Elizabeth Stein 0:00

Hi everyone. I'm Elizabeth Stein, founder and CEO
of Purely Elizabeth, and this is Live Purely with Elizabeth, featuring candid conversations about how to thrive on your wellness journey. This week, I got a chance to sit down with Chloé Crane-Leroux, a creative director, food and lifestyle photographer, recipe developer, and visual storyteller based in New York City. Her work has been featured in renowned publications like The New York Times, Forbes, and more. She has just released the most gorgeous cookbook, The Artful Way to Plant-Based Cooking. In this episode, Chloé shares her journey from studying photography at the Parsons School of Design, to fashion, and eventually, food. We discuss her transition to a plant-based diet and her consistent and authentic approach to social media that has garnered a huge social following. Lastly, we talk about mindfulness, slowing down, and enjoying the simple pleasures in life, like preparing meals, the strong bond between Chloé and her mom, and the challenges and joys of shooting a cookbook in Europe. This was such a fun episode. Keep listening to learn more.

Elizabeth Stein 1:20

Chloé, welcome to the podcast! It's such a pleasure
to meet you and talk about all things plant-based—your new cookbook, and of course, your Italy travels.

Chloé Crane-Leroux 1:33

Thank you so much for having me.

Elizabeth Stein 1:36

So, I'd love to start with your background, your
love for food, your love for photography. I found it so interesting that you
really knew from a young age that you loved photography. So few people discover that early. Take us back to when you were a little girl—what was that moment for you when you knew you wanted to get into photography?

Chloé Crane-Leroux 2:07

Oh my God, it was kind of meant to be. I was brought up in a very creative household. My mom is a creative as well. She was always doing something creative—whether it was painting or sewing. I saw her do that my whole life, and she always pushed me to try different things. I took violin for a few years, I was in dance, and I tried so many different creative avenues from a young age. But I really, really stuck with photography. My mom gave me my first camera when I was five, and from that moment on, I just fell in love. I loved capturing moments and seeing different things. She could tell from a young age that I was always marveling at things, and she thought maybe I could channel that into photography—and that's exactly what I did. From that
moment on, with my little analog film camera at five years old, I started
capturing things. She would get the film developed, and I just fell in love
with it. By the time I was about 12, I knew I wanted to become a photographer.
My mom was super supportive, but you know how parents sometimes think,
"It's just a phase"? This wasn't. I stuck to my guns. Even in high school, I would manifest and say, "I'm going to move to New York, and I'm
going to go to Parsons." And I did.

Elizabeth Stein 4:37

That’s amazing, and it’s so important to have the support of your mom. I know some parents might push their kids in different directions, but your mom really let you follow that creative passion. Kudos to her!

Chloé Crane-Leroux 4:58

She's really a rock star. She knew I wanted to be in a creative space, and I applaud her for giving me that freedom.

Elizabeth Stein 5:08

So, as a little girl and then at Parsons, were you mainly focusing on food photography, or was it fashion?

Chloé Crane-Leroux 5:17

Funny enough, I always thought I wanted to be a fashion photographer. When you move to New York, you think it’s all about the fashion industry. I loved fashion, and I still do, but when I was there, it was such a dream to be in that space. I was doing a lot of internships and going on fashion sets. But after I graduated and got more into the fashion industry, I quickly realized it wasn’t working for me. I didn’t connect with it or the people in the industry. I always felt like the odd one out, which shouldn’t be the case when you’re starting your career. But I kept at it for a while because I loved fashion and style. Eventually, I started getting more opportunities to do food shoots. That’s when I felt a shift. I was pitching myself to a lot of different brands, sending 100 cold emails a day. Some clients wrote back, and I started doing food shoots. I wasn’t sure if I’d love it, but the first time I did it, I fell in love.

Elizabeth Stein 7:45

What was your first food shoot?

Chloé Crane-Leroux 7:48

It was for an oat brand! They did granola and oatmeal, and I was shooting bowls just like the ones you have. I fell in love with the lighting, styling the food, and the people. They were so happy. We were shooting and tasting the food—it was amazing. I felt like I found my people. That’s when I knew this was where I belonged.

Elizabeth Stein 8:43

That’s wonderful. I had a similar experience before starting Purely Elizabeth. I was in the handbag industry doing sales and marketing, and while I liked it, it didn’t feel like the right place for me. When I got into the natural food space, I felt that sense of "these are my people." It was such a different feeling. There’s so much passion and happiness in this industry.

Chloé Crane-Leroux 9:23

It’s unique. That feeling of happiness is what we all want, right? We just want to be happy.

Elizabeth Stein 9:31

Absolutely. So, at that time, were you plant-based? Where did plant-based eating come into your story?

