Meet Sandy Vela of San Fernando Valley

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sandy Vela.

Hi Sandy, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I get asked this question a lot now, especially as my videos have started reaching more people throughout the San Fernando Valley.

I actually started on social media during COVID, like many people did. At the time, I had just given birth to my third child, and TikTok became a creative outlet while I adjusted to becoming a mom of three. I never really focused on dancing videos — instead, I leaned into funny trends, relatable mom-life content, and of course, my love for coffee whenever I could enjoy it.

I’ve always loved sharing places my family and I would eat at, family-friendly deals I would find, and little moments from our everyday life. A few years later, I got into TikTok Shop, which pushed me far outside of my comfort zone. Learning how to create content focused on online sales was completely new to me, but it was also something flexible that I could do while being home with my kids.

Everything really started to shift when one of my friends launched her coffee business, Liv Guilt Free. Since I was already active on social media, I offered to help create videos for her business. I started filming content featuring her coffees, trying them on camera, and helping bring attention to what she was building.

From there, more opportunities naturally started coming my way. I began creating videos for other local businesses and highlighting places my family genuinely enjoyed visiting. Before I knew it, documenting family outings, coffee shops, restaurants, and hidden gems around the San Fernando Valley became a huge part of my content.

To be honest, I almost didn’t pursue food content seriously because I spent so much time comparing myself to other creators. I convinced myself I could never create content the way they did. But once I started receiving positive feedback about my own style of videos and honest reviews, it gave me the confidence to continue and build something that felt authentic to who I am.

Over time, I started focusing more intentionally on small businesses throughout the San Fernando Valley. Little by little, my platform continued to grow while I stayed committed to being honest, relatable, and true to myself.

What’s funny is that I actually grew up being an extremely picky eater. Now, as an adult, getting to explore different foods and cultures through local restaurants has honestly been such an exciting experience for me. I get to enjoy family outings with my kids, date nights with my husband, and even solo coffee dates while discovering new places throughout the Valley.

One of my favorite parts of this journey has been getting to know the business owners themselves and learning the behind-the-scenes reality of running a business — something many people don’t always get to see. Being able to connect people with businesses they may have never discovered otherwise truly feels like an honor.

Although content creation can definitely be time-consuming, hearing from business owners that one of my videos helped bring in customers or positively impacted their business makes it all worth it. Those messages genuinely motivate me to keep going.

Recently, we’ve even expanded beyond food content into service-based businesses as well, and it has been such a fun and rewarding experience.

I’m truly excited to see where this journey continues to lead.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I think one of the biggest struggles I had in the beginning was constantly comparing myself to other content creators who were going viral at the time. I felt like I wasn’t as charismatic or outgoing as a lot of other people online. As a person of faith, there were also certain things within the content world that simply didn’t align with who I am or the type of content I wanted to create.

For a long time, I also believed that in order to “make it” as a creator, I needed all the fancy equipment and gadgets. But honestly, to this day, I’m still just a person with a phone, a couple of microphones, and a tripod.

I do all of my own filming and editing while balancing motherhood, everyday life, and the different things I’m involved in at my local church. Even with the challenges that come with juggling everything, I genuinely love creating content and being able to support and highlight local businesses throughout the San Fernando Valley.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I would say my title is an online content creator, but I think what really sets me apart from the average content creator is that I enjoy creating more personalized, story-driven videos.

I like to cover every part of the experience in my content — not just me eating food on camera. I genuinely want people to feel like they’re coming along with me as I visit these different spots. By the time someone finishes watching one of my videos, I want them to be able to decide for themselves whether it’s a place they’d want to visit and support.

My goal isn’t necessarily to convince people to go somewhere. It’s simply to give them an honest look at the experience they can expect if they choose to support that business.

Any big plans?
My plans for the future are to continue highlighting businesses throughout the San Fernando Valley while continuing to grow alongside the community that has supported me from the beginning.

I would love the opportunity to work with more well-known and established brands — whether that’s restaurants, beauty brands, resorts, or experiences that allow me to bring people along and genuinely share the experience through my content.

I also hope to continue finding ways to give back to the community, especially within the San Fernando Valley. At the end of the day, I’ll always see myself as just a normal Valley girl exploring the endless hidden gems and experiences throughout Los Angeles County.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandyceo?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@eatwithsandyv?si=CGDqtZud7BgL1Fmz
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@sandy.food.fun?_r=1&_t=ZP-96K44Uemwb0