Abisola Da-Silva, popularly known as The Abisola, is a chef and lifestyle content creator with 259,000 Instagram followers. In this interview with Faith Ajayi, she opens up about leaving journalism to pursue content creation and how she turned her love for food into a thriving career
In what ways has your education influenced your personality?
My name is Abisola Dasilva, also known as The Abisola. I graduated from the University of Ibadan, where I studied English and Literature. I used to be a multimedia journalist before switching to content creation. Content creation came naturally to me after spending about five years working as a journalist. Eventually, I transitioned to full-time content creation.
What was the turning point that made you switch to content creation?
As a journalist, I combined working as a content creator with my job. While working at The Guardian, I started lifestyle content creation, but it was more of a part-time hobby. I did it just for fun, but gradually, I started growing a community on social media.
I initially started content creation to have something to do on the side while not working. It was similar to the work I did as a journalist. Social media became a significant platform for me, and I realised that I was growing a community, which eventually reached 50,000 followers.
After some years at The Guardian, I moved to Africa Check. I was working remotely, which gave me the opportunity to create more content and watch my community grow.
At some point, content creation became so demanding that I had to choose between my 9-to-5 job and creating content full-time. I chose content creation.
You said you were producing content alongside your work. At what point did you get very comfortable using social media?
While working as a multimedia journalist, I wrote for print and online, produced documentaries, and created shows. After writing for print, everything eventually appeared on social media. Thanks to my colleagues, I understood social media metrics. Although I wrote content, I had a team handling social media, and I could sit with them to strategise for better engagement. That experience sparked my interest in social media.
I also shared lifestyle content on my own page. From producing shows, I learned about positioning camera angles, which helped me grow my platform. At first, I wasn’t doing it to build a career; I simply wanted to stay active on social media.
Although you do lifestyle and food content, can you tell me what exactly you started with?
I started by visiting restaurants. If you scroll far enough down my page, you’ll see that I would take pictures and share them online. My creative food content really began during COVID.
I combined it with journalism by sharing pictures from events I attended. But during COVID, going out wasn’t possible. Honestly, I wanted to focus more on lifestyle and travel content. I’ve always loved cooking, and along the way, my family and friends encouraged me to start sharing my dishes on social media. I began posting, and people responded positively.
Colleagues asked for more content, and some followers tried my recipes and gave great reviews. I was combining lifestyle and food blogging, and eventually realised that the food content had more engagement. I enjoyed the feedback and decided to channel my energy fully into it.
Were you a chef or did you have any culinary training at the time?
No, I didn’t have formal training initially. Later, I decided to take it seriously and enrolled in culinary school. I’ve now attended two culinary schools; the first in 2023, after deciding to pursue this full-time, and the second in July this year to strengthen my baking skills.
Most of my cooking knowledge comes from home. My mom and sisters are caterers, so everyone in my house is basically a chef. My younger sister is currently in culinary school. Everything I knew at the beginning came from my mom and the people I met along the way. Culinary school helped me deepen my foundation, and I continued teaching myself and building my skills as I grew.
What would you say made your food content stand out in the digital space?
People often tell me my content is relatable and easy to follow. My recipes are simple enough for anyone to recreate, and viewers understand exactly what I’m teaching. That’s something I’m genuinely proud of.
I don’t chase views by throwing random ingredients together. I only share recipes I’m confident in. If I try something and it doesn’t meet my standard, I won’t post it. For me, if I wouldn’t eat it myself, I shouldn’t expect others to.
That’s why anyone who tries my recipes gets exactly the results I promise. Quality and authenticity are what set my content apart.
How has your experience as a content creator evolved from the time you started until now?
It’s been challenging. There are days I consider going back to a 9-to-5 because every time there’s an update, the algorithm can be frustrating. I face many challenges, but I’m always looking for ways to improve my work.
Sometimes it feels like I’m in a toxic relationship with the algorithm, but we’re stuck together.
It can be very stressful. There are days I don’t think I can continue, but there’s always a drive that pushes me forward, and the next thing I know, I’m doing it again. We’re going to continue; we’re not giving up. Every content creator experiences this: you wake up one day to a new trend or requirement, and you have no choice but to adapt.
For example, there was a period on Facebook when reels weren’t performing well, so we started screenshotting recipe videos as posts. I had to evolve because now, post features are doing very well on social media. You just have to adapt to whatever the algorithm throws at you. I keep evolving because giving up is not an option.
What are some other challenges you face as a content creator?
Sometimes, your internet can go down unexpectedly. Electricity issues, as well as other basic challenges that Nigerians face daily, can affect your work. Even if you’re not a content creator, these issues can disrupt your job.
Another challenge is finding the right people to work with. You may have your own dreams and passion, but finding people who understand and align with your vision can be difficult.
How do you overcome these challenges as they come?
I always take the time to re-strategise. I go back to the drawing board and figure out the best approach for each situation. If the challenge is internet-related, I find solutions to fix it. If it’s staffing, I focus on training and retraining my team. Over time, I’ve learned that some people will align with your vision, while others may not.
When someone isn’t aligned, and I don’t want the work to suffer, sometimes the best option is to let them go and bring in new hands. Other times, I handle the work myself.
Running this for a long time has taught me that finding people with the same drive and commitment isn’t always easy. In such cases, I keep re-strategising and adapting to ensure progress continues.
How do you deal with creative burnout or moments when inspiration isn’t coming?
Creative burnout definitely happens, and there are times when you feel stuck. Most times, I reach out to other content creators who face similar challenges.
We share ideas and brainstorm together, and just having those conversations helps ideas start flowing. I have two or three people I interact with regularly for this purpose. We talk, and before you know it, a new idea emerges.
Sometimes, it’s as simple as taking a break and scrolling through social media. Inspiration often comes that way. I always make sure to write down every idea in a note on my phone and revisit them later to try them out.
What keeps you motivated to keep creating?
Reflecting on how I started and how far I’ve come keeps me motivated. When I see that today is better than yesterday, it pushes me to keep going.
Have you ever had to face negativity online?
Yes, I’ve experienced a lot of negativity online. People sometimes say hurtful things. At times, I laugh it off; other times, it affects me. I remember waking up once to a comment that deeply upset me; it even insulted my family. That day, I was hurt and actually shed a tear. My sister saw the comment and called to check on me.
Over time, I’ve toughened up. Now, when people leave negative comments, I simply ignore them. Their trolling doesn’t stop me from creating. Some people in my comment section defend me, but ultimately, I stay focused on my work.
Do you have plans to evolve beyond creating content if the opportunity arises?
Yes, I plan to grow beyond content creation. I intend to start my own food business soon. I already run it privately on the side, but I want to make it fully mainstream. I’m also exploring event catering, not just home deliveries. I’ve always enjoyed event planning from my time at Africa Check, where I acted as a project manager.
I want to combine my love for cooking with events and lifestyle content. My goal is to expand into a broader lifestyle space, not just cooking and sharing recipes online.
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