Today, we’d like to introduce you to Skyler Paladino.
Hi Skyler, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I have always been passionate about food and cooking. I grew up in a household with an Italian father and a Jewish mother, so there was always a lot of cooking and food around. During Covid, when we were all locked down in our homes, I was trying to find ways to pass the time. TikTok had started to become a lot more popular, and I had seen a few people share cooking videos, so I figured I’d give it a shot.
I am not a trained chef and have never had any formal training, but there I was, filming myself cooking with a knife in one hand and my phone in another (not exactly ideal or safe). One of my first videos was a recipe for making air fryer chicken nuggets.
https://www.tiktok.com/@cookwithskye/video/6924008495981268229. I had posted the video late one night and didn’t really think anything of it, but I woke up the next morning with over 1 million views. I was so confused because I had no followers and was not really sure how people found the video, but clearly, they liked it, and it got me thinking that maybe I was onto something.
Fast forward to today. It has been an amazing experience. I’ve had the opportunity to work with a ton of incredible brands, including Amazon, The NFRFA (National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association), and Chairman’s Reserve. Living in Arizona for over 10 years now, I always love to support locals. A lot of people always ask where I eat when I’m not cooking, so I always love to share some of the best restaurants that “you have to try!”
We all face challenges, but would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There are always ups and downs. It took me awhile to really figure out my niche and process. As I mentioned before, I am not a trained chef, but when I first started, I made sure to follow and network with other food creators. I’d watch their videos and learn as much as I could. It always helps to have experts you can go to with questions and help along the way. I’m also the type of person who learns best through trial and error, which there was a lot of.
Some of the videos I’d spend hours on, thinking they’d get tons of views, would never do well, and the ones I spent 15 minutes on would go viral. Early on, I got stuck with imposter syndrome, as I’d compare myself to other creators who’d have much larger followings than me, and I never thought my content would be enough. But now I’m at a place where I’ve figured things out, and I always remind myself that I started all this simply because I enjoy cooking and food.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I have been an entrepreneur my whole life. When I was in college, I started a business in the health and wellness industry. Years later, I started my own company in digital marketing and have spent over a decade working with a wide range of clientele, from small businesses and start-up entrepreneurs to CEOs and professional athletes.
Then, during Covid, I started posting my cooking videos on TikTok. I think one of the aspects that really helped set me apart was how I would create dishes that anyone could recreate. Sometimes, you see a recipe online, and it looks amazing, but then you think to yourself, I could never do that.
I like to keep a lot of my recipes simple, like my air fryer chicken nuggets and one of my most viral videos that reached over 6 million views, “Grilled Cheese Sticks,” which was just cheese rolled in a piece of bread and then air fried. I love to create a lot of recipes for my air fryer. Not only does it cut the cooking time in half, but you can skip all that oil from a deep fryer and still get that delicious crispy outside. I still swear that the best way to make chicken wings is in the air fryer.
My entrepreneurial blood is always racing, and I’m always looking forward to what’s next. A little over a year ago, my brother and I started Redwave Venture Partners, a private investment firm that invests in early to late-stage companies as well as minority stakes in pro sports teams.
Any big plans?
I am always looking to grow, network, explore new recipe ideas, and find inspiration while I continue to perfect my craft. I think it’s important to involve yourself locally as much as you can. Outside of cooking I always get asked what I eat when I am not in the kitchen.
There are so many amazing restaurants in Arizona, so I would love to use my platform to highlight local restaurants and businesses and showcase some of the best spots here.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/skylerpaladino
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/skye.paladino/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@cookwithskye
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=998lI8zmD08lomC9HOkg0Q
- Other: https://tiktok.com/@cookwithskye
