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

Hi Adriana, is there something you believe many others might not?
As I grow older and get further into my professional career I think the saying “If you love what you do you’ll never work a day in your life,” can be very misleading. When you are starting out your life and career that framing can be helpful because it encourages you to go where your natural interests are leading you. It encourages you to follow a professional path that is interesting and fulfilling, not just monitarly motivated.

Where I think that this saying can be misleading, is that it deludes people into thinking that all work will be easy All work is hard. It doesn’t matter if it’s in a field that you are drawn to or one where you have an exceptional natural ability. You don’t start off knowing how to do something and even with time and mastery, your work can continue to be diffucult. That should not make it less fulfilling. It means that at the end of your hard work you can look back on the grind and be proud of yourself for pushing through to the end and feel fulfilled by your accomplishments.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
After studying marketing in college I decided that I wanted to move into the world of technology professionally. I attended a coding boot camp to learn how to code and immerse myself in the Miami tech world. Once I completed my Bootcamp I was hired by a small start-up that was building the first iteration of their social platform. With that job I learned quite a lot about the startup world and different areas of building out a brand and product.

Fast forward to present day I have married my marketing knowledge with my coding skills, and I now build websites for small businesses and manage their digital marketing campaigns. The past couple of years I have also dipped my toe into creating content online on my lifestyle blog and Instagram. Because I work with technology I am always interested in optimizing different areas of my life and routines. I share tips and tricks that I discover and use to make my days better and brighter, in the hope to inspire my readers to try them for themselves. To keep up with my current development projects and latest articles you can visit my website AdrianaAlicia.com.

Last year in lock down I also started a podcast with my younger sister Selena, called The TV & Tea Podcast. We both keep up with plenty of shows and wanted to create a space to discuss everything we watch and love beyond our living room. Every Friday serve up all the tea on the latest tv and pop culture news.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
On vacation, I am all about what I’m drinking and what I’m eating. I would definitely bring my friends to fun atmospheres where they can experience a bit of that Miami party life while getting great food.

Right now I am loving Mayami Mexicantina in Wynwood, El Tiesto Cafe in Downtown, and Swan in Midtown. The Citadel is also a great choice. It’s an upscale food hall that is a great place to mix and mingle, grab small bites from different booths, and enjoy drinks at their rooftop bar. Last but not least is Red Rooster in Overtown. Everything about this place is top notch from their menu (order the snapper), the friendly staff, the live dj that sets the mood with throwback RnB, the adorable decor, and the chill ambiance. *chefs kiss*

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to dedicate this shoutout to my family. They are the foundation, motivation, and (very tough) sounding board for everything I do in life. They give me hard criticism when I need it and encourage me through every new venture I jump into.

Website: https://www.adrianaalicia.com/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/XOAdrianaAlicia

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/XOAdrianaAlicia/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVHaV710GJKjSRsaMhGl-ug

Other: https://anchor.fm/tvandteapodcast

Image Credits
AJ Onyx

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