Chloé Crane-Leroux 9:41

When I moved to New York ten years ago, I wasn’t plant-based. I ate everything—meat, fish, you name it. But I never liked animal products. My mom would always try to get me to eat three bites of everything, but it didn’t connect with me. When I moved to New York and was living alone, I had the freedom to eat what I wanted. So, I decided to try being vegetarian for six months. It was the easiest transition. I cut out meat and fish, although sushi and lobster were hard to give up. After six months, I went fully vegan. I started watching documentaries, immersing myself in the lifestyle, and learning about the environment and climate change. That’s when I decided, “This is enough for me,” and I never looked back. People told me it was just a phase, but I knew it wasn’t. I felt better, and I was so inspired by the colors, the fresh vegetables, and everything I was learning about plant-based foods. It became a part of my lifestyle.

Elizabeth Stein 12:49

Yeah, I feel like ten years ago was when that pivotal time began—there were documentaries like Food, Inc. that seemed to push plant-based eating into the spotlight. I don’t know if you ever ate at Pure Food and Wine in New York, but that was a big moment for the plant-based movement. It felt like there was a groundswell of interest in plant-based eating.

Chloé Crane-Leroux 13:13

Absolutely. It was starting back then, but it’s changed so much since. It’s crazy now! Back then, if you were lucky, there might be one vegan option on a restaurant menu, but now there are tons of options. The grocery store is full of amazing vegan products. They taste incredible, and they make me feel better. It’s not just about taste—it’s about how the food impacts our society, the environment, and the world. The positive changes are amazing.

Elizabeth Stein 13:59

It really has evolved so much. I’m sure your cooking has evolved along with it, as new products and ingredients have become available. How would you describe your food and wellness philosophy today, and how has it helped you create such a massive following on social media?

Chloé Crane-Leroux 14:23

Being in the plant-based industry and cooking plant-based has taught me so much. From learning what ingredients are available, to figuring out how to make interesting recipes with them—it’s been a lot of trial and error. I’ve learned what works for me and how I feel when I eat certain things. That’s a big part of my wellness journey—listening to my body and feeding it what it craves. For me, food is about creativity. I love the challenge of making plant-based foods that are inventive and delicious. It makes me happy to create, and it’s a huge part of my wellness. Being happy with what I eat and what I make brings so much joy and balance into my life.

Elizabeth Stein 15:59

I love that. So, how did your social media platform
really begin, and how did it evolve into what it is today? Any tips to share?
Because you've grown such a big following.

Chloé Crane-Leroux 16:14

It’s funny, about four and a half years ago—right in the thick of the pandemic—I was solely working as a food photographer. I would shoot with clients, edit photos, and be on set all the time. Then the pandemic hit, and suddenly I couldn’t work. It was a crazy time. I remember being stuck in my tiny New York apartment, feeling creatively stifled and lonely. I turned to social media as a creative outlet. At the time, I had about 40,000 followers, and I was mostly posting my food photography work—very little about myself. It was more of a portfolio for clients. But then I thought, “Let me try something different.” I shifted my approach and started showing more of my personality—what I liked, what I was passionate about—not just my work. That’s when I really started to grow.

Then that summer, Instagram launched reels, and I made the decision to post a reel every day. I did that for two years straight, and it completely exploded my following. That consistency is really what built my community.

Elizabeth Stein 19:00

That’s incredible! I remember you mentioning earlier that when you were starting out, you would send out 100 cold emails a day to get clients. And now, with social media, you committed to posting a video every day. You clearly have this persistent, dedicated personality. I think that’s important for people to hear—that these things don’t happen overnight. It takes a lot of hard work, and it’s paid off for you. Kudos to you for sticking with it! Was there a particular reel that really took off or was it a steady, consistent growth?

Chloé Crane-Leroux 19:54

It was pretty steady. I rarely had a single reel that jumped to half a million or anything like that. But most of my videos would go viral, consistently hitting over a million views. The growth was gradual but consistent, which I think is a great way to build a community. I really started to feel a connection when I began sharing my recipes. I would film them in my tiny 500-square-foot apartment, and people loved it. They started making the recipes, sharing them, commenting, and it created this beautiful community. Doing something I loved and seeing people engaged with it—that filled my heart. I felt like, “This is the life, this is my purpose.”

Elizabeth Stein 21:31

It’s amazing when everything aligns like that. You
just know it’s right.

Chloé Crane-Leroux 21:37

Exactly. When everything is in alignment, you feel
it. It’s like magic.

Elizabeth Stein 21:48

One thing I love about your point of view is this
idea of “romanticizing your life.” Can you explain what that means to you?

Chloé Crane-Leroux 22:08

Oh my God, romanticizing my life is something I do every single day. It became a trendy concept a few years ago—people saying, “Be the main character” or “Romanticize your life”—but I completely agree with it. We’re here in this world, and we need to appreciate every moment. I know it sounds cliché, but it’s true. None of us know what tomorrow holds, so if I can enjoy every day, be aware of my surroundings, and find beauty in everything—even the mundane—it makes me a happier person. It’s about getting that dopamine hit, feeling good, and manifesting more positivity. For example, people ask why I wear a dress while cooking, and I say, “Why not?!” If I spill something, so be it. But I love creating beautiful moments and scenarios, and that brings me so much joy.

