"Do it every day. Do it properly." What can I do when I'm not a genius? [Reflecting on my second year after leaving my corporate job]

Hello, I'm Frao, a culinary expert.

Time flies, and it has already been two years since I left my corporate job in the spring of 2023.

Looking back, for about the first six months after quitting, I was only making 20,000 to 30,000 yen a month, and there was a period where I was suffering, thinking, "This is no good. If I keep going like this, I'm really done for..." (Even now, I'm amazed I managed to endure it back then.)

In the midst of that, I spurred myself on, saying, "I will get results no matter what. I will publish a recipe book," and I continued to focus on cooking without even sparing time for sleep. It was during my first year of independence that I finally managed to make a living through cooking.

I reflected on that struggle-filled first year after leaving my job in this article. It was written about a year ago.

Reading it again a year after writing it, I realized I had written a lot of naive things. It felt a bit embarrassing.

However, at the same time, I also felt that it is very important to write down the feelings, thoughts, and passions of that moment—things that fade away once time passes. It helps me not to forget my original intentions and the things that are important.

So, I would like to properly reflect on my second year after leaving my job and leave my current feelings in writing.
It might be a long read again this year, but I would appreciate it if you could join me when you have the time. ^^

I was thinking about these things behind the scenes

1) Behind my social media posts

Thanks to you all, my total number of followers across social media has exceeded 170,000.
In particular, on X (formerly Twitter), which I use as my main platform for posting, I have reached over 60,000 followers, which is about three times more than at the same time last year. (On note, I have exceeded 3,000 followers.)

However, compared to the growth rates of my seniors in the culinary world and the up-and-coming culinary experts who are appearing one after another, I honestly feel that my growth is so small. People who are on the rise climb up with much more momentum, zoom, zoom, zoom. Seeing that on the sidelines, I honestly often feel impatient or get down on myself, thinking, "I still have a long way to go."

However, I remind myself every day of these words a follower once told me:
"Don't compare yourself to others! Compare yourself to who you were in the past!"

How do I compare to who I was a year ago? When I think about it that way, I feel that although it's slow, I am definitely moving forward. There are times when I can't help but feel impatient, wanting "more and more," but I will continue to go at my own pace, step by step. The person I must always surpass is who I was yesterday.

(↑ By the way, on X, I summarize my recipes into a single image. I hope you will use it in conjunction with note.)

2) Behind the major achievements

Since last year, I have received some major awards. Among them, I received an undeserved award, the "Grand Prix," which is the top prize at the Yahoo! News "Best Experts 2024." Also, last November, I was awarded the "Newcomer Award" at the Foodies Award 2024.

In addition, I think it was a year where I received many very valuable opportunities, such as having my work published in books, being introduced on television, and being interviewed by various media outlets.

On the other hand, I have a hidden achievement that no one has called "amazing" or "congratulations" for. That is the fact that I have been able to continue "writing two Yahoo! News articles every day" for over a year.

Even on days when I was swamped with other work, days when my son had gastroenteritis and I barely slept while nursing him, and even on days when I caught COVID-19 myself and had a 39-degree fever, I absolutely refused to quit, telling myself, 'I won't let it end here,' and just kept on writing articles (though I reflect a bit now that I probably should have rested when my fever was over 39 degrees).

As a result, the number of my Yahoo! News articles exceeded 1,200 in the two years since I started writing.

Things like 'Winning an award!', 'Being featured on a major network program!', or 'Surpassing X number of followers!' are things I simply cannot control.
However, 'whether or not to write an article' is something I can always control. That decision is always left up to me. That is precisely why intangible things like independence, perseverance, determination, and a never-give-up attitude are put to the test.

In that sense, being able to continue 'writing two Yahoo! News articles every day' for over a year is an irreplaceable achievement for me. Because it is an achievement I grabbed by controlling it myself, it has led to a great deal of confidence.

In the manga 'Haikyu!!', which is about high school volleyball, there is a player who feels like a true genius of effort—someone who doesn't have flashy plays but consistently puts in the work to get results. That player said this:
“I don't need applause. I'll do it every day. I'll do it properly.”

There are plenty of times when I feel like slacking off. I think, 'I'm sleepy. This is a hassle. I'm tired. It's easier to just mess around on my phone.' But at those times, these words play on repeat in my head:
“I'll do it every day. I'll do it properly.”

I know painfully well that that is the most difficult thing to do, but I want to keep that 'do it every day spirit' in my third year after quitting my corporate job as well.

