Daily Inspiration: Meet Ashley Adams

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Adams.

Hi Ashley, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’ve been vegan for quite some time, almost 7 years now. I also always knew I was a creative at heart. And in the midst of the pandemic, just like everyone else, I was home a lot and cooking a lot. I got the opportunity to explore more around the kitchen, self-teach myself new skills and try out new recipes I would come up with throughout the week. In 2020, I started a new Instagram page just to satisfy my creativity cravings and share my recipes online somewhere.

I slowly started to gain traction from others within the San Antonio and global vegan community. People started coming to me, asking me tips and tricks on going vegan or this product over that product.

I started to share more and more recipes, building an online community, honing in on my skills around the kitchen and now I share everything from my recipes, vegan product recommendations, vegan travels and so much more!

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
No, it hasn’t been a smooth road. There are always going to be negative comments or internal struggles along the way. I have had a few videos go viral on both TikTok and Instagram and usually, that’s when the negative comments start flooding in, mostly about being vegan or not being super ‘fit’ as a vegan.

Internally, it’s hard to keep up sometimes between the idea generation, recipe creation, shooting content, editing the content and posting it as a final product. It’s draining a lot of the time and on top of my full time job and all of the other aspects in life, there are ebbs and flows.

When content doesn’t do well and you spent so much time, money and effort on it, it’s easy to get unmotivated. Then I remember why I started. I started for me, to have a creative outlet, to cook for fun and meet new people.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I specialize in vegan experiences, whether in the kitchen, at a restaurant or at a gathering with friends and family. There is always an experience to be had and I’m here to share those experiences with my online community to share with the world of mouth-watering vegan food.

I think I’m most known for my vegan charcuterie kits that I started as a side project and it turned into selling hundreds nationwide.

I’m most proud of my growth and the friendships I have been able to foster through this community. It’s so fun getting to meet other entrepreneurs and creative around the globe, meeting restaurant owners, chefs, content creators, etc. I want to share their craft with the world as well and teaming up with them has been an absolute joy.

What does success mean to you?
Success isn’t the number of likes, the number of followers or how much money is in the bank. Are those things great to have? Absolutely! I’d be lying if I said I *didn’t* care about those numbers.

But to me, success is happiness. The feeling I get on a Saturday morning walking into a clean kitchen and seeing the endless possibilities. Taking my time building my ingredient list, grocery shopping, experimenting with new flavors. Being in my own world for the day, trying out new recipes, jamming to music, all while my dog licks up scraps from the floor and having the freedom to do so, that’s success. A sense of freedom, the feeling of creativity and the ultimate sensation of perfecting a recipe, uninterrupted.

Success is many things, but in my world of vegan culinary, that’s what it looks like to me.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itstheveganfoodie/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theveganfoodiellc
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/imashleyadams
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXtxR6sjEwhbXYG2av4xMSw
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@itstheveganfoodie