Elizabeth Stein 24:19

That’s such a great takeaway. Romanticizing your life is really about slowing down and being more mindful. In your cookbook, you talk about making dinner special and slowing down, which reminded me of growing up. My mom, even when we had something simple like macaroni and cheese, would light candles and make it a slow, special moment. Do you have any tips on how to incorporate mindfulness and slow down when most of us are running around like crazy?

Chloé Crane-Leroux 25:19

Absolutely! It’s funny because we are all running around like crazy, especially in a place like New York. There’s always something to do, and we’re pulled in so many directions. It’s hard to find time to make a nice lunch or even just take 30 minutes to write down your thoughts. The world expects so much from us, and we feel constant pressure to perform, answer emails, and respond to texts. I feel that pressure, too. But it’s so important to slow down. That’s a huge theme in my cookbook, The Artful Way to Plant-Based Cooking—taking time to cook mindfully, being present, and nourishing yourself with beautiful ingredients. Even if it’s just taking 10 minutes to make a meal, it will change your mood and affect the rest of your day. Slowing down isn’t just for us—it
impacts the people around us too. How we move throughout the day affects our family, friends, partners, and coworkers. So, slowing down and creating balance is key to living a more fulfilling life.

Elizabeth Stein 28:20

That’s so true. I love how you said it impacts how
we interact with people, how we think, and how we activate our parasympathetic system to foster creativity. It’s all interconnected.

Chloé Crane-Leroux 28:39

Exactly. You can't really be creative if you’re constantly rushing from one place to another. Sometimes, I’ll get to a meeting and realize I didn’t even notice anything around me on my way there because I was in such a hurry. I had my headphones in, staring at my phone the whole time. We need to be more present and aware of what’s happening around us. That means removing distractions and taking time to do things like cooking or
spending moments with our family. It’s all about being present.

Elizabeth Stein 29:46

Let’s dive into your cookbook a bit more. I absolutely love that you collaborated with your mom—it’s so special. What’s the best lesson your mom has taught you?

Chloé Crane-Leroux 30:05

Oh my God, she’s truly my rock. I don’t know what I’d do without her. We’re not just mother and daughter—we’re best friends and business partners. We’re incredibly connected, and everyone who knows us says we have the same mannerisms and thoughts, and we even talk the same way. She’s been my biggest supporter, not only in fostering my creativity but also in teaching me about business. She’s an amazing businesswoman, and I’ve learned so much from her. We always wanted to work together on something meaningful, and writing a cookbook was that dream. We actually wrote our first cookbook together in 2017, but it was only available in French. We knew we wanted to do another one, just the two of us, and put our heart and soul into it. The Artful Way to Plant-Based Cooking reflects our lifestyle, our aesthetic, and how we love to live and eat.

Elizabeth Stein 33:45

Well, the cookbook is absolutely stunning. It really transports you to the Mediterranean, and I was ready to plan my next trip to Italy just flipping through it! It must have been so much fun to shoot.
What was the experience like, especially doing it abroad?

Chloé Crane-Leroux 34:21

Thank you so much! It was such an amazing experience, but it was also quite the process. We took three full weeks to shoot the cookbook, with most of it happening abroad. We started with a week in France, then two weeks in Majorca and a small town in Costa Brava, Spain. We brought so many dishes, including ceramics that my mom made, and we also packed spices, vegan cheese, and vegan butter. The crazy part is they lost our suitcases for the first three or four days! We had to adapt, but those challenges shaped the book and made the journey even more memorable. It was just my mom, an amazing food stylist I’ve worked with for years, and me. We’d wake up at 8 a.m., shoot eight to ten recipes a day, and I’d stay up until 2 a.m. editing photos because I was so excited. It was exhausting, but we created so many beautiful memories.

Elizabeth Stein 37:06

It’s truly a labor of love, and that passion shines
through in both the food and photography. What are your favorite recipes from the book? And do any favorite photos come to mind?

Chloé Crane-Leroux 37:27

One of my favorite recipes is the Mediterranean
spinach pies. They’re like spanakopita, but with my twist. They’re so
delicious! The photo that goes with it is one of my favorites as well—it just
looks so good. I also love puff pastry, and there are a lot of puff pastry
recipes in the book. One of my favorites is the peas and asparagus tart. It’s
been a staple in my household for years, so I’m thrilled it’s in the book.
Every photo has a memory attached to it because they’re all tied to specific
moments in different locations. It’s hard to pick just one!

