Our new series, ‘The New Frontier,’ spotlights young, talented, and promising Africans making remarkable impacts in their fields and sharing their inspiring journeys with the world. We want to celebrate these trailblazers and document their stories, hoping to connect them with a wider audience that shares their passions and dreams.
Zainab Omodolapo Olatunmbi is a young Nigerian food blogger and photographer whose passion for sharing African food recipes with the rest of the world is matched only by her love for cooking. I say, “Let her cook!” When she isn’t juggling a whirlwind of activities as a student, she runs a food business, selling Ewa Agoyin, food trays, and food boxes. Her entrepreneurial endeavors and blogging, nurture her dreams of becoming a prominent figure in the food industry, working alongside the men and women who have motivated her so far. Zainab shares how she manages her multifaceted life and aspirations.
If your life were a movie, what would be the title and how would you describe it?
I would say Unleashing Life, and that’s because, over the years, I have learned to do my absolute best and let life unfold as the days go by.
Was there a defining moment, a person, or an experience that ignited your passion and set you on the path to becoming the person you are today? Please share the story behind that pivotal point in your life.
It was during my first year in the university when a friend came to visit me. After he ate the food I cooked for him, he commended it and suggested that I share my craft with a bigger audience. I wasn’t familiar with the food blogging and photography space, but he put me through and showed me a few pages on Instagram, and voila!
If your cultural roots were a superpower, what would they be, and how do they influence your work and outlook on life?
If my cultural roots were a superpower, they’d be adaptability. Growing up in a diverse environment has taught me to embrace change and appreciate different perspectives. This influences my work by allowing me to approach problems from various angles and collaborate effectively with people from diverse backgrounds. Overall, it shapes my outlook on life to be open-minded, curious, and empathetic.
Can you share a specific achievement or project you’re particularly proud of?
That would be my first International gig. When I started food blogging and photography, I didn’t think about monetizing my skills. I was just doing it for the love of it. So when it happened, I was super surprised because I wasn’t expecting anyone to pay me to do that for them. I didn’t tell anyone about it till I got paid because it was unbelievable to me. That project helped my brand and my perception a whole lot.
Have there been times you’ve had a showdown with adversity, self-doubt, and life’s curve balls? How did you find the resilience to persevere and continue pursuing your dreams? Can you share a particularly challenging moment and the personal growth or life lessons you gained from overcoming it?
My most challenging moments were my days of humble beginnings. A lot of it didn’t seem to make sense to most people, but I knew it was something I enjoyed doing every day. At the time, I lacked kitchen and lighting gadgets and I didn’t have an aesthetically pleasing space. I would shoot and take pictures with my clothes and do my cooking outside. At one point, I got an electrician to construct some form of LED light for me. I am grateful for the strength to persevere and push through. Starting with what you have is not as easy as the world paints it, but passion makes it easier. I’m just grateful and I believe there’s so much more to be done and achieved.
Are there any extraordinary individuals whose wisdom, guidance, or life example has left an indelible mark on your personal and professional development? Can you share in what areas and in what ways?
There are several people who have helped in my journey, but I will mention a few. Semziesfood was my sought-after page, I admired the fact that she started very young and she’s doing so well. Deeds Kitchen and Tikhorsbrand sharpened my photography skills and I could not be more grateful. Lastly, Chef T @diaryofakitchenlover is also a great inspiration to me. I love how she cooks with so much happiness and positivity.
What are your aspirations for the future, personally and professionally?
Professionally, I look forward to having a kitchen/food photography studio and putting my creative self to more work. I want to take more photography and videography lessons and become a professional food photographer and videographer. I also intend to enroll myself in culinary professional classes and become a certified chef. As I keep getting better, I want to offer my best to the world.
Personally, I hope and want a life of ease, fulfillment, and full of happiness. I want to be so happy that my bad days won’t hold my laughter back. I want to graduate from university with good grades, travel and explore different dishes, and build a beautiful family of my own.
Do you have any upcoming projects or ventures that have you grinning from ear to ear? Please spill the beans!
I’m looking forward to working with an international food magazine. I have been pulling the strings and hopefully, they will dance to my tunes, but till then, fingers crossed.
Remove one thing from this table,what are you removing?
— foodadventurewithzee (@zainab_oluya) May 3, 2024
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.#Foodphotography #foodphotographerinnigeria #foodcontent #nativerice pic.twitter.com/4ERSyZBt9D
Is there a popular food blogger whose style, approach, or expertise you admire and would be thrilled to partner with? What would that collaboration look like?
Kiki foodies or Diaryofakitchenlover. I love their brands, their spaces, and their setups. It would be such a fulfillment to work with them.
What is the lasting, transformative change you hope to catalyze within your community or industry? How do you envision your work and ideas, shaping the future landscape, and what are the specific ways in which you aspire to empower, inspire, or create opportunities for others along the way?
So much has been achieved in the food space, and at the same time, there is still so much to be achieved. I believe food is a common language and I intend to build, not just a food platform that shares recipes and food photos, but a food community where people from diverse cultures can connect with various culinary stories, skills, and experiences.
Close your eyes and imagine your favorite place on the African continent. Where are you, and what makes this spot so special to you?
I just hope I will be getting a trip after this imagination o. I love Morocco. There is this pleasant feeling I get whenever I see people visit there and I can’t wait to do the same.
Is there anything else you’d like our audience to know about you or your work?
As someone who is still very much in her developing stage, there’s so much to learn, share, and do. I am very excited about what the future holds, as I will always look forward to capturing the beauty of food, sharing a variety of recipes, and inspiring others to take adventures in the culinary world.
For all the curious souls out there, where can they go to learn more about you and your latest projects?
For now, I am very much focused on sharing my content on @foodadventurewithzee (Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook).
If you could whisper a piece of advice to every young African dreaming of making their mark, what words of wisdom would you share?
I will say, find a way to connect your art with passion. For me, my passion is food and my art is photography and everything it entails. Bringing these two together is a way of committing to something lifelong. Do it afraid, do it slow, do it inexperienced but just keep doing whatever brings you fulfillment.
