Today we’d like to introduce you to Alicia Correa.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Alicia. So, let’s start at the beginning, and we can move on from there.
I created “The Cookbook Project,” an Instagram account, to share 101 recipes I would be trying over the summer. It was a personal project- hence the name- but it quickly grew into something more. The Cookbook Project became a space where I shared everything, from my love of cooking to my family photos. I connected with people who related to my experiences, enjoyed my recipes and followed my story.
In an attempt to make some extra money, I began selling baked goods. I renamed the blog “Alicia’s,” after myself. I had always dreamed of leaving behind some kind of legacy, and I knew this name would never limit my business’s possibilities. I launched Alicia’s Baskets in 2018. The baskets and their success enabled the business to take the necessary steps to scale up.
I started an LLC in 2019 and with it came new plans, bigger ideas and a whole lot of questions about my brand’s mission and identity. After careful consideration, I decided that the most important thing I had accomplished in the past three years was building a community. I recognize that there is immense value in this and that a community’s ideas are stronger than mine alone. That’s where Alicia’s is now.
I’m currently working to bring cooking enthusiasts, chefs, home cooks, and foodies together. I’m reaching out to fellow foodies/Instagrammers (potential guest stars in my kitchen) and asking them to teach me and my followers a thing or two!
I love good food, and I believe in creating memorable experiences around it. I’ve made it my mission to share my findings and dedicate my work to everyone who aspires to a life well-lived!
Has it been a smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road!! Taking on baking and delivering on my own has been really rough. I’ve had to take it down a notch because I was definitely burning out.
Driving was exhausting, my back was in constant pain, and I was beginning to resent cooking. Keeping a balance with school work was becoming increasingly difficult.
Furthermore, It has not been easy to figure out exactly where I’m going with all of this.
Figuring out how to take a virtual platform and turn it into an actual money-making business without compromising my content has been challenging. Building up capital to scale up while I’ve been in school has also been challenging.
On a more personal level, sharing pieces of my life has greatly increased my success, but it is also an intimidating and lonesome experience. Feeling that people know me, but I don’t know them can get sad. Feeling that the people who do know me might be judging what I say, write and post on this platform takes its toll on me.
I also feel a lot of pressure to be this-worldly, all-knowing chef when I still have so much to learn.
We’d love to hear more about what you do.
I’m a student at the University of Miami by day and a cook by night!!! I’m known for my recipes, my baking, and my breakfast baskets. I also teach cooking classes!
I’m extremely proud of the community I’ve built and of how much people trust me and root for me. I’m also extremely proud of the breakfast baskets I so lovingly created. Attention to detail is what sets my brand, Alicia’s, apart.
What’s your outlook for the industry over the next 5-10 years?
In five years, I see my industry getting a lot more crowded!! I also expect to see a lot more going on on people’s phones. People already want to read, watch and buy everything over the phone. Blogs, websites, and the food industry will have to adapt to this.
The “lifestyle” trend is getting stronger. More and more people are all about being happy and healthy. People’s search for meaning, positivity, and their need to feel like they are part of something will only get stronger as time passes.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.alicias.co
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @alicias.co
Getting in touch: VoyageMIA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
