The income I earn through Google-supported ads allows me the freedom of time and choice and the ability to support my family.
Kristin Porter
Founder & President
When Kristin Porter was diagnosed with celiac disease in 2013, she was told to start eating gluten-free immediately. “But what that entails is usually left up to the patient to figure out,” she says. As the founder of Iowa Girl Eats, a cooking and lifestyle site she launched in 2009, Kristin was in a good position to figure it out–for herself, and others. She began posting gluten-free versions of simple recipes for everything from thai curry to lasagna to gooey cinnamon rolls. “It opened up a whole new community of people who need support, recipes, and ideas,” Kristin remembers. “I realized I had an incredible opportunity to use this platform I’d already built to help a community in need.” The Google products she’d used from the start to run and grow her company helped her expand successfully: The company’s revenues grow by an average of 23 percent a year. Iowa Girl Eats now attracts 8.5 million visitors and 15 million page views a year.
Kristin uses Google Workspace to connect with remote employees and contractors, and Google Analytics and Search Console to plan marketing and content strategy. She’s earned money through Google-supported ads since 2010. “The income has allowed me the freedom of time and choice and the ability to support my family,” she says. “I was able to fulfill a lifelong dream of working for myself while being home with my kids.” An added bonus? Her husband was able to leave a high-stress career to join her in the company. Kristin has since self-published a book with recipes and guidance for going gluten-free, and she’s currently expanding her YouTube channel. “What I love most about my business is being able to help people eat gluten-free safely, easily, and deliciously,” Kristin says. “To help someone eat a cinnamon roll when they haven’t had one for 20 years–it’s just awesome.”