Publisher: Protein Pow — High-Protein Cakes, Cookies, Protein Bars, and More!

Let me start by telling you how it all started: Protein Pow was founded by yours truly, Anna Sward, in late January of 2011. It was born one day, when, chatting to my dear friend Stina, she suggested I start a blog as a break from my unrelated-to-fitness-and-nutrition PhD. “If you want to retain your sanity while you work on finishing your thesis, you NEED a creative outlet; otherwise you’re going to go mad!” And I agreed – my PhD was pretty intense. I also thought a blog would be useful because, what better way to flex one’s writing muscles than by actually writing every day? But right away I ran into a problem: I didn’t know what to write about. Diary-type blogging didn’t appeal to me and I didn’t think tracking the minutia of my daily thoughts would make for engaging writing (let alone reading). That’s when Stina asked me the question that started it all (this is me and Stina around that time). That’s when she asked me, “What do you LOVE to do in your free time?” 1001181_10100134900929622_548233273_n This blog was my answer. It’s a blog that was born out of three interdependent passions: a passion for exercise, a passion for nutrition, and a passion for creating healthy and delicious food!Oh and a passion for writing and drawing, though those two aren’t so interdependent, hehe. Three to four times a week during 2011, I would play around with my protein powders after the gym, come up with recipes for them, and generally make a (relative) mess out of my kitchen before and after every workout – from kitchen to war-zone to kitchen again. And then I graduated in 2012. “What now?” I asked myself. I had an MA and PhD. I had been published in academic journals and a book chapter with my name on it had just come out. I had plenty of opportunities to go down into the world of academia and immerse myself in a growing field that I actually found fascinating. But I didn’t go down that route. YEYEAH No, I launched Protein Pow as a company – a company designed to support the blog’s rapidly expanding mission and promote the growth protein pow(d)ered cuisine. My family and friends thought it was the strangest move ever (some of them are still confused by my move from academia to protein, hehe). But me? No way. This little website that started as a hobby has given rise to one of the most exciting journeys I could ever have imagined! With over 1,000 recipes, proteinpow.com is the world’s leading website for protein powder recipes. It has inspired thousands of people around the world to get more inventive with their nutrition and enjoy their healthy food. It has given rise to a global community that every day keeps growing. PUNCHER At the same time, my recipes have featured in several magazines and fitness websites and, since early 2013, I run a monthly column at Bodybuilding.com as well as Muscle & Fitness magazine. I’ve written what is now an internationally acclaimed cookbook and created an app – the Protein Pow App – that week after week finds its way to the top of the iTunes chart. I also host protein cooking workshops with professional athletes and members of the general public alike (here’s a sample gallery). If you have any questions (business or cooking-related), feel free to drop me an e-mail at anna@proteinpow.com and/or connect with me at LinkedIn.