Pictured (2022): FoodieSpread close-up of 2m grazing table.

Who is Kobi Walker?

It's a simple question, with a not-too-simple answer.

16-year-old Kobi Walker is known in Queensland as a track and cross-country star. When you search her name in google, up pops a World Athletics profile detailing her world rankings and personal records, among endless videos of major races from the past few years. She is yet to finish high school, and in 2023, will begin her year 11 studies. You would think with such talent, she would spend near-all of her time at training. At least, that's what I thought. But between school and practice, Kobi manages to run her own small business. One -may I add - which has seen incredible success since the beginning of 2020.

It's called FoodieSpread, and if you haven't seen it on Instagram, now is the time.

Image credits: Sam Ohri, via @thelensfungus on Instagram 

Developing FoodieSpread.

We all share the guilty pleasure of thinking our 'snack boards' at friend-gatherings are gram-worthy. You know what I'm talking about – the Coles deli ham and gourmet crackers we slapped together and labelled as our signature 'charcuterie (char-coo-ter-ee) board.' At the start, that's what Kobi thought of it too: a bit of fun.

She did a few for her family, before getting the odd request from friends who noticed her secret talent. Soon, people were not only putting in orders, but asking if she would accept payment. It was so foreign, and initially confusing. But after one particular birthday party – where organising food, transport and setup was extra tedious – Kobi began contemplating the concept as a market. She hadn't been exposed to it all that long, and honestly wasn't sure if the market demand existed, but she'd heard enough 'you should do this for real,' to know it could work. With her mum, Katie Walker, Kobi drove out to Stafford, with the goal of 'checking out' boxes that could be used for future platters (thrilling).

It proved a useful trip, but for a while the idea almost fizzled out. There was still school and running to think about, and starting a business would undoubtably be intense work. Nevertheless, Katie went ahead as a surprise and registered the name FoodieSpread as an official company title. Kobi was shocked, of course, but excited to make real progress on her entrepreneurial goals. From then on, it was the logistics that needed sorting.

Keep in mind, these steps were being taken in March 2020: the month of Australia's first COVID-19 lockdowns. In fact, a mere week after announcing FoodieSpread on her personal social media pages, the country was unable to leave their homes. For most, this change was far from convenient. But for Kobi, it proved handy. In the first month of business, she received five platter box orders via the business' Instagram account. A small figure in hindsight, but a huge win considering the difficulty of getting off the ground. Things heated up, and Kobi began to grapple with the sheer number of business-related tasks that had to be kept in order. She quickly realised just how extensive these task-lists were, especially in an industry that leads people to believe everything is so simple.

"It's not just about putting crackers out."

Boxes and ribbons, stickers, and even delivery: the little things that fly under the radar until they need to be done. Thankfully, Kobi has had family by her side the whole way. As a 15-year-old, she is yet to start driving, so mum and dad are often tasked with helping transport platters and boards as a weekend hobby. The dedication comes from every direction in the Walker household, and Kobi is forever grateful.

Online, the magic happens: the wonderful world of social media. Starting on Instagram and Facebook, Kobi has managed to grow the FoodieSpread follower base along with her personal account. It has allowed her to get the name out there, with a 'hey, this is me, and this is my brand.' The business page started as a blank slate in 2020, to now 2100 followers in November 2022. It keeps growing, and so does Kobi's dedication.

A Day in The Life.

Take a moment to imagine one of those day-by-day diaries sold in newsagencies – the ones that are almost the size of a small dog. That's exactly what I faced while on my zoom interview with Kobi. I asked her about how she manages everything with so little spare time, and all she did was scramble for a big black book that took up most of my computer screen.

"A diary." She said, just in case I couldn't quite see.

In a business with so many steps from order to delivery, each day of the week boasts a different schedule. And while I got the pleasure of a nitty-gritty run-down, I'll do the honours of shortening it for you.

Monday to Wednesday are what Kobi calls 'stocktake' days: getting ready for the week ahead, prepping grocery lists, organising delivery times, and unfolding boxes in advance. The tedious tasks. On these days, she'll wake at 5am to begin work, before heading to school for the day. The afternoons are unsurprisingly spent at training, and nights end with a ritual dinner time before preparing for the next day. Weekends aren't that different, except the alarm goes off closer to 3am, which means sleep gets the cut. Somewhere between planning the day and starting it, Kobi manages to squeeze in another session. Once on the road, it's platter after platter, box after box. No wonder it gets so stressful.

"Honestly, if things aren't written down, that's when everything gets crazy."

This line was followed by a brief anecdote that was too good not to share. In advance, I send my condolences to anyone who has done the same thing as Kobi in this situation.

