Today we’d like to introduce you to Lola Sandra
Hi Lola, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I had moved to LA from NY to pursue acting. When I was in elementary school, I had fallen in love with Theater after watching a high school performance of The Music Man. I was captivated by the high school players, who made everything seem so real just by the way they moved and the sounds they made. I was magically taken out of the high school auditorium I was in and knew I wanted to create magic through telling stories too.
When Covid hit, I had to pivot. I used the time during quarantine to study Nutrition & and became a certified Nutritionist and Personal Trainer. I was doing meal prep for friends and neighbors and in January 2023 I finally launched my home-cooked delivery menu on Shef.com – where I focus on my curries, my Indian Wedding Cookies, and a couple of other Indian inspired fusion dishes. During this time, I began building my food brand, *LOLA | Clean. Conscientious. Kosher.*
Fast forward to October 7th, 2023, I opened up my social media to see devastating news of the terror attack on Israel. As a Jew, I took this personally. I have friends, and friends who have family, living in Israel. I’ve traveled there multiple times and have had some of the most meaningful life experiences there. I’ve experienced the people, the culture, the land, first hand. Although I was born in India and grew up in the US, my love for Israel is incomparable. In the time following the attack, I would scroll through social media and see so much disinformation about Israel circulating. Consequently, I started using my social media to address the disinformation, to remember the over 200 hostages that were violently abducted into Gaza from Israel – 116 of whom are still being held, and to touch on the shared roots of Jews and Arabs/Muslims. My intention is to share a different perspective and hopefully build bridges by having open, respectful conversations with others who have differing viewpoints and experiences. It was during this time that I had been connected to Rova Media, an outlet that provides “the street view of realities on the ground”. I began collaborating with them as a content creator, sharing informative content on current events on MENA/Israel.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Starting my food brand, LOLA, in addition to pursuing acting, after coming out of quarantine was not at all a smooth road! Growing up, my mom would say, “our kind of Indians don’t do business, we do education”; on top of that, being born to a single mom and being an immigrant, I’ve always felt extra pressure to achieve. I struggled with, and still do, this idea that I’m not “naturally” cut out to be successful in endeavors that aren’t rooted in a need for a traditional educational background. There are those internal struggles, then there are the technicalities of starting and growing a business that I’m learning along the way.
My pivot into informative content creation on MENA/Israel with Rova Media was synchronistic, though not easy. Despite having on-camera experience as an actor, I struggled with speaking about such important and sensitive, relevant information that we’re currently experiencing. I have to balance being able to boldly deliver information and my personal feelings about what I am sharing. I’ve watched early videos that I did for Rova – I’m so glad they didn’t share them! I’m still finding my voice in sharing real-life information with a wider audience, as opposed to tapping into a character, regardless of how relatable, for an acting role. I’m definitely still growing and have a lot to learn, but I’m really grateful for this unexpected role.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I see myself as a creator foremost. One of my creations I’m known for is my *Indian Wedding Cookie*. I came up with a proprietary blend of warm spices, a kick of chili, & chunks of chocolate. The flavor is unexpected but people love them! My menu, which includes the *Indian Wedding Cookies* is vegan & cooked from my kosher kitchen using organic, clean, kosher ingredients. You can find my home-cooked delivery menu on Shef.com under Lola S.
I’m proud of a couple of things – taking on a different kind of role as an informative content creator. Speaking about MENA/Israel in a post October 7th world is so much bigger than anything I could have dreamt up for myself in acting or creating my food brand. At the same time, I’m also proud of developing my food brand, whether it’s cooking or taking small steps along the way in the learning process of building a brand.
What makes you happy?
The simple things make me happy. Cooking and sharing delicious meals with my friends. Dancing to Britney Spears. Being around horses and riding, hiking, being on the beach. Knowing I have supportive, encouraging, and helpful people close to me puts a smile on my face and warms my heart. Being able to collaborate with other creators and friends, whether it’s on camera or for an event, who care about sharing meaningful experiences and contributing to a greater good. All of these things make me happy – they make life enjoyable and spark inspiration to learn, grow, and create even more.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://shef.com/order/shef/lola-s-1
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nourishedbylola/
Image Credits
@MargaretSeid: Yellow top & blue button down
@DeluluWineClub: Food shots & Kitchen shot