(↑ Click here for the list of my Yahoo! News articles. I would be very happy if you could bookmark it or add it to your smartphone's home screen and check it daily.)

Making my third year after quitting my corporate job like this

Since I touched on it a little in the previous paragraph, there is some overlap, but I want to thoroughly continue 'doing it every day and doing it properly' in my third year as well.

I may never be able to match the skilled veterans or the geniuses and prodigies who keep appearing one after another. However, rather than comparing myself to those people, I believe the only thing I can do to surpass my past self is to 'do it every day and do it properly.'
It's simple, but that is how I want to define the theme for my third year.

I want to believe that results and achievements will follow as a byproduct after that.

Concrete goals

• Reach a cumulative total of 2,000 Yahoo! News articles (currently 1,256 articles)

• Reach a cumulative total of 200 recipe posts on note (currently 165 articles; I will be posting things other than just new recipes written for note)

• Continue posting on X (formerly Twitter) every day

• Publish a recipe book and properly report it to the followers who have supported me until now

I have set these four as my concrete goals.
I would appreciate it if you could watch over me loosely to see if I can achieve them ^^

Things coming up in my third year after quitting my corporate job

The content became a bit intense overall, so I would like to end by sharing some light and happy news ^^
I have two happy announcements in the near future.

1) Collaboration with a bento box specialty store decided

It has been decided that Hakoya Shop (a company in Ishikawa Prefecture), a bento box specialty store I have been interacting with since shortly after I quit my corporate job, will produce and sell “collaboration goods” with me, Furao^^

The nickname for the collaboration goods is “fu fu fu.”
With the concept of delivering items that bring healing to your kitchen and make you smile, Hakoya will handle everything from planning and design to manufacturing and sales.

They have put together a lineup of convenient and highly functional items, including storage containers that are microwave and dishwasher safe, onigiri cases, cups, drawstring bags, and spoon-fork sets.

I received them as samples and tried them out myself, and from the texture when touched, the exquisite weight that is neither too light nor too heavy, and the feel that fits perfectly in the hand, I felt, “This is not a cheap product. As an item, it is really good.”

These are goods I can recommend without reservation, so I hope you will take this opportunity to check them out. (Please check the Hakoya Shop website (below) for detailed descriptions of the items.)

Furthermore, I will donate the entire profit I am scheduled to receive from the sales of these collaboration goods to support the reconstruction of the Noto Peninsula Earthquake. It is by no means a large amount, but I want to continue doing what I can.

Sales start on April 19th, so I will let you know on note once the online shop is open^^

2) And, and finally...

I have an important announcement on Monday, April 14th.
I cannot say what it is yet, but it has a lot to do with what I have been aiming for until now.

At this point, there are two things I would like to ask my followers to do.

• Open an Amazon or Rakuten Ichiba account (if you already have one, that is fine)

• Be prepared to make a purchase of about 1,650 yen on April 14th

I would be very grateful if you could prepare these two things, and I believe you will be able to take a certain action immediately after seeing the announcement on April 14th.

I apologize for being so vague and making it difficult to understand what I am talking about, but I hope you can read between the lines...!

---

So, I would like to wrap up this article reflecting on my second year after quitting my corporate job here.

This is completely unrelated, but my son became a first grader in elementary school this spring.
I cried my eyes out at my son's graduation ceremony last month, and the other day I was moved to tears watching my son walk to and from school alone for the first time... My tear ducts have been very loose lately. I think my son probably thinks, “Dad cries so easily,” but... well, that’s fine...
Since the environment has changed, I imagine this is a time when my son feels at least some stress, so as a parent, I want to support him without being overprotective^^ (I shouldn't be the one crying all the time, haha)

That is all!
I know it was long, but thank you for reading until the end!

I will do my best in my third year after quitting my corporate job.

