Meet Cari Garcia: Food Blogger

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

Hi Cari, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
I’ve had my blog for 10 years now, so naturally my balance has changed over time. When I first started I was a young single woman with a 9-5 job. Now things have changed and I am a mom. I juggle a career, the blog (my side hustle), my son and my own personal life. In my life I find balance first by setting my priorities. Above everything, my four year old son is my top priority, next comes my career, then my blog. I make sure to set boundaries for myself such as, not answering emails after 8pm.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Outside of being a food blogger, I’m also a licensed clinical social worker and a single mom. My blog started over 10 years ago when I needed a hobby. I didn’t know anything about blogging, building a website or about good photography, but I knew I loved food and locally owned restaurants. Through out the years, my blog has won a few awards and I’ve worked with several national brands. I’ve made life-long friends through my blog and have been able to travel to some exciting places thanks to my blog. It wasn’t an easy process and I’ve come across a few periods of times where I didn’t want to have a blog anymore. In the beginning when there were only a handful of food bloggers in Miami, I was bullied by another food blogger. I overcame those hard times by remembering why I started this journey in the first place.

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.
I actually have a close friend who visits from Paris, France occasionally. He’s of Cuban descent and typically wants Latin American/carribean food. When he comes into town we hit the following: Sanguich De Miami Azucar Ice Cream Mi Rinconcito Mexicano Paletas Morelia Aromas Del Peru El Rey De Las Fritas Chef Creole Molina’s Ranch There’s also an obligatory Vicky Bakery and Publix Sub stop.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I dedicate my shout out to my mom and son. They motivate me to get up and do better every single day. Sef from BurgerBeast is ok too.

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