We were lucky to catch up with TD Tran recently and have shared our conversation below.
TD, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.
Professionally, one of the biggest risks I ever took was transitioning from a career in STEM to community management. Switching from the health field to community and marketing was a major leap for me, especially since I only grew up learning about “traditional” career paths. I earned my degree in Biology and started out working in health research, but soon realized that what truly energized me were project management and communicating directly with patients—not just the science itself. My drive to advocate for patient-centered care gradually shifted into a passion for uplifting local business owners and spotlighting individuals who genuinely love what they do. Earning my Project Management Professional (PMP) certification gave me the extra confidence I needed to make the jump into community management full-time. It wasn’t just a career transition, either—I also moved across the country during the COVID-19 pandemic, trading the familiar and the community I’ve built to the more unknown. From the very start, I was incredibly fortunate to find support from my fellow Yelp community managers and the Yelp Elite Squad. They welcomed me right away and introduced me to the diversity and vibrancy of the San Gabriel Valley. Looking back, taking all these risks brought me closer to the kind of fulfilling, community-driven work and life I truly love.
TD, 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?
Hi, I’m TD Tran, and I’ve always loved discovering new foods and checking out interesting places, and pretty early on I realized that the best part of those adventures was sharing them with other people. That love for exploring and connecting naturally led me to focus on community management. I’m passionate about connecting people to memorable experiences and great local businesses. Over the past 6 years, I’ve put my energy into bringing people together, both online and in person, and to shining a spotlight on passionate local business owners, whether that’s through events, social media, or helping businesses get the most out of Yelp’s platform.
My goal is simple: I want to create spaces where people can swap stories, find new favorite spots, and maybe make a few friends along the way. One of my favorite parts of my role is hosting events for the Yelp Elite Squad in San Gabriel Valley, our exclusive crew of enthusiastic local supporters. There’s something special about seeing a group start out as strangers and end up as a real community, making genuine connections and sharing good times. I try to approach everything with kindness, curiosity, and genuine excitement, and I’m always on the lookout for unique restaurants, passionate business owners, or events to recommend.
The biggest reward for me is seeing new friendships and collaborations form because of these efforts. If you’re thinking about getting involved with the Yelp community, just know that I’ll always welcome you in, listen to your story, and do my best to help everyone feel like they belong. Building community isn’t just my job, but it’s what I love to do, day in and day out.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
As part of my role, I manage the social media for @YelpLA, and my guiding principle has always been to authentically share the stories of local businesses and business owners. It’s not just about recommending a place because it’s popular. It’s about helping people really connect with the passion and purpose behind each spot, so we love to spotlight those IYKYK spots too. I focus less on follower counts and more on offering genuine value to my audience, whether that’s through thoughtful recommendations, unique event recaps, or shining a light on under-the-radar gems in our community. Over time, I’ve found that audiences engage much more when you use voiceovers rather than just music, whether that’s an interview-style “Meet The Owner” or sharing highlights from a Yelp Elite Event. I always make sure to include captions, using editing apps or Instagram’s native tools, since accessibility is key. Consistency matters too, so we keep a regular posting schedule. I draw inspiration from marketing trends and love putting our own spin on it. Collaborating with other accounts to expand our reach too. Also, I believe in experimenting; every post is a learning opportunity and helps me figure out what truly resonates with our audience. And last but not least. have fun with it because genuine passion and personality are what ultimately build a loyal, engaged community.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
One lesson I’ve had to unlearn is the idea that everything has to be perfect before I can share it or move forward, especially when juggling multiple projects and events at once. I used to put a lot of pressure on myself to have every detail finalized before I’d show anyone my work or launch something new. Over time I realized that this pursuit of perfection was actually slowing me down and sometimes even taking the joy out of the creative process. I learned it’s okay to keep refining and adjusting as things progress and to keep going when something doesn’t align exactly what you thought it would be. At events, for example, I now create a mental list of ‘must haves’ and ‘nice to haves.’ My priority is always to get the essentials done, and if there’s extra time, I tackle the nice-to-haves. This approach helps me stay flexible and focused, making it much easier to manage multiple projects without getting overwhelmed by the need for everything to be flawless from the start.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://yelp.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yelpla/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Yelp.LA/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thuydantran/
- Yelp: https://tdt.yelp.com/
Image Credits
Clinton Lu