Today we’d like to introduce you to Tiffany Sy.
Tiffany, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I started my food Instagram during the summer of 2016. Fresh out of college, I needed something to do and I decided to do a food Instagram as inspiration from one of my former classmates in elementary school. We had a reunion and he said that he is a food blogger on Instagram. He gets to eat at restaurants and attend events and I wanted to do that.
After some debating, I decided to do it and three years later, here I am! Last year, I decided to start an actual food blog on the web to house snack reviews and other food content as I’m always seeking out reviews of snacks and other foods before I buy and I decided to do that. Now, I get the opportunity to go on the food adventures that I wanted to in the beginning so I include that there as well as some recipes that I’ve made.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It’s been very bumpy. Initially, the biggest hurdle to get over was the thought of “making it.” Will this thing work out? Will people follow me? There are a lot of food bloggers out there who live in interesting cities with lots of great food options or bloggers who have the financial means to get food whereas me, I don’t fall into those categories so I didn’t know if starting a food blog would be worth my time, energy, and effort. However, I decided to do it and in the beginning, it was a lot of hard work getting noticed and gaining followers.
Last year, I got plenty of opportunities to collaborate with brands, which is a possibility that I didn’t know existed. I am very thankful for those opportunities. This year, I have started to go to restaurants and events, which is the initial reason why I started food blogging and I’m really grateful as I wouldn’t normally have gotten the chance to eat these kinds of food in everyday life. There have been many times that I wanted to quit as I feel that my growth is stagnant but for now, I’m going to keep on doing it while I figure out what I really want to do in life.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
I went through a few names during the beginning but now I am referenced as “Tiffitastes” on Instagram and on my website. When I started my food Instagram, I initially showed what I ate but over the past year, I have ventured into sharing my recipes and home-cooked food on Instagram as I don’t always have the opportunity to go on food adventures. Lately, I have been experimenting with video on Instagram so that’s been a lot of fun. I specialize in showing the food that I’ve ate (mainly in the SGV; sometimes in LA, OC, or travels) and showing the food that I make and eat at home.
I am proud that I have been able to develop relationships with others on Instagram as I value connection with others. I am also proud of the past work and opportunities that I’ve gotten. I’ve gotten the opportunity to work with brands that I would have never imagined and now, I am grateful for the opportunities to go out and try new restaurants that I normally wouldn’t go to.
I think what sets me apart from others is the fact that I genuinely care about the opinions and inputs of my followers and I try to create content that would give value to them instead of before when I would show what I eat. It’s interesting to see what others eat but now, I’m really focusing on adding value to people’s lives and trying to inspire, educate, and inform others about how cooking can be easy and eating out doesn’t have to be expensive. I also value the time it takes when others interact with me so I return the favor and always try to start new relationships on Instagram.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
The future of my blog is up in the air as there have been many times that I feel that I’m unsure of whether or not I want to continue the blog. After graduating college, I wanted to get a job but that hasn’t proved so and currently, I am doing everything I can to get a job in the real world as I want to make an impact and contribute to something special.
I am looking forward to or planning for a move to Boston. Boston sports is probably my greatest passion and interest in life. I never really liked food until after I started my food blog but I’ve been a Boston sports fan since 2008 and I want to be around others who are as invested in the sports and city as much as I am. Right now, it’s a work in progress but I want everything to work out in the event that I get to move.
Contact Info:
- Website: tiffitastes.weebly.com
- Phone: 6174538128
- Email: emailtiffers@icloud.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/tiffitastes
- Other: tiffitastes.weebly.com
Image Credit:
Tiffany Sy
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