Rising Stars: Meet Diana Halloran of San Gabriel

Today we’d like to introduce you to Diana Halloran

Hi Diana, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
As practically a 1st Generation American (my family and I immigrated to the US from Taiwan when I was almost 2 years old), I take pride in and call myself an L.A. Native. I have never lived outside of Los Angeles, with the exception of going to college at the University of California-Riverside, and, as an only child, have always intentionally lived close to my parents. I grew up in the San Gabriel Valley, a pocket of Los Angeles where there is a lot of diversity in culture and especially food! Because of this, I’ve been exposed to so many types of food and have always been an adventurous and curious eater. Throughout my life, my family and friends have all become used to me documenting any meal that I deem memorable, and in the last year, I created a social media account that is strictly food and beverage based, so as to not “torture” any of my friends with my passion. This food account has since given me so much joy and become a creative outlet for me to give back to the community and support local businesses that I feel like deserve the attention from a larger audience. I have since been branching out a bit more into lifestyle content as well, but everything all ties back to happiness that I choose to share with my community.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Of course it has not been a smooth road but the rewards from the challenges I have overcome have made it worth it. I used to be extremely shy and would avoid being in the front of the camera, but I have since learned the value of my voice and storytelling. I had no idea how to make a “reel” or keep up with the latest social media trends, but through building a community with other related local content creators, I firmly believe that supporting each other will make everyone better and grow more (be it in followers and/or personally)

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Professionally, I am a Licensed Interior Designer at an Architectural Firm based in Los Angles. I have been working in the Architecture and Design community for 13 years and counting, and currently specialize in Healthcare and Institutional buildings and design. I am currently working on a hospital in Southern California that’s currently under construction and also have experience in the Commercial, Workplace, Retail, and Sports Venue market sectors as well. I am most proud of being able to IMPACT people’s experience when they enter a space. That’s why I worked my way into specializing in healthcare type spaces, as I feel people are most vulnerable and I just want to make them feel safe and welcome.

Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
Books: anything written by Anthony Bourdain (he is my idol, RIP)

Apps: Instagram, TikTok, Yelp, Canva, ChatGPT, Headspace (meditation), Class Pass (fitness/wellness), Co-Star (astrology)

Podcasts: AsianBossGirl, On Purpose with Jay Shetty, Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dieatsla/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=k-6EP-cguJGNJldI5hlyjw

Image Credits
Tyler Halloran, Diana Halloran