Meet Mary Danessa | A Plus-size woman living in LA who loves, beauty, food, & traveling.

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

Hi Mary, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
I want to change how the world views Plus-size women. I am tired of Plus-size women getting overlooked or having to missing out on opportunities. We live, thrive and lead exciting lives. I want to highlight that.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I balance content creation with working a full-time job as well as running a stan account for one for my faves. My full time job is working with people with disabilities. I love my job and helping people live fulfilling lives. I got inspired to do content creation because of the pandemic between being an essential worker I was inspired to start putting myself out there. I was like I’m a Plus-size woman who loves beauty, traveling, and food. So I just combined all those. My goal has always been inclusivity of all body types in all social settings,getting the same opportunities.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
So if we are doing a week long tour around LA. There are so many places that their vibes are immaculate. Each neighborhood each has their own unique aura with hidden gems. And there is so much about the city to love. I would def take my friends where they want to go but if they ask me what they should do so typical week of me taking one my bestie around LA would be like:

Monday- Each day we would start off with a different coffee shop, The Ugly Mug Coffee Shop in Burbank brings feelings of nostalgia of being at your grandma’s place.
The nutty horchata with an apple turnover def are main character energy.

Since we are already in Burbank we def would go around to site see. The Burbank metrolink which is if you are looking for a lowkey places to take some aesthetic selfies. Then of course since we are in Burbank we would need to do a tour of Warner Bros, if we are lucky we could get tickets to a taping of a show. If not able to see a show then def hit up bb cafe burbank to reset with food is bussin.

After that we will go verdugo park then head home after that because the next day is going to Hollywood!

Tuesday- We will head over to Hollywood but take a detour to Ktown to visit one of my fave coffee shops- Somorecafe. They have the cutest lattes in town! Like star quality def goes to Teddy Bear Latte with a cute little Teddy bear shaped ice on top, and the Ocean Latte is so good! Also we would get the cute little bear-shaped Madeleines. After we was full and we would head over to Hollywood do the tourist things such as see the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the Mall (where you can view the Hollywood Sign), take a bus tour, and then go the Griffith Observatory. I mean c’mon you can get views of the whole city. -Yes, it is crowded but you can also learn about Griffith Observatory astronomy, and ofc take iconic selfies lol. But there is a beauty to this place that is unmatched. After hanging out at the Observatory, we would go see the actual Hollywood sign yes, you can view it from the Observatory but seeing it in person is a whole different experience. Then after that we would dine at Beachwood Cafe because if you are a Harry Styles’ stan this spot (iykyk LOL.) Because I am a foodie (shameless free promo spoiler alert I do food reviews around LA lol). We would head over to Thai Town, to hit up Thailand Plaza to go to the supermarket and bakery, and have a very late late dinner at Ruen Pair. We would end the night going to WEHO to hit up Rocco’s or The Abbey.

Wednesday-This would be a little be more lowkey, as we would go around the valley. The coffee shop I would stop RE-CAFE in Northridge their peanut butter topped latte macchiato and a croissant is chef’s kiss. Then we would go see CSUN then later chill at a park to reset. When it is time for lunch we would head over to Joe’s Cafe in Granada Hills, then later on walk around the downtown area before we catch the bus to go to Encino. Once in Encino we would def walk around Encino commons and pop in Coral Tree Cafe for a late dinner it is such a chill place! After dinner we would head over to Top of Topanga overlook it is so stunning at night seeing all the light up like glittering diamonds.

Thursday- we would hit up the beaches. A trip to LA would be complete without seeing the beautiful beaches! Start off with the most crowded of course lol Santa Monica. Def go to Dogtown coffee get us Salty Dog Iced coffee with the vegan munchies burrito I mean c’mon unmatched! After breakfast we would see the Santa Monica pier and ride the ferris wheel (just make sure it is you & another bc they won’t let you ride the ferris wheel alone). It is wonder to see the view from the top. After getting off farris wheel we would enjoy some beach time then we would head over to Malibu, because it is very quieter here. The pier just like santa monica is infamous and if you want those selfies got you overed. We would get lunch at Malibu farm which has a little something for everyone. Later we would take in more beach time. Just be careful bc storytime I once cut one of my toes on a rock. After visiting Malibu we would head over to Venice beach to enjoy the murals and boardwalk just in time to watch the sunset. I enjoy getting a late dinner at one of the food places along the beach.

Friday- We would head over to Sherman Oaks which is an amazing little gem with vibes on vibes. We would head over to the aesthetically pleasing cafe Schatzi’s bakery. The girlies we know the spots! As we sip on some of their specialty iced coffees (iced nutella is chef’s kiss), and enjoy delish pastries. Ofc we will get the selfies in as the outside has a riz to it. After breakfast we will continue to walk along Ventura as there is so many shops and etc to see. After spending the morning in Sherman Oaks, we will head over to Little Ethiopia to visit and enjoy a wonderful vegan lunch at Rachel’s Ethiopian Vegan Cuisine. Then since we are close to the Grove this place is very wonderful to get steps in and enjoy any events that might be happening plus we can enjoy a coffee at LaLa Land! After seeing the Grove we can head over to Melose to go to EP &LP you can get 360 views from the rooftop while enjoying a delicious late night dinner and cocktails (or mocktails). Plus seeing this place at night is just so magical!

So we have arrived to the last day- Saturday we will probably just head over to Beverly Hills to set it (I mean a lot of requests are to see Rodeo and the signs to take selfies). Get coffee at a Cafe Sheera then probably get lunch at The Hideway. After BH we will probably just head over to universal to go to the citywalk or go to the park. The city walk is free the park will cost $$. But there is so much to do here. And plus getting dinner at buca di beppo is top tier! Yummy! We would prob reset for a bit before heading over to Mulholland overlook to take in the city at night. (if you notice a theme I really enjoy the views lol). We would venture over to Ktown for late night karaoke.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to shoutout to my family my sister, her husband, & their kids. My besties (no particular order): Raul,Lexie, Ani, Jeff, Emily, Nikki, Brenda, Steph, Dezzy, Gina, Shannon, & Tasha. My fave singers: Khalid, Sergio, Chance, Dominic, Normani, & Ariana. Anyone who engages & likes my content. Thank you 💜.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marydanessa

Twitter: @marydanessa

Other: TikTok @marydanessa

Image Credits
Myself