Broncos at Work

Adrian Danganan
(’16, communication)
Food content creator and personality based in Southern California

@eatwithadrian on TikTok and Instagram

How would you describe your career?
One word: unique. Being able to share my love for food with an audience as a career is far, far away from a 9-to-5 job. But the freedom to work whenever and however I please while having fun is unparalleled.

How did your CPP experience shape your social media presence/career?
My content creator journey began because of a college course. We were tasked with creating a blog, and my blog centered on my love for Filipino food. After the course ended, I decided to continue and use my newfound knowledge to expand my focus to Southern California food trends, as well as to migrate to other platforms like Instagram and YouTube.

How did you gain your large following?
When the pandemic began, I noticed that TikTok was up and coming. I began a series asking whether people would eat certain foods I’ve had. The trend began to pick up, and because of TikTok’s unpredictable algorithm, users decided to stick around for the ride.

What is the key to success in your business?
It is so important to be genuine and honest with your audience. Being your most authentic self allows your viewers to develop an understanding of your presence on social media and decide why they should consider you a staple in whatever field you’re in.

Any advice for building a social media following?
Be consistent and be the truest version of yourself. It is so easy to get lost in the numbers game, and constantly checking on likes and followers can really take a toll on your mental health! Being a content creator is exhilarating, gratifying and so much fun; don’t ever lose sight of what you're doing and why you're doing this.

Adrienne Castleton
(’11, management and human resources)
Hand lettering and illustration artist

@studio80design on Instagram

How would you describe your career?
Amazing and busy! I love that I can put as much time into it as I want and I am able to work in my dream field while also being a mom. I have been able to push myself as an artist and a person to accomplish things I never thought possible.

What motivates you to be an influencer?
I enjoy sharing my love for art and hand lettering with others and my children. Art is my creative outlet that keeps me mentally and emotionally healthy, so the chance to help other people learn art while connecting with them is awesome!

How did your CPP experience shape your social media presence/career?
I definitely learned how to run the business side from my time at CPP. I gained important skills like how to communicate and work with other people and companies.

What is the key to success in your business?
Be true to who you are! Everyone has their own unique point of view and experiences that shape who they are and creates their own voice that they can share with others.

What type of posts are most popular with your audience?
My audience loves seeing tutorials on hand-lettering and illustration. Process videos and how-to-draw posts do really well and let my audience see how I create something so they can try it. When schools shut down last year and kids had to do school from home, I taught 25 free online classes for kids and adults — it was a great experience!

Any advice for building a social media following?
Be genuine. Don’t be afraid to take risks and try something that seems scary because it's new. You never know where it might take you!