Today we’d like to introduce you to Catherine Le.
Catherine, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I’ve always loved writing ever since I was younger. I was in writing clubs and actually competed against other students. As I grew older, I started writing less because I had to start focusing on other subjects to prepare for what I was going to pursue as an adult. However, writing has always been in the back of my mind. So I thought, hey, maybe I’ll start a blog so that I could share with other people my life experiences, in hopes that other people will read it and realize that they are not alone. I also wanted to share my fashion, where I eat and my travels with everyone, so all of that are highlights of my blog.
Also, early last year, I met a group of Houston food bloggers and they definitely got me more interested in the whole food blogging thing. We’d share tips and food and that’s when I got more interested in my food instagram and growing it a little more. After having so much fun taking pictures of food, I decided to get back into my fashion instagram and grow that one as well!
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Oh no! Haha, being a blogger is actually a lot harder than everyone thinks. Especially if you’re trying to build a good fan base. Trying to keep up with weekly blog posts, daily Instagram posts. Engaging with everyone, every day. It usually takes me a couple hours to do that. (lol!) It’s definitely a lot of work. And I have two Instagram to worry about. Sometimes, I think about merging the two but that’s how it was before I decided to make a separate one for my food blogging, so I decided to just keep them separate.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the LivingwithCatherine story. Tell us more about the business.
Well, my blog highlights different restaurants that I like, where I get my clothes from, where I’ve traveled, some secrets and tips about beauty and just different outlooks on life. I’m proud that I’m able to diversify my blog so that it can cater to many people. Obviously, my fashion blog isn’t going to interest the majority of the male population but at least my food blog posts will!
I think what sets me apart from others is that I’m pretty genuine in my posts. I would never post anything I didn’t like. I mean, if I did, and my followers go and eat there and it turns out to be not so good, well, that’s my reputation on the block. So I try to keep it as honest as possible.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up… I’m still growing up, haha. But as a child, I was a pretty shy but good kid. In class, I would barely say anything. I mentioned earlier that I used to be in a writing club, it was my outlet. As I grew older, I started interacting with people, a lot! I like to think of myself as a pretty sociable person now.
Also, growing up, I actually HATED eating! My mom would sit there and feed me my lunch all the way until dinner time, and dinner all the way until midnight. So I’d basically spend all day eating. Sounds like a dream now, but it definitely was not back then. My parents actually started a game to try and get my siblings and me to eat quicker. Basically, whoever finished eating first got the most points, and the second got points but not as much and the loser would get nothing. So those points are meant for us to use it as a “get out of jail free” card whenever we got in trouble. We’d ask my parents, “how many points would I have to use to get out of this?” and the number of points needed depended on each situation. Guess how many times I actually got to use the points. LOL!
Fashion-wise, my mom is a true fashionista. Growing up, she’d dress my sister and me in matching dresses and take us on outings. Literally, I did not wear pants at all until I was in the 4th grade. She loved us in dresses, and I loved being dressed by her so it all worked out! If y’all ever see my mom, you’ll know what I’m talking about. I feel like she dresses better than me sometimes, haha! I even borrow her clothes a lot of the times!
Contact Info:
- Website: livingwithcatherine.com
- Email: livingwithcatherine@gmail.com & eatingwithcatherine@gmail.com
- Instagram: clethatsme & eatingwithcatherine
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Life-with-Catherine-121542918557063/ & https://www.facebook.com/eatingwithcatherine/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=4YwgOMOlVhdCw6nlbkcbaA
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
