Background

I’m Emily Johnson, the Founder of Arthritis Foodie, a place online to connect people living with arthritis who are looking to find natural remedies and healthy ways to live with arthritis. I live in London, but I am originally from up North, from a small village on the borders of South Yorkshire and North Nottinghamshire! I love OMGTea, it tastes so delicious, is properly sourced, and I love the story of the company too. I discovered matcha and OMGTea when I started Arthritis Foodie, as a replacement for coffee. It has so many health benefits and antioxidants, and for a cold beverage – I love the click matcha spring water bottles.

The OMGTea 60 Second Interview

1. What is your idea of perfect happiness?

The first image that came to my mind is standing barefoot on a beach feeling the sand between my feet whilst listening and watching the waves roll in and out. Simple pleasures! For me though, there is no such thing as a perfect life, because it’s perfect in its imperfections and that’s what makes it so wonderful. With the good (sunshine) and the bad (rain) a perfect picture can be made if you ask me (rainbow)!

2. Do you live to work or work to live?

I’d say this is a difficult question, because I can never truly switch off from Arthritis Foodie and the community that I’ve built over the last ten months, but, life is far far more important than work, because it is fleeting and we should make the most of every moment – especially with our loved ones. So, I work to live at the heart of it all, and I know how overworking being ‘burnt out’ can really effect the body in a negative way.

3. What one thing are you most passionate about?

I’m passionate about making a difference and reaching out to other young people like me – who live with arthritis and deal with all of the things that come along with it. I am determined to change the stigma of arthritis and raise awareness for the disease – that it doesn’t just happen to your Grandma, it's also happening to your 3-year-old niece, or your 25-year-old girlfriend.

4. What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Building a community online of like-minded people and truly kind people looking to help each other on their journey of living with arthritis. It’s not been long though, and there’s so much more I am planning to do.

5. Who's the person you would most like to share a cup of matcha with and why?

I’d love to share a matcha with Oprah Winfrey, I think she is a bright and bold soul, who has such a wealth of knowledge, and a real depth of understanding – I think she would be fascinating to speak with.

6. What is the best piece of advice you could give someone?

 This is your road, those are your feet, and this is your journey – nobody else’s. In the world of social media, we have all almost become accustomed to comparing one another, competing with one another, and comparison really is the thief of joy. You were born you, nobody else was – so use this to create your life, not somebody else’s. Always stay true to yourself.

7. If you could have any super power, what would it be and why?

For me, time is the greatest gift you can receive… So, I would give myself the gift of time and use it to spend more time with loved ones, making recipes, learning about the world, and more time bringing people together on Arthritis Foodie.

8. What is your motto?

I have so many inspirational quotes saved on my phone to keep me going, and so my motto is always changing depending on what is happening at the time. The motto I have recently come across is by Pablo Picasso, “Everything you can imagine is real.” I love it. I’m a very imaginative and creative-minded person, and the notion that whatever you dream of or envision can be real, or is real already – is a motivator – nothing is impossible, never give up.

Visit Arthritis Foodie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arthritisfoodie/

Facebook Group “Arthritis Foodie Forum”: https://www.facebook.com/groups/arthritisfoodie/

And web: https://arthritisfoodie.com/

Emily has recently completed writing the Arthritis Foodie book and a launch campaign just started a few days ago. For more information and to pre-order it, go to: https://publishizer.com/arthritis-foodie/