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

Pinki, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your business sooner or later?

If I knew then what I knew now, I would not have hesitated to start my food blog page when I first grew interested in it, way back in 2014. At the time, I was still in high school, but I loved visiting businesses and always had a fascination for amateur food photography. Crazy thing is, I didn’t even start my page until spring of 2020, right when covid-19 was running rampant. I gave a lot of excuses on why I did not start sooner, but the reality was that I was scared. Scared of uncertainty and what others would think, that I would get mocked for choosing to start this new venture. My excuses therefore, included lack of time, interest, and creativity, even though I knew I had more than enough of that.

When I finally started my food blog up, those fears were still with me. The only thing different was that I was more confident in gaining attraction for my content. You see, before @_thepinkplate_ was on instagram, I would post my food pictures on my personal account, some of which are still there actually! I would love to add a pun in the caption, and it was obvious to me that others enjoyed my work as well. When I switched to posting on my stories, the attraction was slightly different, with less puns, and more of a focus on the WOW factor of the item being shot. My instagram would blow up; friends would message me where I could find the item photographed, if it was good, etc. It was clear to me that others valued my work as much as I did, and I loved being able to provide them with more. When I realized I wanted a place where I could make all of my food pics more accessible, was when I finally started considering food blogging in the first place, and I have loved every moment of it!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Pinki Umer, and I am the creator of instagram’s very own, @_thepinkplate_ . The Pink Plate serves as a food blog with roots in the San Antonio and Boerne, Texas area. Food blogs are meant to showcase some of the eats around town; it has been a great way to encourage audiences to visit and support smaller businesses, especially those that may be at risk. What separates my food blog apart from others, however, is the fact that it is the first, and one of the only, food blogs in town that caters to those who are trying to eat zabiha halal, according to Islamic Rites. It will also include a lot of options for other specific diets as well, such as that for vegetarians, pescatarians, and vegans as well. I like that I can focus on these specific diets because I feel like it can be hard to find options if you have certain restrictions. Growing up, I would attend BBQs and cookouts, with no options for me. They would only have meat products (burgers & hotdogs), not even veggie burgers. My sister and I would be so hungry that our meals at events like these would consist of burger buns, ketchup, and chips if they were available. It was definitely not fun, and not nutritious for young kids haha. I’m glad that since then we have had a huge surge in alternative diet options! Now most restaurants have at least one option that caters to the fellow vegan, vegetarian, etc. Even so, that one good special option can be hard to find if you don’t know where to look for it. So by adding it to my page, others similar to me have a convenient place to view food offerings that fit their needs, with pictures, videos and captions as well lol. Plus, they’re always free to message me if they have any questions. I’m here to serve as a mediator between people and food!

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

Part of my routine is finding small businesses and sharing them on my platform. I love discovering these hidden gems and meeting the people who made it all come into fruition. They are such amazing people, and I am so glad that I’m able to meet and form connections with them! And then seeing how excited they are that we’re able to work together, ugh its the best!

The reward of being a food blogger/content creator is knowing that I used my voice to help others! Its not something I expected, but it makes doing this all the more worth it!

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

I’ve had this going for over two years now, and I still get people who tell me I’m wasting my time, or mock me for enjoying this as an interest, especially as someone who has struggled with obesity for some time. I think at times there are people, who aren’t from this industry, who take the time to ridicule you for what you’re doing -either to your face, or behind your back. It can be difficult hearing harsh words like that. It’s even worse when it’s people you know. But it is important to realize that you will never be able to please every person; we’re all different in our own ways. I’m a people pleaser, so it was hard for me to accept that not everyone will find joy in my work the same way that I do. And that’s okay! I’ll just stick with the ones who are here to lift me up :)

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/_thepinkplate_
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=oneeZ7ffx0mxjSOW9rNjbQ&utm_source=ishare
• Other: Instagram handle: @_thepinkplate_