K: "I know it seemed like a lot at the time, but you know how someone can have the same address as you I another state?"

G: "Oh, yes."

K: "Once, I accidentally put the wrong address in for a delivery, and I sent $750 worth of groceries to another house."

G: "What did you do?"

K: "I just remember absolutely bawling my eyes to mum."

Moral of the story: double check the address before sending a paycheque-sized grocery shop to another state. Out of all the lessons since starting FoodieSpread, this one had a pretty clear lesson. But one of the biggest learning curves took a while to sink in: saying no.

"My grandparents always say I do too much... and I do have to say no to a lot of things. But I don't cut everything... I've just got to make decisions."

As the business got bigger and orders began piling, decisions became harder to make. It's meant time management is non-negotiable. Every minute of every day is spent wisely, and 'leaving it for tomorrow' isn't an option. Often schoolwork is done exclusively at school, leaving weekends to cram as much work, running, and leftover study in preparation for the next seven-day cycle.

While you sit and think 'superhuman,' just know some weeks are still a struggle.

K: "Sometimes it does get too much."

G: "In those moments, how do you – like – move forward?"

K: "I just have to adopt the mentality of how lucky I am that I get to do this."

Mentality is a huge part of Kobi's perseverance. She was open to me about just how hard it can get, being so young in an industry that's still new, while simultaneously juggling her sport and education. In those moments she experiences doubt, it's the positive mentality of being grateful that keeps her going. It's also the satisfaction of putting smiles on others' faces, and the fact she can finally enjoy work instead of it being a burden. It may sound funny coming from a 16-year-old, but we're all guilty.

"...and I have to remind myself how much I hated going to work at my old job."

At the end of the day, however, the ultimate thing keeping her sane is running.

K: "I also think that if I didn't do running, or didn't play a sport, it would be worse... because as soon as I go to training, then I'm just at training."

G: "So, it's like a separate world."

K: "Exactly, and yes when I get home late it's like OMG I have so much work to do, but when I'm there I don't think about it... so some days I have no idea how it'll get done, I just know it will."

So, while some of us procrastinate by shopping or baking cookies, Kobi distracts herself with what she loves most: running.

The Real Supporters.

For better or worse, success never comes without its downfalls. For Kobi, running a small business while in school put her in the very position others strived for. Naturally, it's meant the odd case of jealousy amongst peers and a few instances when friends have shown their true colours. And on top of it all, people still doubt her skills based purely on age.

"People question even the simplest things, like if I'm wearing gloves. It's hard, but I do understand."

As Kobi describes, working for yourself is simultaneously amazing, and challenging. On one hand, you have the freedom to do things how you choose, and when you choose. On the other hand, however, you always feel a step behind what needs to be done.

"I remember opening my mailbox and there being like 25 new emails, and I just sat there thinking I don't know what to do – what am I meant to do?"

Thankfully for Kobi, there's been one friend who has remained by her side from the beginning. Piper Gately. The pair met through school in 7th grade and have been each other's support day-in day-out. Piper has never missed a beat when it comes to showing Kobi – and FoodieSpread ­– her love online.

"I don't think she has ever missed a TikTok comment or video."

While others criticise, Piper is by her shoulder.

"She's always reassured me that it doesn't matter... and that I do have what it takes."

The Next Steps.

Like any business owner, Kobi has set plans for the future of FoodieSpread. The biggest perhaps, is a company website launch. With school and running taking up much of her time, developing a website has so far slipped to the backstage of her mind. But acknowledging the demand to expand her customer base means she's working towards it day by day. In the meantime, Kobi hopes to continue growing on social media and reaching as many foodie-loving followers she can. However, platters aren't her only business idea.

An avid entrepreneur behind the scenes, she is in the process of developing her own cookbook to showcase some of her favourite snacks and meals. Those who follow her personal account have seen before, just how creative Kobi's mind is in the kitchen. From breakfast on-the-go, to homemade tacos, the recipe list has been in the works for over a year. Soon, this dream will be ticked off too. And to add more to her list, she hopes to one day develop a brand of lightweight performance socks. Not the kind of black and white you see everywhere, but ones with the crazy, outright patterns Kobi loves to wear.

Out of the kitchen, she has even bigger dreams. With running her highest priority, she hopes to one day score a place in the U.S. college athlete system. It would be a huge opportunity to take her talent even further. The problem: how will everything fit? Truth be told, there'll be sacrifice. For Kobi, these big decisions start soon, as she heads into the final stretch of high school. But until then, it's all about FoodieSpread, and where it may lead.

So really, the name Kobi Walker is already out there. The difference is, now, you exactly who she is, and what she does best.