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

Hi Brooklyn, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
What initially inspired me to start @sdfoodinsiders was my friend, @hangryhungryhippo_. Her videos highlight so many diverse restaurants and motivated me to create this page to document unique spots around San Diego. It was initially just for fun, but the pivotal moment came with my first collaboration with @shwarmashacksd. Connecting with this business was so fulfilling in learning about their backstory, their goals, and what makes their business special. Ever since then, each interaction and connection I’ve built through this page has deepened my appreciation for the local food scene and businesses in San Diego and strengthened my commitment to showcasing these amazing places. As someone who was born and raised in San Diego, I love making recommendations for places to have a birthday dinner, which restaurants have cool holiday themes, or even recommendations on what to do here. It’s fun experiencing new things, trying new food, and meeting amazing people in the city I’ve called my home all my life.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
My biggest challenge with @sdfoodinsiders was learning to balance my commitments. At one point, I overextended myself, booking too many engagements. This turned my passion into a chore, causing me to lose sight of why I even started this page. The pressure to create content constantly overwhelmed me, as I still wanted to do justice to the food, restaurants, and businesses I featured.
Currently, I’m in my final year of pharmacy school, and I’m busier than ever. Although my first priority is on school right now, I learned how to make time for occasional collaborations with businesses – these are the moments I cherish so much. For this page, I’m eagerly anticipating to have more free time as it will allow me to create videos and reconnect with one of my favorite passions, and I’m also excited to branch out of San Diego as well!

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?
If my best friend was visiting the area we would start the day with brunch at Provisional Kitchen and Queens Town. Walk around La Jolla, Coronado, Kate Session’s, Downtown, or Rohr’s Park. Then we’d probably eat at Glassbox, Tacos el Gordo, Casa de Fred’s Tacos y Tequila, Salvatore’s or any KBBQ in Convoy. And if we wanted to get drinks at night we’d go to The Lafayette, Sky Deck, or somewhere local and fun on 3rd Avenue, downtown or North Park.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to shoutout my foodie fam “Le Cubs Group”! The continuous support in this food community is just so strong. I would also of course love to shoutout my family, friends, and boyfriend for their support and encouragement.

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

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