Elizabeth Stein 38:47

I love hearing about the personal connections to the recipes. What are your two favorite places you’ve traveled to in Europe, whether for the cookbook or just in general?

Chloé Crane-Leroux 39:00

I have such a deep love for the Mediterranean.
France, Italy, and Spain are my three favorite countries in the world. I could
go back every month if I could! Provence in France is especially close to my
heart. I’ve been looking to buy a house there one day—that’s a big dream of
mine. I also fell in love with Majorca two years ago. The energy on the island
is incredible. I knew immediately that we needed to shoot the cookbook there.

Elizabeth Stein 39:58

Majorca is definitely on my list now! Are there any
recipes from the cookbook that people are surprised are plant-based?

Chloé Crane-Leroux 40:12

Yes, the Mediterranean spinach pies always surprise people. They can’t believe there’s no cheese in them. They’re like, “Wait, this isn’t dairy?” And I’m like, “Nope!” The flavors are so rich, especially with the filo, butter, and vegan cheese. There are also a lot of pasta recipes with plant-based meat that throw people off. They’re shocked that it’s vegan.

Elizabeth Stein 41:26

What are your favorite plant-based cheese brands?

Chloé Crane-Leroux 41:33

I’m a big fan of Violife. Their feta is amazing—it tastes just like real feta! Miyoko’s is great too, especially their spreadable cheeses. I also love Rebel Cheese. They’re more artisanal and ship beautiful cheeses directly to your home. They make incredible brie and camembert look-alikes, and I always fool people with them. They’re so good!

Elizabeth Stein 42:47

I’ll have to check those out! Let’s move into some rapid-fire questions.

Elizabeth Stein 42:58

Three things you’re currently loving—it could be anything, a product, show, podcast, anything.

Chloé Crane-Leroux 43:05

Oh my God, so many things! I’m really into Doen
right now. They make beautiful dresses, and I feel like I wear something from
them every day. I also love cold brew coffee, especially in this hot weather. I
get La Colombe’s cold brew—it’s so good. And lastly, lipstick! I wear Hourglass lip liner in Silhouette every single day. I can’t leave the house without it.

Elizabeth Stein 44:54

You may have just answered this, but what’s your favorite morning ritual?

Chloé Crane-Leroux 45:02

Snuggling with my dog! I have a Cavapoo named April, and she’s just the best. She’s so happy in the morning, giving us kisses—it’s the perfect way to start the day. I’ve also been loving morning runs lately. It clears my head and gets my workout in early. I used to hate running, but now it’s become a new ritual for me.

Elizabeth Stein 45:57

Other than in this hot New York heat! Hopefully you’re getting out early enough.

Chloé Crane-Leroux 46:02

Yes, exactly! This morning, I went out at 6:30 a.m., and it was already getting hot and humid. I was like, “Okay, this needs to end soon!”

Elizabeth Stein 46:16

Three plant-based items always in your grocery cart?

Chloé Crane-Leroux 46:21

Vegan feta is always in my cart—we eat at least one block a week. I always have some type of lettuce, usually arugula or baby gem. And lastly, Castelvetrano olives! They’re my go-to snack. I eat them like candy.

Elizabeth Stein 47:35

They’re so good. Favorite words to live by?

Chloé Crane-Leroux 47:42

“Tomorrow is never promised, so enjoy your life every single day.”

Elizabeth Stein 47:56

Couldn’t agree more. Lastly, what is your number
one non-negotiable to thrive on your wellness journey?

Chloé Crane-Leroux 48:06

Traveling often. I know it’s a privilege, but even if it’s just a weekend trip or a quick getaway, it’s essential for my mental health. Being in different environments, seeing new things, and experiencing different cultures resets my whole system. It’s a huge part of my wellness journey.

Elizabeth Stein 49:06

I love that. I always say, “Just give me four different walls, and I’m happy.” Sometimes, you just need a change of scenery.

Chloé Crane-Leroux 49:11

Exactly!

Elizabeth Stein 49:16

Well, Chloé, thank you so much for coming on the
podcast! Congratulations on your new cookbook. Where can everyone find you, and is there anything else we haven’t touched on?

Chloé Crane-Leroux 49:24

Thank you so much for having me! You can follow me on Instagram and TikTok at @ChloeCLeroux, and my cookbook The Artful Way to Plant-Based Cooking is available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.

It comes out on September 24th, and I can’t wait for you all to get your hands on it!

Elizabeth Stein 49:49

Amazing! Thanks so much for being here.

Chloé Crane-Leroux 49:52

Thank you!

Elizabeth Stein 49:56

Thanks so much for joining me on Live Purely with Elizabeth. I hope you
feel inspired to thrive on your wellness journey. If you enjoyed today’s
episode, don’t forget to rate, subscribe, and review. You can follow us on
Instagram at @purely_elizabeth to catch up on all the latest. See you next
Wednesday on the podcast!