in your pocket. But you’re screwed once the fad is over because you don’t have anything interesting to say.
Creator beware.
This isn’t anything new though.
In the 1800’s, you could go into any general store to find a cure for cancer, toe fungus, and a saucy coating for your rotting meat with a single bottle of who-knows-what. Well, the bottle probably said ketchup, but there was no way to know what exactly was inside. Ketchup, which had many varieties, including oyster and mushroom, was marketed as medicine.
Then, along comes Henry Heinz who believed consumers deserved to know what was in their food, what it actually would do, and the ingredients included. Up until that point, bottles were often dark and fully covered, so you couldn’t see what was or wasn’t in there. So, he became an advocate for the Pure Food and Drug Use Act, which ultimately snuffed out his fake cure-all competition. His clear glass bottles, list of whole ingredients, and the lack of preservatives won him customers to this day.
It would have been easy to follow along and do what everyone was doing, but Heinz believed in what he was making. There was a why behind his work. And you should have the same courage to create something you truly believe in—not something you think will make you a quick buck or land you a cookbook deal. That’s why having the right people around you is so important.
The sad part about Belle Gibson’s story (minus the people she scammed) is that she wanted to belong. She wrote a story that would make her part of the “in” crowd, and in some ways, we all do it. Whether it’s going to certain industry events or following specific people online, there’s a validation that comes from being adjacent to a thing.
But what if you created something that screams your name and no one else's?
Instead of trying to get a seat at the cool kids' table, you need to find a place where you can be yourself—where you’re celebrated for who you are, not what people want you to be. There’s room for everyone to show up as they are. You don’t need a gimmick or to hop on a trend.
It’s time to own your voice, and you can start by joining Writing Gold. This free masterclass will show you how to find your story and use it to grow and connect with your audience. You’ll skip over the stress of “I don’t know what to write” and will have a plan that’ll keep you and your typing fingers on the move. And you’ll learn how to trust yourself and your intuition about what you should and shouldn’t create.
Click here to grab your spot now.
Stop looking at trends and create something no one can duplicate. Because you know what’s really cool? Being your own “in” crowd and knowing that there can never be another like you.
