We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Desarae Legros. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Desarae below.

Alright, Desarae thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Parents play a huge role in our development as youngsters and sometimes that impact follows us into adulthood and into our lives and careers. Looking back, what’s something you think you parents did right?

What did my parents do right? That’s a pretty loaded question. I think listing the things I didn’t agree with would be easier. But what they did right was they loved me the best way they knew how. Growing up in my family wasn’t easy. I had a very unstable childhood. From moving over 30 times to ending up in one of the most abusive foster homes ever; I had to grow up much younger than I had planned. What I know for sure is no matter what was happening in the world, my parents loved me. They taught me to always find laughter to help me cope through the pain. And through that, I’ve grown to love making others laugh and smile to help them cope with whatever they’re going through as well.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

After my ankle injury in February of 2020, I underwent three surgeries to try and repair it with all of them being unsuccessful. This left me partially disabled and unable to return to my career in the restaurant industry. I felt so broken, worthless and went into a deep depression. I’ve always loved cooking, it’s my love language and it’s also a form of healing for my mental health. So I turned the camera on and started cooking. Learning how to adapt to social media content creation was quite the hill to climb but with the encouragement of those around me, I was able to pursue my new dream. I think the biggest obstacle to overcome was learning to love who I am and not being afraid to be 100% me in front of the camera. I think it’s a part of all of us, self acceptance isn’t easy to find by any means. Had I been fully functional and able to walk, I would have returned to work in the industry that I loved so much running profits for restaurants instead of growing into who I am now. It’s definitely been a “trust the process” situation but I’m forever grateful for the path I was put on. Now, instead of being proud of profit margins, I’m proud of knowing that I make the world a better place. That I lift the spirits of those who need it while providing easy, affordable and delicious recipes to those who were never taught to cook for their families. While being an influencer has it’s perks, it’s by no means a steady paycheck which is why brand recognition is crucial for success. My company, Cooking Comedy and chaos focuses mainly on brand deals and influencer contracts although I do host private cooking lessons online and in person locally as well.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

BE AUTHENTIC! Be unapologetically you or else people will see right through it. Before I started my page, Cooking_comedy_chaos I had attempted social media before and I never was able to grow my. following. Looking back now, I can see exactly why. I think we look at social media influencers and feel that we have to fit in a specific mold to attract viewers and supporters. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Not every video is going to go viral. Content creators are at the mercy of the algorithm that’s running the platform you’re posting on. However, authenticity will naturally attract supporters, Pair that with community engagement and consistency of posting and it’s a recipe for social media success. I’ve been doing this for a year and a half now and am approaching half a million followers on my TikTok account, none of that would be possible without pure dedication to success and being proud of who I am as a person.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

The hardest lesson I had to unlearn was trusting that others have the same heart as me. The influencer world can be cut throat. The same issues that arise in other career fields are prominent in this one as well. When I first began social media content creation, I immediately assumed that everyone wanted the absolute best for others. I trusted wholeheartedly and without reserve. About six months into it, I realized my views and morals didn’t align with theirs and had to make the decision to break free from group endeavors and just focus on myself. It’s a hard decision to make and following my heart of knowing other’s were rooting for me to my face but doing the opposite behind my back was all I needed to know to be brave enough to cut the ties. Now I don’t trust blindly. I’ve learned that others have to earn my trust and it’s their job to prove to me who they are over time. Protecting my heart from hurt is now my main priority. Pain will always equal power but each step of healing can sometimes feel like a set back on your journey but it’s only through that pain that you will learn lessons that are crucial to your success in the future. I look back now and see exactly why things unfolded the way they did. Sometimes it takes being hurt by people you love the most to teach you the hardest lessons you need to learn. If I could thank them for it, I would. Ultimately, it’s led to a belief in myself I never knew I had. Since focusing on myself, I’ve published my first cookbook “What’s Up Buttercup!” that has sold over 1100 copies since it released two months ago which continues to blow my mind!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.tiktok.com/@cooking_comedy_chaos?_t=8YNTKCX7cyo&_r=1
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/Seasonsimmerandshakeit/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@cooking_comedy_chaos
• Other: To purchase my cookbook – https://found.us/creators/cooking_comedy_chaos?code=cooking_comedy_chaos

Image Credits
Photo credits to Anomaly Ichabod Photography