Today we’d like to introduce you to Rahaf Alahmadi.
Hi Rahaf, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Before coming to Orlando, I studied and worked in the UK for over six years. I initially came to Orlando on vacation to visit my brother, but after spending some time here, I felt this strong urge to start over and take a chance on something new. That’s when I accepted a job at a small, woman-owned bakery.
I started out working front of house, but eventually found myself spending more and more time in the kitchen. I fell in love with baking and worked my way up to becoming the head baker and manager of the store. It was during that time that I really realized how much I loved creating food and, more importantly, bringing people together through it.
I’ve loved cooking from a young age and have always been the person who wants to host, cook for the people I love, and introduce people to dishes they may not have tried before. That eventually inspired me to start my own cooking page on Instagram. Honestly, I never imagined it would grow into what it is today.
I currently have around 15.5K followers, which may not seem like a huge number in the world of social media, but I love thinking of it as 15.5k people I’ve personally encouraged to cook at home, try something new, or discover a dish and culture from somewhere around the world. That’s what makes it all feel worthwhile to me.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Definitely not! I think from the outside, social media can make everything look a lot more seamless than it actually is. Moving to a new country and starting over was a huge leap for me, and there were definitely moments where I questioned whether I was making the right decisions.
One of the biggest struggles has been figuring out how to turn something I genuinely love into a career without letting the pressure of social media take away from the reason I started in the first place. There’s so much pressure to constantly create, stay relevant, watch your numbers and compare yourself to what everyone else is doing. I’ve had periods where I felt burnt out or stuck creatively, and I’ve had to learn to step back and remind myself why I love cooking and sharing food in the first place.
I’m still figuring it out, but I think that’s part of the journey. Not everything has to happen perfectly or all at once, and some of the biggest growth comes from the periods where you feel the most uncertain.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m currently a full-time food content creator and recipe developer. My work is centered around food, but more than anything, I want to show people that cooking at home is something everyone can do. You don’t have to be a professional chef or have a perfectly stocked kitchen to make something delicious.
I’m probably best known for putting a lot of personality into my content and making recipes feel approachable rather than intimidating. I want people to look at something I’ve made and think, “I could actually make that.” Some recipes may take a little more time or patience, but I truly believe that everything worth doing takes a little time, and there’s something really rewarding about making a meal from scratch.
What I’m most proud of is hopefully giving people the confidence to get into their kitchens and try. Whether that means making a recipe they’ve never attempted before, cooking for the people they love, or simply realizing that they’re capable of making something really good themselves, that’s what makes creating content so rewarding for me.
I think what sets me apart is that I’m not trying to make cooking feel perfect or unattainable. I want it to feel fun, personal and realistic. At the end of the day, food is meant to be enjoyed, and I want people to feel like they can be part of that too.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I think luck has played a pretty big role in my life, but I also believe you have to be willing to take a chance when luck comes knocking. Moving to Orlando is probably the biggest example of that. I originally came here on vacation to visit my brother, and I never planned on moving or completely starting over. But I happened to come across an opportunity and took the chance, and it ended up changing the direction of my life. I went from working front of house to becoming the head baker and manager, and that experience ultimately gave me the confidence to pursue food in a bigger way.
I also feel incredibly lucky that I started my cooking page at the right time and that people actually connected with what I was sharing. I never started it thinking it would become a business or reach thousands of people. A lot of opportunities have come from simply putting myself out there and saying yes.
Of course, there have been moments where things didn’t work out the way I hoped, but I’ve learned that what feels like bad luck in the moment can sometimes redirect you somewhere better. I think luck opens the door, but you still have to be brave enough to walk through it.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/agrooveforfood/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61567673485032
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@agrooveforfood
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@agrooveforfood