Cooking expert who left the corporate world, Frao

Profile and main achievements (as of July 2026)

Cooking expert who left the corporate world, Frao
・Author of “Inspiration Recipes for Days When You Don't Want to Do Anything” (Fusosha)
・A father of one who left his corporate job at 29 to become a cooking expert (independent in April 2023)
・Pasco Certified Ambassador
・Yahoo! News Expert
・After serving as a Foodist Note Ambassador/Official Writer, now in charge of an official series・
Nadia Artist・Yomuno Official Writer
・Dietary Life Advisor
・Operates the LINE account media “
Food Wisdom Bag”・Total followers on SNS, etc. over 600,000 (
X 92,000, LINE 507,000, Instagram 13,000, YouTube 7,000, Threads 4,000, note 3,000)

▼ Major Awards, etc.
・Foodist Award 2025 - Received the "Excellence Award" (November 2025)
・Foodist Award 2024 - Received the "Newcomer Award" (November 2024)
・Yahoo! News "Best Expert 2024" - Received the top prize, the "Grand Prix" (March 2024)
・Received an award in the "Appetizer Recipe Contest" co-hosted by Iism and note (February 2023)
・Received an award in the "My Favorite Tamago Kake Gohan (Egg Over Rice) Contest" co-hosted by Iism and note (December 2023)
・The digital version of "Inspiration Recipes for Days When You Don't Want to Do Anything" reached "#1 Best Seller" in 4 Amazon sales ranking categories simultaneously (Easy Recipes, Budget Recipes, Cooking Basics, and Cafe Books categories, August 31, 2025)

▼ Media Coverage
・Featured in "Foodist Note Magazine Inaugural Issue" (Fusosha) (February 2025)
・Featured in and appeared on the cover of "Foodist Note: Best Vegetable Side Dish Recipes from 15 Popular Cooks" (Takarajimasha) (March 2025)
・Featured in "Foodist Note: Frozen Recipes & Techniques from 20 Popular Cooks" (Takarajimasha) (May 2025)
・Featured in "Foodist Note: Best Recipes for Exquisite Sauces and Dressings from 15 Popular Cooks" (Takarajimasha) (August 2025)
・TV appearances (Zip! x3, Mezamashi TV, Ariehen∞Sekai, THE Toppa File, etc.)

▼ Background
▽ From judo boy to salaryman
・Born in Osaka in 1994
・Started judo in 2003, inspired by Kosei Inoue. Continued until university graduation
・Started working as a salaryman in 2016
・Married my wife, who was a colleague at the time, in 2018
・Son was born in 2019
・Started cooking in 2021 when my wife returned from maternity leave
・Started sharing cooking content on social media in 2022 to maintain motivation (subsequently received an inquiry about joining Yahoo! News Expert)
▽ Becoming a freelance culinary expert
・Spring 2023, quit my corporate job and became a culinary expert
・Spring 2023, hired as a Yahoo! News Expert creator
・July 2023, started broadcasting the radio program "Freelance Culinary Expert Furao's stand.fm"
▽ Second year after quitting corporate job
・April 2024, started membership-exclusive broadcasts for the radio program "Freelance Culinary Expert Furao's stand.fm"
・April 2024, hired as a Foodist Note Ambassador
・June 2024, hired as an official writer for Yomuno
・September 2024, hired as an official writer for Foodist Note
・September 2024, joined the LINE account media and launched the "Food Wisdom Bag" service
・November 2024, "Food Wisdom Bag" surpassed 20,000 friends added within 2 months of service launch
・January 2025, official Foodist Note series started
・March 2025, "Food Wisdom Bag" surpassed 50,000 friends added
▽ Third year after quitting corporate job
・April 2025, released official collaboration goods with bento box specialty store Hakoya Shop
・April 2025, hired as a Nadia Artist
・May 2025, released first book "Inspiration Recipes for Days When You Don't Want to Do Anything"
・August 2025, Meidi-ya Co., Ltd. became a radio sponsor
・August 2025, "Food Wisdom Bag" surpassed 200,000 friends added
・August 2025, the digital version of "Inspiration Recipes for Days When You Don't Want to Do Anything" reached "#1 Best Seller" in 4 categories simultaneously on Amazon (Easy Recipes, Budget Recipes, Cooking Basics, Cafe Books)
・October 2025, Tatsumiya Co., Ltd. became a radio sponsor
・November 2025, "Food Wisdom Bag" surpassed 300,000 friends added
・December 2025, Tiger Corporation became a radio sponsor
・January 2026, appointed as a Pasco Official Ambassador
・February 2026, total social media followers surpassed 500,000
・March 2026, held first autograph session at Yurindo LaLaport Toyosu store
▽ Fourth year after quitting corporate job
・May 2026, launched the "Monthly Letter" service, which delivers recipes with calendars
・July 2026, appointed as an annual ambassador for Ichimasa Kamaboko Co., Ltd.
・July 2026, appointed as a special ambassador for the online store Aima

* For business-related inquiries, please send them via DM on X or Instagram.
* For inquiries regarding radio sponsorship, it is smoother to contact us via this Google Form.