Our Team

Cheryl Malik

Founder & President

Digital marketer and brand developer turned full-time food blogger, Cheryl’s pretty sure she has the best job ever. Cheryl’s work within the food blogging niche marries her experience in the branding sector to give her vision for growth and goals that help bloggers zero in on their niche and head to the next level. She even created a go-at-your-own-pace blogging course, Food Blogging Bootcamp, that’ll help you grow your own blog in a matter of weeks. Cheryl has three little ones, and she lives with her family in Memphis, TN where she runs three successful food blogs: 40 Aprons, Easy Healthy Recipes, and Easy Cheap Recipes.

Brittany Ervin

Director of Operations

For over a decade Britt has worked with companies and independent businesses both large and small as a media specialist. She has a great passion for digital engagement – and food! – and loves using her years of experience and skills to help bloggers grow their audiences and reach their goals. Britt has been with us since October of 2019 and is a vital part of our team and handles things from sales, new contracts, assigning clients, and so much more.

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Megan Smith Legett

Director of Communications & Client Relations

Director of SEO & Strategy

Now Director of Content Strategy for 40 Aprons, Megan joined Cheryl’s 40 Aprons team as Copywriter & Marketing Strategist in November 2020. Before joining 40 Aprons, she spent 5 years running her own apparel business, handling product design & fulfillment, customer service, and social media marketing. She’s well-versed in writing & editing, SEO, photography, graphics, and social media, among other things. Megan has a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Photography from Lambuth University and an MBA in Marketing from Louisiana State University.

Kiki Johnson

Director of Pinterest Strategy

Senior VA

Kiki Johnson is a German/Canadian Food Blogger who got her start back in 2012 while she was finishing up her Master’s Degree in Foreign Languages with a minor in Marketing and Communication. Since then she has seen great success with her bilingual blog Cinnamon and Coriander, has published her own cookbook and has contributed to such A-list publications as Home & Garden, Good Housekeeping, Country Living, and Shape Magazine as well as many German-language publications. Having led a fairly nomadic lifestyle in her early 20’s, she now splits her time between her homes in Mexico, Canada, and Germany. Concerning her work with 40a, her areas of expertise include -Copywriting -Content Creation -Recipe Development with a strong focus on Healthy International Cuisine -SEO Optimization -Keyword Research -Editorial Planning -Social Media Strategies -Pinterest Strategy, and Management.

Our Virtual Assistants

Our network of VAs is comprised entirely of hyper-talented food bloggers and social media specialists with a range of skills, meaning we can offer almost any service to support your food blog, from SEO updating and keyword research to podcast editing, recipe photo shoots to marketing funnels. Whatever you need, we’ve got you covered.

They all have their own unique style and backgrounds to make sure we can get you with the right VA to fit your specific needs.

Kim Lee

Kim lives in Fort Worth, Texas, and has her own blog called Kim’s Cravings. She is one of our most experienced VAs and her skills include Facebook curation, SEO and post updating, and Pinterest curation. Kim has been with us since June 2019.

Tara Weber

Tara lives in Nashville, TN but actually used to live in Memphis. Cheryl and Christina have personally worked with Tara and have known her for over 10 years. Her experience includes Facebook curation, Instagram management, Pinterest scheduling, SEO, copywriting, and newsletters. Tara also has her own business and website called Cherie Bombs, where she makes colorful, cute, handmade bath, shower, and skin products if you would like to check it out!

Ashley Harper

Harper worked in the IT field in the USA for the last 10 years, but is currently living the Digital Nomad life traveling Europe for the foreseeable future, and currently struggling with learning how to use European cooking appliances on a daily basis. Her passions are cooking, copywriting, and traveling to new and exciting places. Her expertise includes Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest curation, Canva, and more! She joined our team in April of 2021.

Rachel Phipps

Rachel joined our team in October of 2021. She is from Kent, United Kingdom, and her expertise includes Facebook curation, Instagram, Pinterest, as well as SEO, and copywriting. She is a food writer, cookbook author, and recipe developer. Rachel also has her own website, https://www.rachelphipps.com/, if you would like to check it out!

Sarah Trenda

Since becoming part of our team in December 2019, Sarah has done amazing work with Facebook curation and Pinterest. She lives in Minnesota and also has skills in SEO, copywriting photoshop, and podcast editing. Sarah graduated with a degree in Strategic Communications with an emphasis in Advertising.

Emilija Murdzoska

Emilija has been with us since March of 2021! She lives in North Macedonia and has amazing experience with Instagram curation, Pinterest scheduling, Photoshop, video editing, copywriting, and of course SEO. Emilija also has her blog, Emilia’s Food Cravings, if you want to check it out.

Ashley Stephenson

Ashley joined us in February of 2022 and lives in Arnold, Maryland. Her experience includes Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram curation, copywriting, and SEO. She is also familiar with podcasts and video editing. She is also fully certified in our newest Pinterest training.

Jasmine Comer

Jasmine is our resident photographer and is a member of Cheryl’s personal team! She has worked closely with Cheryl since February of 2021 and has done incredible things for our clients since joining 40A. in the fall of 2021! Jasmine is from North Carolina and started her own food blog in 2016: www.livelymeals.com. That’s what lead her to the work she is doing today which includes food photography, food videography, and recipe development.

Lauren Phelps

Lauren has been with us since May of 2022. She lives in Denver, Colorado, and her experience includes Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram curation, as well as copywriting, and SEO. She is also fully certified in our newest Pinterest training and SEO Best Practices. Lauren also has her own food IG, Blissful Kitchen, if you would like to check it out, and is currently in culinary school!

Daniela Landero

Daniela has lived in México City for six years. She is an architect, with more than 6 years of experience in interior design and construction, but also a foodie lover with some experience with Facebook and Pinterest scheduling, and copywriting. She is also learning about video editing. In her free time, she studies French, eats delicious food, and reads good books. Daniela joined our team in June of 2022!

Ivana Mateski

Ivana has been with us since September 2022! She lives in Crown Point, Indiana and her experience includes Instagram and Facebook curation, copywriting, video and podcast editing, and SEO.

Ashley Amundsen

Ashley joined our team in 2020 and was with us until 2022. She then left to spend some quality time with family and also perfect her craft even more. She was an excellent photographer and member of our agency even before that so you can imagine how happy we are to have her back. She’s rejoined our team as of February of 2024. Her skills include social media, podcast editing, video editing, and photography!

Holly O’Donovan

Holly joined our team in June of 2023, following in the footsteps of her sister Amy. She lives in Scotland where she graduated with a BA in English and French and has run her own social media platforms professionally for years. Her strengths are Instagram, Video Editing, and SEO Updating.