Meet Arianna Negri | Recipe Creator & Food Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Arianna Negri and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Arianna, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
I started my business from home in the midst of the pandemic, so it took some time to establish a work life balance. For a little over a year, I was working from my kitchen table and shooting in my living room. Having no designated work space made it extremely difficult to establish a clear work life balance. I found I had a hard time “turning it off”, and often worked seven days a week- even if it was just for a few hours on the weekend. Countless times I would hop on my computer just to answer a quick email or edit one gallery, and suddenly I would be consumed by work. Over time, it became clear that this wasn’t sustainable for me and only lead me to burning out.

Establishing a clear boundary between work and my personal life was much easier once I was able to move into a bigger space with an office. Having a room that was specifically for work made it easy to shut the door and turn work off for the night. Of course, there are still times that work bleeds over to my personal life. Because of my job, no week or day is ever the same; which, yields a flexible schedule but also makes establishing a set routine harder. Nowadays, I look at the week ahead on Sunday night and pencil in personal time. Whether it’s taking a day off or a whole weekend, I know now that I function best when I have that balance.

I believe that you can’t have a successful business without balance. While balance looks different for each person, for me it means taking time to step away from my work. When you own a business and love what you do, it can be hard to set those parameters. Especially when your business is just you, the success is truly based on the work YOU do. But taking that time for yourself to hit reset and recharge is so crucial. Being a creative, I need that time to turn off my brain so that I can come back to work feeling rested and refreshed. My best work never happens when I’m overtired and overworked. Those pivotal changing points and accomplishments in my business have happened when I’m my best self and feeling balanced.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I think my story is different than most creatives or entrepreneurs because I didn’t grow up dreaming of owning a business or pursuing a passion. While I always loved cooking, I didn’t find my true passion for it until the end of junior year of college. By that point, I had switched my major at Cal Poly from Child Development to Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Administration. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my major, I was just drawn to learning about event planning and hospitality. I had also just gotten back from studying abroad in San Sebastián, Spain. I spent five months traveling (AKA, eating) across Europe and had taken an amazing semester long cooking class. When I got back to San Luis Obispo, I knew I wanted to have some kind of career path that involved food; however, I just didn’t know what that was or how to do it.

Over the next year, I started working as a social media coordinator and photographer for a local restaurant. Then, I was connected with a food stylist in San Francisco that I assisted for. I even did my senior project on culinary tourism in San Diego! Which, led me to my job working for an event and marketing company that put on food festivals in San Diego. While I loved San Diego (who wouldn’t?!) I didn’t love my work. It only took a global pandemic to give me the courage to finally turn my passion of cooking and photography into a career. Two years later, and I’ve never been happier.

While my path definitely wasn’t linear, I’m happy there were so many bumps in the road that lead me to where I am now. Being able to work in both the event and marketing industry gave me a unique perspective. As well, it gave me a skillset in SEO, content writing, and much more that has benefited my career. It also taught me to look at the bigger picture, outside of food. While I know food tells a story, I understand that people sometimes need to be led in the right direction to get there. From pitching clients to creating recipes for brands, this lesson has helped me craft content that will appeal to a wider audience.

Finally, I just want to say that it really doesn’t matter what path you’re on now or how long you’ve been on it; if you don’t like it, change things. I was fortunate in a lot of ways that I had lost my job during the pandemic, so I had a “what do I have to lose” attitude when it came to starting my business. I realize a lot of people have circumstances that don’t allow them to take that risk, I am truly grateful for the luck I had. But you are never too far down a path to change courses. Life is short, do what makes you happy! And if you don’t know what makes you happy, you’ll never know if you stay on the same course.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
When I moved to San Diego, I started making a list of restaurants and things I wanted to do around the city. Almost four years later and a lot has been crossed off, and even more has been added. Here are a few things from my “Must Do/Eat” in San Diego…

Restaurants
– Arlo is one of my favorite new restaurants. They have a menu that changes with the seasons and is always delicious!
– Cesarina is by far my favorite Italian restaurant in San Diego. That’s obvious a big statement since we have such a fabulous array of restaurants in Little Italy. This little Point Loma restaurant offers an amazing gluten-free and vegan menu with cute, homey vibes.
– Casa Brave in Pacific Beach is a cute, Spanish-inspired restaurant that has tapas and sangria that make you feel like you’re in Spain.
– Harney Sushi is my favorite sushi restaurant in San Diego for unique rolls with fresh, sustainable fish. If you’re looking for a cheaper option, try Sushi Diner in Linda Vista. The rolls are huge, delicious and very cheap for what you get.
– We Olive & Wine Bar in La Jolla next to the Valencia Hotel has an amazing view of the beach from their patio. It’s so small and tucked away, it’s the perfect happy hour spot.
– For the most amazing view of downtown, check out Bali Hall. Not only are their cocktails tasty (and strong), but the food is unbeatable.

Things to do:
– I lived in Liberty Station for two years and it is one of my favorite places in the world. It’s nestled right next to downtown and has great walking packs along the water. Whether you’re exploring the old barracks or dining at Liberty Public Market, you could spend a whole day there!
– While I love every beach in San Diego, there’s nothing quite like walking the Coronado beach. Coronado itself makes you feel like you stepped back in time, and the beach is immaculately clean. Not to mention, the view of the Del is amazing!
– Take a cocktail class at You & Yours Distillery in East Village, then head over to Punch Bowl Social! East Village has a ton of great spots, but these are two of my favorite for unique activities.
– The Manchester Grand Hyatt in Downtown San Diego has a rooftop cinema club that offers move a few nights a week. It’s a great date night spot.

There are so many other things in San Diego, but those are just a few of my favorites! I also love zipping up to Temecula for some wine tasting or over to Julien in the fall. There’s so many hidden gems just an hour or less away from San Diego!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I truly wouldn’t be where I am today without my loved ones, specifically my family and my fiancé, Sam. My parents have owned their real estate business since 1991, so they’re familiar with the risks that come along with establishing and operating your own business. Their support and mentorship has helped guide me in more ways than they know. From helping me along the process of just establishing my own business (the name, website, registering it with the city, etc.) to giving me the necessary tools to manage my business, I couldn’t have done it without them.

And of course my fiancé, who suggested I get back into photography when I lost my job at the start of the pandemic. His encouragement and unwavering belief in me has taken me further than I ever could have imagined. He’s been there ever step of the way to offer help any way his can, taste test COUNTLESS recipes, and be my own personal hand model. Even on the hard days, he’s always there with new ideas and solutions to help get me back on my feet.

Finally, I’ve been very fortunate to start my business during the pandemic and be met with so many opportunities. From organizations like Upwork that helped connect me with jobs and clients from all over the country to just the city of San Diego that has allowed me to follow my passion and thrive, I’m so grateful for every opportunity and challenge I’ve experienced.

Website: https://www.sunflowercreativeco.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunflower_creativeco/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sunflower-creative-co/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SunflowerCreativeCo/