We were lucky to catch up with Alessandra Ciuffo recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alessandra, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

Food and cooking have always been an important part of my life from a young age. However, as I began high school, cooking started to fall behind everything else I had going on in life …. schoolwork, dance, social life etc. When it came time for college, I considered culinary school but instead followed a traditional route and attended a four-year college where I pursued a degree in Business Administration. While I am really glad I got my business degree, I still felt unfulfilled because I wasn’t truly following my heart and pursuing my passion.

After starting a job after college in the field I studied, I quickly became bored with the work because I wasn’t doing what I truly loved. It was then that my family encouraged me to look into culinary school. So I called the school and scheduled a tour. After walking around the school and learning more about the program I immediately knew this was the right path for me. Then and there, I decided to pursue my creative path professionally. I went home, filled out the application and enrolled in culinary school. Finally I was diving head first into my passion.

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

Ciao! I’m Alessandra Ciuffo, I’m an NYC-based chef in training and an aspiring TV personality.

From a young age, I always felt there was a passion for food that set me apart from others. Growing up in a large Italian family, I was encouraged to get into the kitchen early on. By the age of three, I was standing on stools over the stove, stirring large pots of tomato sauce. Rather than watching cartoons, I’d religiously watch the Food Network and ask for baking equipment instead of dolls. Something about cooking fascinated me; the way a few simple ingredients could transform into something else. It gave me a blank canvas to experiment upon and allowed my creativity to run free.

My love of cooking, paired with my 11-year-old rambunctious personality, led me to begin a career in the culinary media industry. In 2012, I was chosen from a YouTube audition tape to participate in a Web series called “Super Chef Kids.” I was noticed by Jane Street Entertainment, which then cast me on season one of Food Network’s Rachael vs. Guy: Kids Cook-off. I went on to do numerous food demos, fundraisers, and radio interviews. I participated with Guy Fieri at the 2013 NYC Wine and Food Festival, competed and won an episode of Guy’s Grocery Games in 2016, and have appeared in several episodes of the Rachael Ray Show.

While in college, I began a culinary lifestyle brand called “Flavors by Ale.” It began as a long form YouTube channel and has since shifted more towards short form content on TikTok, Instagram, and Youtube Shorts (though I do have plans of continuing long form content after school.) My goal has always been to make cooking approachable and fun for people. I am super passionate and love exploring and experimenting with new flavors and recipes, and I like to think that my passion inspires others to also get in the kitchen.

When I started culinary school, I began sharing day-in-the-life content of what it was like to be a culinary student and that is when things really exploded on my pages. Given this interest in learning foundational techniques and preparations of cooking, I have begun putting an emphasis on educational food content. When I share recipes, I like to include some history or information on the ingredients, techniques and styles being used.

I am so grateful for the immensely supportive community that I have built. This is just the beginning of FlavorsbyAle, I have plans of hosting culinary shows, writing cook books, teaching classes and workshops, selling products and so much more!

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Getting started on social media can be an extremely daunting undertaking. Will people be interested in you and the content you make? Is the time dedicated to creating and posting content even worth it? These are the common questions that may fill your mind, because they surely crossed mine. It is scary taking the first step, but that first step is the most important. If you are passionate and dedicated, anything is possible.

For me, growing my social media accounts was a slow build. Although I already had an Instagram account, I wanted a separate one that was a deep dive in my passion for all things food. So I started a brand new page from scratch. At first it was just my friends and family that were following me and engaging with my posts. Overtime, as I continued to post content consistently I began growing a larger audience and really building a community of people with similar interests that were interested in me and my content.

My advice to someone looking to build their audience is to first figure out what their content will be about. Find a topic/theme/angle and stick to it. It may sound obvious, but make sure the topic is something you’re passionate about. People are very perceptive to authenticity. Not only will it make it enjoyable for you to make the content, but your followers will appreciate it that much more. Now the MOST important advice I can give is to be consistent. Consistency has been the key to helping me continue to grow my pages. Try and set a schedule of when you’re posting and stick to it. This way you always stay fresh on the feeds of your followers and can begin to take up space and build authority in the field you’re in.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative and sharing my passion and journey with others is the impact that you can have. When I first began sharing my culinary school journey, I only planned on doing my Day-In-The-Life content a few times a week, but when I started receiving an outpour of comments and messages daily from many people I knew this had a bigger meaning. People were letting me know that I was their inspiration to: finally enroll in their dream (culinary) school; make that career change they have been thinking about; get a taste of what culinary school would be like and if they could handle it; try out a new cooking technique, skill or recipe; and so much more.

I knew then that my page was beyond me. It was not just a place for me to share my passion with others, but it was a platform and community that empowers people to chase their own dreams, culinary and beyond.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://alessandraciuffo.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flavorsbyale/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flavorsbyale/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alessandra-ciuffo-111a1a179/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTYy_ZPS60YSAvhoDL8N5Jw
• Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@flavorsbyale?lang=en

Image Credits
Marc Levine