We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Dana Rozansky a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Dana, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

I genuinely believe that self-confidence is one of the biggest keys to success. For years, I’ve subscribed to the ‘fake it til you make it’ model and I believe wholeheartedly that it works.

I’ve walked into every job I’ve had with my head held high and a ‘I know what I’m doing’ attitude, even when I didn’t always know what I was doing. When you project confidence, you’ll gain respect and opportunities from others, and you’ll feel empowered to jump in with two feet and simply figure it out as you go.

Nearly five years ago, in the middle of Covid, a light switch went off in my brain and I knew without a shadow of a doubt that it was time for me to leave my safe, corporate hustle and start my own business. I didn’t let any self-doubt creep in and I just did it, full steam ahead. What might have seemed to others as a rash decision or a risky move just felt so right. I trusted my gut and I went for it.

Today I can confidently say it was the best call I’ve made to date. I’m happier, have a more flexible schedule, and make more money than I ever have before.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I have two businesses that are different from one another yet very interconnected. I’ll start with the one I’m most recognized for, which is called Miami Food Porn. Back in the day, you could call me a ‘food blogger’ which seems to be a somewhat obsolete term in today’s world — but I refuse to call myself an ‘influencer’ so here we are! Miami Food Porn was born about a decade ago, in the early days of Instagram. It started as a way to share simple, static photos of food (which in retrospect, lack some serious aesthetic), but it has since turned into so much more. This platform has evolved beyond Instagram, and has become a trusted resource for where to eat, travel, and everything in between. While my core focus is food, and more specifically, Miami restaurants, I’ve been able to branch into different markets, travel to different countries, and work with brands across so many different industries. This account has introduced me to some of my closest friends and afforded me some of the craziest opportunities and pinch-me moments. Most recently, that moment was a trip to Mendoza with their Tourism Board to attend their first-ever Michelin Awards at an incredible winery.

For many people, ‘food blogging’ or ‘influencing’ is a full-time hustle, but it has never been my sole focus. After years of working for corporate PR agencies, I decided to start my own consulting & marketing firm. I not-so-creatively named it ‘Dana Rozansky Consulting’ because as much as I love a jazzy name, I wanted to be very direct and to the point here. I was banking on the fact that my personal relationships and network would drive my business, so I let my name do the talking. Now, nearly five years later, I am proud to say that I work with some incredible clients in the food, beverage and hospitality space. From fast-casual spots to some of the most profitable and fastest-growing restaurants in the country, I’m able to make my mark on an industry I truly know and love. I handle everything from marketing strategy, partnerships, events, PR, influencer marketing, social strategy and more — and I can genuinely say I love what I do. How lucky am I?!

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

‘Work’ looks different to everyone, and given my traditional agency background, I was so wrapped up in this regimented structure of 9-5 (really, 9-6 or 9-7, let’s be honest) for many years. When I left to start my own business, I had trouble (and honestly still have trouble) unlearning this somewhat antiquated viewpoint on what a normal work day looks like. I would feel guilty going to a somewhat later workout class or even a doctor’s appointment in the middle of the day since that is how I was trained to feel for so long. As long as the work gets done, who cares?! I would say I likely clock more hours now that I’m on my own, but those hours certainly look different than they did before. I may be up late, leveraging quiet time to be productive — or I may be taking a midday flight and cranking things out in the air while others are at the office. The point is – it doesn’t matter. There are many ways to get the job done and it’s important to be flexible and forgiving — with yourself and with others.

Let’s move on to buying businesses – can you talk to us about your experience with business acquisitions?

Back in the early days of Miami Food Porn, I had a business partner. We were 50/50 and we worked well together, but she got a job opportunity cross-country, and given the focus of the page was Miami, I decided it was time to take things solo. The business wasn’t highly profitable at the time, but it was still incredibly personal to both of us, so there was some apprehension about broaching the topic. I was wary about offending my friend and partner, and also hopeful to get my desired outcome without any animosity. Ultimately, after much deliberation and several panicked chats with my family and my mentor, I approached the subject of buying her out and continuing to grow the brand on my own, Thankfully, we approached it like adults and agreed it would be best for all parties, But now on to the hard part…how does one place value on an Instagram page? What’s it really worth? Given the world of social media was fairly new, it seemed like the wild wild west — so we each did some research, consulted colleagues, and came together and agreed on what we both felt was fair. It was a huge relief that we were able to see eye to eye and we still have a great friendship and mutual respect to this day.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://danarozansky.com/
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/miami_foodporn
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dana-rozansky/
• Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@miami_foodporn?lang=en