Story & Lesson Highlights with Leafynoms

Leafynoms shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Hi Leafynoms, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What is a normal day like for you right now?
Unfortunately a lot of work (haha). I’m currently working on residency applications since I’m a medical student. This means continuously revising my CV, polishing my personal statement, and selecting which schools I want to be at for the next couple of years! It’s a pretty intense process but I’m really happy I’m in my final year of medical school. It feels like everything is paying off.

Usually though – I wake up around 7-8 AM and head to the hospital for a couple hours before returning home and working some more. I try to work-out ~1 hr a day just to get back to my “pre-medical school” body. It’s crazy how much sitting and studying can really change your physique!

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi everyone!
My ‘brand’ is @leafynoms on instagram. I post about local restaurants and cafes (especially matcha forward ones!) that I’ve visited and my reviews on them. I try to be honest with each one since each post serves as a log for me to refer back to. Leafynoms really started out of loneliness as I knew I wanted to take my family to places I enjoyed in Arizona. I’m originally from California and in the sunny state of Arizona for school… and it’s truly hard being hundreds of miles away from loved ones. Plus – with all the things I have to study and memorize it was difficult for me to well remember what places were my favorite and what my overall rating/feeling of a place was after trying it.

I don’t think I’m unique in that there are a lot of other individuals pursuing the same path of reviewing places, but my goal is to always stay honest to myself and others. I don’t sugarcoat anything and if I don’t like a place – you’ll definitely know (haha).

I also have a side hustle @2bears2f where I post recipes I’ve tried or new recipes I’m experimenting on. I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to sell my treats at a local coffee cart in Phoenix which I try to do once a month!

Right now I’m working on recipes for a cafe pop-up in my apartment. This will mainly be for friends and family but I thought it would be a nice way to highlight all the things I’ve learned through this “hobby” and share it with those around me!

Okay, so here’s a deep one: Who taught you the most about work?
My mom. She’s a nurse and a really good one. I never knew how much she did, but throughout high school and being back after undergrad, it became quite obvious. My mom works, cleans, cooks, and so much more. It’s unfortunate that this is the stereotypical role of a woman, but it really shouldn’t be.

When both of my grandma’s had strokes, my mom took it upon her self to take care of them, cook meals that she delivered multiple times a week, and take each grandma out on ‘adventures’ in the city. I never understood why my mom would always need to take afternoon naps, but it became clear she was doing the work of 2 if not 3 people at once. She would go from working a 12-13 hour shift overnight to going to grandma’s and then coming home and preparing food for dinner before sleeping and doing it all over again. She would confide in me how tired she was.. and I could see it in her eyes but also the ever increasing amount of silver hair that peppered her head.

My mom is really a superhero. She taught me the meaning of work but also the necessity of resting and protecting my own time.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
The thought crosses my mind daily, but just as quickly as it appears it drifts away. It’s hard to see your friends move forth with their lives while I’m still in school, but I’ve come to learn everyone walks their own path at their own unique pace.

It’s okay to feel like you have to give up, but it’s equally as important to find strength within yourself to keep trudging along.

Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Is the public version of you the real you?
Haha – It’s a bit ironic since I try to keep @leafynoms anonymous, but yet – the no sugar-coat honesty is who I really am. Some say it’s a bit “brutal” but I value staying true to myself and telling people straight up.

Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. If you retired tomorrow, what would your customers miss most?
To my loyal 100 followers who are mostly friends and friends of friends, I don’t think much would be missed (haha). But I do value that many people trust my foodie recommendations because of how honest I am about liking or disliking a place. Plus, I’ve found that when I do repeat reviews of places my overall scoring remains pretty consistent.

(thank you tastebuds!)

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leafynoms/?hl=en
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=dHr9nXHHyTm26xQVVNKk9A