Born on a beautiful winter day in Highland Park, suburb of North of Chicago, Rachel Samson @stickaforkinme is known for her love of food. Rachel currently lives in Miami, Florida where she is awed by the weather and lifestyle she has there, despite missing her friends and family.

Rachel loves Miami but due to the transient nature, sometimes finds it difficult to meet people, which is why she loves her audience on social media so much.  She loves that she can interact, stay connected and meet so many people all in one spot.

So now, let’s dive into Rachel’s story of how it all started. 

HOW RACHEL STARTED 

 

Before Rachel became an influencer, she worked in Construction Management for 13 years. Since she has always been one to take pictures of her food before digging in, after years of her friends pushing her to create a standalone page, she finally did it.

 

 Pictures are worth a thousand words! Of course like many of us, it is never easy starting a new journey. Rachel said it can be hard working for yourself because there is never time to relax, to say no, and no off button. Work life tends to take over, and it does not leave much room for a social life.

 

 Sometimes she wishes that she worked a job that ended at 5pm, but then there would not be any of the freedom this career gives or the ability to connect with her audience.

A BALANCED LIFESTYLE 

Being able to have a balanced lifestyle can be tough, but not for Rachel, she has it down. As someone that has always loved traveling, she reduced the amount she traveled after moving to Miami,  which she says is paradise to her. This gave her the amazing opportunity to be able to showcase Miami’s local cuisines as well as share her many recommendations and travel experiences. 

After a while, Rachel started to notice that her audience was starting to get curious about her workout and day to day routine. That is when she started incorporating behind the scenes footage of what goes on when she is not indulging in a big amount of food. Rachel does tons of yoga, spin and walking while eating a healthy meal behind the scenes; she will also sometimes walk 3 miles before eating. 

Many of her audience ask what happens to the food she does not finish. Well, don’t worry, none if it goes to waste. She says that she often shoots with other bloggers, and sometimes even shares with the restaurant’s staff. Rachel also does a lot of drop offs to locals who are less fortunate. 

THE EFFECT OF COVID-19 

Rachel also talked to us about the impact Covid-19 had on her career. Although it has been tough for her, with no sponsorships in months, she was able to use that time to achieve new cooking skills, be creative with how she showcases her outfits in her apartment, and create fun, new never before seen recipes on her page. This helped her become successful and grow into becoming her truest self while gaining a substantial amount of followers. 

With restaurants opening up again, Rachel uses her platform to help local places who have been struggling. 

FUTURE PLANS FOR RACHEL 

When we asked Rachel where she sees herself in 10 years, she said that even just thinking back 10 years ago she would have never imagined she would be where she is now, so she cannot determine where she will be or where she wants to be in those next few years. She does know that the right door, made for her will come her way as long as she puts the skills she learned through photography, editing and negotiating to use. These skills, as well as the connections she has made will land her directly where she needs to be.

We also took the opportunity to ask Rachel   about the dream brands she wants to work with one day. She said she has worked with some amazing brands such as, @Disney, @Toyota, @American Airlines, @Wendy’s, and @Norwegian Cruise. These were some of the brands that she is the most proud of and has trusted for years, she is very thankful that these companies have chosen her to represent them. As for dream brands, @Taco Bell is on her top list because of her obsession with it. She also wishes to be able to collaborate with @Kayak, @Doritios and @Oreos to name a few.

WRAP-UP

 

To end our interview with Rachel we asked her if she had to give her followers one piece of advice, or one thing what would it be. Rachel said she has seen and met many people throughout her life and she loves that people’s love for food is what unites us all. Most importantly, Rachel told us, “I would tell my followers to really embrace life and do what makes them happy.” 

For booking inquiries contact: info.stickaforkinme@gmail.com 

Find Rachel on Social Media – 

Instagram: Rachel Samson @stickaforkinme 

Tik Tok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMJuAmaKe/ 

Blog: https://stickaforkinme.net/