We had the good fortune of connecting with Amanda Starley and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Amanda, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Risk taking and entrepreneurship go hand in hand but I have been a risk taker/adrenaline junkie my whole life. Before deciding to stay home to raise my family I was a commercial Pilot. Four years ago, my husband and I moved our 3 young sons to Guam and traveled all over Asia with them. Deciding to jump into a unique career path always requires a big dose of courage. When I decided to open my business, everything about it was new and exciting to me. Since making that choice, I have learned about food photography, food styling, cheese pairings, accounting, marketing, branding and the list goes on. My approach to life is to say yes to opportunities that excite me and then put in the work to make those choices successful. 

What should our readers know about your business?
I believe my business has grown as quickly as it has for several reasons. First of all, people love beautiful and delicious food that is fuss free and enjoyable for everyone (young, old, gluten free, keto, etc.) Social Media has been crucial in my growth and I spend a lot of time creating content, connecting with my customers and planning fun giveaways. It’s the only form of advertising I do. As far as the challenges… there have been many! I would say the hardest thing for me is setting up boundaries and establishing a work/life balance. I’m a people pleaser by nature so it’s really hard for me to say no and turn down orders. My husband keeps me in check and makes sure I schedule family time, exercise, date nights, etc.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Whenever we have friends visit, we always try to do all the stereotypical “Texan” things. We eat BBQ and Tex-Mex. We go shooting at our local gun range, we go line dancing. Depending on the time of year, we will of course try to hit the Houston Rodeo and an Astros game.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have to give so much credit to my father. He raised me to believe that I could literally do anything I put my mind to AND I believed him. I remember as a child telling him that I was going to be the first female NFL quarterback! Ha! Look out Tom Brady! His response was “I can’t wait to see you do it.” Reality hit when I realized I was 5’2” and have a weak arm but his faith, confidence and support for me has been consistent through all of my big dreams.

Website: Social-Spreads.com
Instagram: SocialSpreads
Facebook: SocialSpreadsTX

Image Credits
Analicia Herrmann Ashley Sydney Photo

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutHTX is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.