We had the good fortune of connecting with Ashley Sere and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ashley, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I initially started pursing a food blog because I wanted to keep a memoir of restaurants and food that I enjoyed. However, as time went on, I started seeing it as a form of expression and a therapeutic remedy when expressing my day or advice with others through my food blog, such as sharing an article I found interesting on my story or adding an update of my life with a pun on a post. Through them, I hope to spark a conversation (be-it with me or with their loved ones), continuing the chain of conversations and growth. 2020 has taught me that we are not stagnant and that we have a lot of purpose in our lives. The year has also taught me that there may be challenges that are unexpected, but when our minds are open to change and ready for action, we can take on these inevitable obstacles. With these constant changes around us, I have actually started to branch out of just focusing on food and started to focus on fitness and health and social justice. Pursuing a hobby in blogging enables me to see the world not only from what I currently see around me, but through the lens of others around the world, essentially enabling me to be more empathic and compassionate when unexpected elements appear. In the end, although we may not have all of the answers at times, we can learn to grow while finding our happiness through different forms of medium. My food blog on Instagram has allowed me to simultaneously build on my memoir, while continuously finding that happiness through expression.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am very passionate when it comes to working on a project. I am very proud of myself for handling situations with calamity, professionalism, and compassion. I am currently an Online and Social Marketing Coordinator at a credit union. I had first started as a Marketing Administrative Assistant and coming into the company, I was already assigned to be in charge with the workflow of minor projects. As a new employee straight out of graduating college, it was a bit of challenge! I was also in charge of handling tracking, curating, and composing some social media posts. But I had started to utilize different platforms (such as Microsoft Word, Excel, and Hootsuite) to better track and manage my projects. As the Online and Social Marketing Coordinator, I still manage the workflow of projects, but I am now working on more high-level and prioritized projects, which enables me to work with various employees from different departments. I want people to know that it is okay to ask for help. As the sole Online and Social Marketing Coordinator, it can be challenging to manage all of the marketing projects by myself, but by asking help in my team and communicating that with my manager, it has actually helped me with the completion of a project.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would show them the 626 – San Gabriel Valley. The San Gabriel Valley, also known as “626”, has been my home for more than 20+ years, and it still is today whenever I visit my family and friends from home! The San Gabriel Valley has a VAST amount of cuisines and culture. In Monterey Park, you have a lot of Chinese food. In San Gabriel, you can find the delicacy of Vietnamese cuisine. In Arcadia, you get a mix and spice of Korean and Thai food. In El Monte (my hometown!), you can also get the taste of Vietnamese food, with a splash and variety of Mexican food. And in Pasadena, you can get a taste of American, Japanese, Italian, and so much more! The most fun, interesting, and exciting people to check out in that area? My friends and family, of course! 🙂 Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Priscilla Sere! She had graduated Nursing School in December 2019. Never in her life would she had expected to have face a deadly virus, also known as “COVID-19”. As a full-time nurse, she has continued to be passionate and compassionate with her work, while continuously learning the workaround of stroke telemetry. She had started to float to the COVID unit, and although this can be unsettling sometimes because of the deadly virus, she still continues to push on. Despite that though, I also admire that she still remembers to express her feelings and hobbies through social media and through personal contact with family and friends. She is a hero in my eyes–a person who remembers to share their light and advice through compassion while continuing to work hard in a career she enjoys.

Website: https://www.canva.com/design/DAEQC7ea6aw/Hlows6ox9Mn4pxntFuEp-w/view?
Instagram: https://instagram.com/tasty_eateries
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-sere/
Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=29HL3JG_JfEIyDlv12pvFw
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIYpoM_1fqJdjKYlL4UxmQg
Other: Food Blog Portfolio: https://www.canva.com/design/DAEGgJQZHwc/qC1CdsAskHiRgIRzATrnPQ/view?

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