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

Devanshi, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How do you think about vacations as a business owner? Do you take them and if so, how? If you don’t, why not?

This is a very interesting question for a content creator, especially someone like me who creates content in the food & beverage and travel niches. I make sure to plan and take vacations but I often find myself working during those times too. Any new restaurants I try, new dishes or dining experiences, I feel like I want to share that with my audience so I am constantly capturing everything on my phone. You’ve probably heard people say “everything is content”. Over time, I have learned to keep work and personal life separate, which can be both challenging and rewarding!

An advice I would give to newer and younger content creators is that it is okay to film content on vacation, but only when you have a clear strategy or a plan. Make sure to schedule that into your day so you’re not constantly on work mode. For example, if you want to film a hike you are going on, prepare a list of few shots you want for your video. Then, when you are on your hike, only capture those shots instead of filming every part of the hike. You’re probably not going to use all the footage anyways. You have to be intentional about when to work and when to step away, otherwise you will get burnt out very quickly.

Devanshi, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My journey as a content creator started when I was in college. Snapchat was a big thing at that time and one night I decided to document myself making my dinner – a grilled cheese sandwich. Yes, a simple grilled cheese with just bread, cheese, and some jalapeños. I posted step by step pictures of it on my Snapchat story and got an overwhelmingly positive response. People wanted to know more about what cheese I used, why I added jalapeños, and how it came out so crispy. So, I started posting more and more vegetarian recipes on my Snapchat. Eventually, I transitioned to Instagram as my main platform and also started posting on TikTok, Pinterest, Facebook, and now Lemon8 and Threads. You can find me @thisisdeeskitchen

When I first started creating content, I was just doing it as a way to showcase my creativity. You see, I was always told that I am a picky eater but it took me some time to understand that I am not a picky eater, I just don’t like certain things cooked the traditional way. So, with my food recipes and videos, I try to challenge the traditional ways and create fun and fusion recipes. I take inspiration from traditional recipes, especially Indian food that I grew up eating, and put my own twist on it. This is not to disrespect traditional ways, it’s just a way for me enjoy the foods that I didn’t think I could. And that is the value I aim to provide my audience. My goal is to inspire people to try new foods and recipes in their own way!

With over 5 years of experience planning, creating, editing, and managing my own social media, now I work with brands to create beautiful content for their channels. While I specialize in food & beverage content, I also work with brands outside of those industries as I am skilled in creating content that fits the brands’ marketing needs and goals. In the past, I have worked with several local restaurants, food and beverage brands, fashion brands, and wellness brands.

One thing I have always enjoyed is making food for others. I would always cook for my friends in college, for my family during the holidays, and would always participate in potlucks. There have been some dishes that have been a hit over and over again, and some that didn’t do so well. One of the dishes I am really proud of is my Mango Cheesecake. In early 2021, I did a pop-up event out of my apartment to sell the cheesecake in individual jars. It took a lot of planning and trials, but the pop-up was a success! Now I offer dessert jars catering for parties of up to 200 people. The dessert jars catering service is only available in and around Chicago as I am unable to ship them. Anyone interested in learning more about the dessert jars can reach out to me via Instagram!

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I wish I had learned about Sidewalker Daily sooner. It’s a master course I enrolled in much later in my journey, but it has taught me so many valuable lessons in just a few months. There are a lot of master courses out there, and I’ve sat in on the free intro calls for many of them. But for me, Sidewalker Daily is different. It’s not just one person telling you what worked for them, it’s a team who has been on the brand side of things and are able to guide creators and influencers using real scripts, pitches, and examples. My two favorite things about this course is that first, it helped me get into the mindset of thinking about myself as a business rather than just another creator. And second, I now have access to resources that I didn’t know I needed. These include email pitches, media kit do’s and don’t’s, ideas for multiple sources of income, pricing and negotiation resources, and so much more!

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

For me, I think the most rewarding aspect of being a creator is being able to have a positive impact on someone in a way that is unique to me. This career allows me to bring my creative ideas to life and even if my ideas resonate with one or two people, it’s an amazing feeling knowing that someone found it valuable. When my audience gives me feedback that they found a new favorite recipe or restaurant through my content, or when my clients see new customers and followers because of my content, it can be a truly humbling experience.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisisdeeskitchen/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thisisdeeskitchen
• Other: TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@thisisdeeskitchen

Image Credits
Personal Photo credits: Visi Studio