Today we’d like to introduce you to Panha.
Hi Panha, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Hello, my name is Panha (like Tonya, but with a P). I was born in Cambodia and moved to Long Beach, CA, and that’s where I grew up for most of my life. I moved my junior year of high school to Houston, TX, and I’ve been very blessed, to say the least. I ended up going to UH for undergrad, where I graduated with a double major in management and marketing. When I was a freshman, I would sell plates in the freshman dorms to help pay for my tuition. During my freshman year, I also became a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. Most of my frat brothers would tell me that I needed to start making cooking videos, so that’s what I did. I started off in 2021 making cooking videos because I loved to cook when I was living at home during college and covid. I ended up going back to live near campus in the student living apartments @ UH. Sharing a townhouse with 3 other people, I was not able to just put up a camera and start recording food videos without things happening that would throw off the video. I stopped making videos completely in the Fall of 2021 and was inspired when I saw someone make a day in the Life video in December 2021. The first video I ever posted was on December 30, 2021. I was so excited about just a 30-40-second clip of my life with an audio sound over it. I never got any crazy traction until I finished college and moved out to my own place. I started my “Adulting With Panha” series and have been taking my passion more seriously. My content revolves around a recent college grad navigating the real world and just enjoying the simple and normal life. Most of my videos revolve around me going through my full routine, which usually consists of my corporate 9-5 job, gym, grad school, and sharing little hobbies I love, such as cooking, running, and playing basketball.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Honestly, some of the struggles is balancing everything. I work a 9-5 corporate job in the oil and gas industry. I’ve been on a weight loss journey with more than 25 pounds lost, so I try to get my body moving 5-6 times a week. I also am in a rigorous MBA program that takes up most of my evenings. I also like to enjoy my life a bit so that’s where I try to find time for my hobbies as well. Sometimes, it’s hard to find time to record, edit, and find the perfect audio to slap on a video. Many people may think that it’s easy to do so but for me, with this being a passion of mine, I want it to be the best production that it could be with my phone. I hate putting out or doing crappy and lazy work, so I want to make sure that what I’m putting out is great work.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’d like to define myself as a creative. Besides my corporate 9-5 job, I make day-in-the-life videos, and I also do meal preps, catering, and private dining services for clients in Houston. My social handle is lifeof_panha, and I love making videos about my daily life. I’ve recently amassed a following of 10K on IG, and they really love my content. It’s so amazing to think that so many people are able to relate to my daily normal life and my videos. I am able to inspire, motivate and also help people feel like they’re not alone in life. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten a DM that says something along the lines of – “Thank you for making me feel like I’m doing something right” or “I’ve been having a rough couple of days, but binge-watching your videos has brought me peace and comfort.” I think there is nothing more amazing than being able to contribute to something more than yourself. With my videos, I’m able to do this, and that’s honestly what I’m most proud of. In terms of my food service business it’s called Cambo’s Kitchen. I try to keep it very lowkey and only accept small amounts of clients at a time because of my busy schedule. I’ve always loved cooking since I was a kid. I grew up in a low-income immigrant household and seeing my parents make ends meet with my brother and I was very inspiring. We didn’t have much, but we always found a way to make it work. One of those things was food, which we were able to stretch. My parents would make the most amazing dishes for my brother and I to eat with very little to no ingredients at all. I knew that if my parents could put a smile on our faces with food, I could do the same, and that’s what I did when I started my food business. So many of my clients are happy and pleased with my services, and just seeing them with a smile on their faces and indulging in my food makes me happy.
What would you say has been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
The most important lesson I’ve learned is that you have to live in the moment and enjoy the moment. Countless times, we are worried about what is next or the future that we don’t realize that we are in the midst of what we’ve prayed and hoped for. It’s easy to fall off and forget that all of your blessings are right in front of you. You have to learn to just take a moment, breathe it all in, and soak in the moment because tomorrow is not promised. You can have it all, and it can be gone in a blink of an eye.
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