- Words by Toby Tannas Photography by Darren Hull

When Tori Wesszer greets me at the periwinkle-blue front door of her West Kelowna home, I feel like I already know her. As one of her 171,000 followers on Instagram, IB次元官网网址檝e logged a lot of hours watching and learning from this dynamo. Tori has cooked up a huge audience by following her passion for food.

B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 so much joy in feeding people,B次元官网网址� she says with a smile. B次元官网网址淔ood is love. It brings such a huge amount of pride and satisfaction when we can feed someone.B次元官网网址�

A dietitian by trade, Tori is emerging as one of CanadaB次元官网网址檚 top lifestyle influencers. Her Fraiche Living blog and Instagram account inspire thousands of people daily. , ToriB次元官网网址檚 newly published cookbook (created with cousin Jillian Harris), is climbing the bestseller lists and sheB次元官网网址檚 just about to launch a new meal-planning tool on her website.

B次元官网网址淚 want to help people get a healthy meal on the table. Feeding your family a good, balanced meal that you can all eat together around the table is achievable.B次元官网网址�

ToriB次元官网网址檚 wizardry in the kitchen began at a young age.

B次元官网网址淲hen I was a kid I just loved reading cookbooks. My parents would have friends over and I would cater their parties at 12 years old, just because it was fun.B次元官网网址�

Tori is still having fun in the kitchen despite the fact her passion has become her full-time job.

B次元官网网址淢y mom jokes with me and asks me all the time how I can still like cooking dinner, but I do,B次元官网网址� she laughs. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 very aware of keeping the passion alive. I never want it to feel like a job.B次元官网网址�

When sheB次元官网网址檚 not dreaming up new recipes or testing them in the kitchen, Tori and her team are busy writing, photographing and planning content for the blog.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 more difficult than I thought it was going to be,B次元官网网址� she admits. B次元官网网址淲hen I started I thought, B次元官网网址楬ow hard could it be to blog?B次元官网网址� Turns out there is a lot to it, which ultimately is part of the journey and the joy.B次元官网网址�

As a mother of two young boys, Tori loves and appreciates the flexibility of working from home. She admits, however, that a healthy balance between work time and personal time is a new thing for her.

B次元官网网址淭he boundary thing has been a bit tricky for me. Up until very recently, I would put my kids to bed and then go back to the computer and work until I got tired. Sometimes that was at two or three in the morning.B次元官网网址�

Hiring a small team, including a business manager, has helped put more structure into ToriB次元官网网址檚 work days. ThereB次元官网网址檚 another side to the business, though, thatB次元官网网址檚 definitely not nine to five. A successful influencer must have a strong connection with their audience.

B次元官网网址淧art of my work is sharing my personal life,B次元官网网址� she explains. B次元官网网址淧eople want to see a connection, something that inspires them.B次元官网网址�

A big part of ToriB次元官网网址檚 appeal is her openness. Through Instagram stories, fans get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of her life at any hour of the day. They see into her home, her family life and her friendships, and sometimes it gets really personal.

B次元官网网址淵ou have to show some of the realness, you have to be a bit vulnerable, you have to show what your life is about, otherwise I donB次元官网网址檛 think there would be too much for people to connect to.B次元官网网址�

ToriB次元官网网址檚 ultimate goal is to inspire people. Her hope is that Fraiche Living fans feel inspired to simplify and beautify their lives. SheB次元官网网址檚 very clear about one thing: she never wants to give the impression that her life is perfect.

B次元官网网址淲e are living in a really crazy society. WeB次元官网网址檙e surrounded on social media with pictures of perfection, homes that look perfect, kids that never fight. ItB次元官网网址檚 just not realistic.B次元官网网址�

A scroll through the Fraiche Living website and Instagram feed is a feast for the eyes: dreamy, delicious B次元官网网址� dare I say B次元官网网址減erfect?B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� photos of food, family, fashion and d茅cor.

B次元官网网址淲e do our best to make the pictures look the best we can, thereB次元官网网址檚 no doubt about that,B次元官网网址� she concedes. B次元官网网址淏ut what you see in the grid should be taken as something to inspire you. ItB次元官网网址檚 not in any way an indication that that personB次元官网网址檚 life looks like that all the time.B次元官网网址�

Tori offers to show me her basement as an example of B次元官网网址渞eal lifeB次元官网网址� with two boys. (For the record, itB次元官网网址檚 a bit messy!)

She appears on camera without make-up, sheB次元官网网址檚 open about having rough days and she shares heart-wrenching B次元官网网址渕ommyB次元官网网址� moments.

B次元官网网址淎 life well lived comes in so many shapes and forms. I feel passionate about that. I have down days where I nitpick myself. I know most women do. IB次元官网网址檓 so thankful to have a great support system.B次元官网网址�

Tori always makes time to connect with her husband Charles. ItB次元官网网址檚 not surprising they most often meet in the kitchen.

B次元官网网址淐harles is a really great cook. ItB次元官网网址檚 really nice to have someone in my life who understands what drives me and shares that passion. Our idea of a great night is cracking a bottle of wine, and then we put Frank Sinatra on and cook together.B次元官网网址�

In the learn-as-you-go world of social influencers, Tori is becoming a star. SheB次元官网网址檚 relatable, she cares, sheB次元官网网址檚 got passion and drive. You definitely get the sense sheB次元官网网址檚 just getting started.

B次元官网网址淚 have this massive gratitude to be honest and it makes me emotional. I love what IB次元官网网址檓 doing and thereB次元官网网址檚 so much more I want to do.B次元官网网址�

Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
Like Boulevard Magazine on and follow them on