We recently connected with Cierra Lewis and have shared our conversation below.

Cierra, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?

I am happier as a creative because it helps me bring my unique vision to life. Being a food blogger is more than just taking pics of food, it feels like capturing artwork but being able to taste the deliciousness of those foods that you love so much.

I fell in love with food blogging in 2019. It became a business once I joined other DMV Foodies & started highlighting food from dc restaurants & showcasing their best entrees. I would get invited to try a restaurant & promote on my food page @brunchwithcee & tell my followers to stop by. Initially I would be given a free service at a particular restaurant, then I grew into receiving monetary partnerships which led me into turning Brunchwithcee into an actual business.

Being a food blogger influencer separates me from a 9-5 job because I am actually doing what I love and no one can take that away from me. I am in control of my purpose and I can deliver content at my own pace in order to successfully fulfill my passion. I am happy as a creative because I am in control, I am feeding my face & showing my DC community the best places they can go and eat. When you find your “Why” & go after what truly makes you happy, you will start creating a mindset that will help you get away from that 9-5 mentality. The goal is to fulfill your dreams that can sufficiently & financially take care of you. I’m not telling you to quit your 9-5 Job, however get into your passion so that you can open up doors to potentially pay you for doing what truly makes you happy.

Food blogging is something that you can do at any given moment. You can choose your hours of blogging & have joy in selecting the foodie pictures that you created. I have also gained an amazing DMV Foodie community, Chef Partnerships while doing what I love.

Cierra, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I started Food Blogging during a very challenging time in my life. I was in graduate school in Philadelphia, PA to earn my MBA. I felt like the only thing making me smile during that time was Food. One day I decided to visit a Brunch Cafe called Green Eggs Cafe. I remember ordering the Chicken & Waffles and saying, “This taste absolutely amazing” I remember smiling and started taking pictures of my food on social media. I started to feel so happy receiving compliments from my foodie pictures and I remember the joy I felt while doing so. I started thinking to myself, “Cierra, become a food blogger” Create something that is going to help you overcome stress & make you happy. Little to my knowledge, Restaurant managers began reposting my foodie pics & tagging me. This helped me choose my brand name @brunchwithcee.

After Graduation. I moved back to the DMV, surrounded myself with friends and family who helped me feel at peace. I decided to join the DMV Foodies & began hosting brunches for the culture. I

I wanted to make a difference in my community by allowing other Black Owned Businesses to promote their talents and product. I believe there is enough room for all of us to eat together if we can decide what that table will look like. I can’t tell you how much becoming a food influencer has helped me make an impact in my community and gave me the freedom to create my own path of living.

Brunch truly makes me happy and my goal is to make sure people can eat, spread love & sip mimosas unapologetically. Sometimes the best conversations are had over food.

Fast forward to today, I have partnered with PJ’s Coffee, My Cake Theory, Pin Stripes, Dunkin, Panera Bread and hosted 3 sold out brunches. I plan on traveling to more states around the world to brunch and network with amazing people & show them how to create their own seat at the table.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is that you are actually doing what most people are afraid to do. You are taking a leap of faith and doing what what you love and not allowing anyone to diminish or stop you from doing what makes you happy.

Food makes me happy and brings me so much comfort around family and friends. Food blogging has helped me create a resource for people to use when choosing to dine out but the best part about this is that they are selecting restaurants from my favorite places & choosing my brunch page to help guide them.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Allow creatives to be who they are and not who society tells them they need to be. Support everyone’s goals and ideas because you never know that their one individual idea could potentially be their dream.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://voyagebaltimore.com/interview/rising-stars-meet-cierra-lewis-of-washington-dc/
• Instagram: Brunchwithcee