Leslie aka Miss Boss Cat’s full interview is below. Also if you want to follow her journey on Instagram check her out at @Missbosscat.
Leslie let’s start at the beginning. Please tell us a little about yourself and what motivated you to document your journey through Instagram and to start your blog?
LN: Hi, my name is Leslie Nguyen. I am also known as Miss Bosscat. I am the Founder of Bosscat Kitchen+Libations in Newport Beach CA and Houston TX. Ten Asian Bistro, BCK, and Miss Mini Donuts. I was motivated by documenting my journey through Instagram from Gary V. He always talks about content and encourages people to document real and not create. So, I decided to not make everything perfect and to just show people the real me and my real life. It’s not always sunshine and rainbows and is very real. I recently came out about my battle with depression in hopes to heal myself and to help others who possess the same traits as I do.
How would you describe your personal brand?
LN: My personal brand is me. A person who works hard, honest, and is battling a lot of demons.
When did you realize that your hobbies of food and photography could become a career?
LN:: I knew food and drinks would be my career when I was very young. My mom would take us to Claim Jumper and I would point to the servers and bartenders and ask my mom, “Can I be that when I grow up.” She would reply, “Yes you can be anything you want.”
Awesome to have such supportive parents Leslie. So what has been the most exciting event/moment you’ve experience since becoming a food blogger?
LN: I do not consider myself a food blogger. I am more of a hard-working woman that inspires other to achieve their dream.
Got it! Your photos and feed on Instagram is just breathtaking. Can you walk us through how you come up with the composition and the final product before posting?
LN: I just take photo of things I love and things around my work. If you love something, it shows.
How do you think food and travel go hand in hand? What about the two that so relevant and similar?
LN: I travel for food, so it is very relevant. Traveling to other countries and exploring other cultures and their foods go hand in hand because there is so many varieties and different ways that people cook. Traveling and eating is one of my favorite things to do. I also like to eat like the locals. When I travel, I get lost and go to where the local people go to get the full authentic experience.
What is your stance on influencers being paid to post about brands? Should influencers be transparent regarding payment for posts?
LN: You can usually tell if a post is sponsored or not. I have no issues with it. I do work with a lot of influencers in my business and it does bother me when the influencer does not keep up their end of the bargain.
How do you think the rise of influencer accounts on Instagram has impacted on the way that people discover restaurants/chefs/bar/and food?
LN: Everything is done by social media nowadays. My whole mini donuts business is a success because of influencers. When Kim Kardashian posted my mini donuts, the page went viral and I gained a lot of attention because of it. When I travel, I use Instagram to see where I want t visit and where to take pictures and what to eat. It is amazing what social media has done for businesses.
Do you think the food influencer scene could reach a point of saturation where users “switch off”? And if so, how far off do you think we are?
LN: We are far from it, but I think people will be more selective of who they consider as an influencer. We analyze where the people influence and see if the person is relevant to our brand.
If you had to pick one cuisine to eat for the rest of your life, what would you go with?
LN: Vietnamese
Do you think every restaurant should have a presence on Social Media?
LN: Yes, everything and anything should have a social media presence. Yelp is a social media platform. They should be on Pinterest, FB, IG, Snapchat, Tiktok, Trip Advisor, Yelp, email, text, and Linkedin. Pushing out lots of content each day. It is a full-time job, but it is where everything is headed.
Leslie, anything else you want to share with our readers.
LN: Come find us for some good whiskey @bosscatkitchen @tenbistro @eatatbck and for some mini donuts @missminidonuts. I can be found on @missbosscat
