Comment, Chisme, and Collabs
The Secret to Growing Your Brand with Community
Cocina to Career is my behind-the-scenes look at growing a creative business rooted in cultura, comida, and corazón. I share what it really takes — from rejections to recipe shoots — to turn a passion for Mexican cooking into a full-time career. Subscribe so you don’t miss the real stories, chisme, and lessons I’ve learned along the way.
When people talk about content creation, they often picture one person behind a laptop or iPhone, hustling day and night to build a personal brand, pitch to sponsors, and go viral.
But let me share a little-known secret from the cocina of my own success:
“The best growth happens when you stir the pot with others.”
Some of my biggest wins didn’t come from perfectly optimized blog posts or viral reels. They came from people and connections.
This month we’re talking all about the (still) underrated magic of community and collaboration, and why your most strategic move might just be leaving a thoughtful comment.
A Comment Can Be a Brand Introduction
You may not have considered this before, but one of the smartest (and most genuine) things you can do as a creator is to leave a comment when a fellow creator shares a branded post.
Why? Because brands do their homework. They check who’s engaging with their partners. When they see another creator (that’s you!) engaging authentically, they take note.
I’ve commented on posts and then reached out to those brands directly, saying:
"Hey, I saw your campaign with [fellow creator]. If you're looking for a Latina food creator, I’d love to connect. Who can I reach out to?"
And guess what? Sometimes it works!
Even if you’re not paid to promote something, collaborating genuinely with a brand—tagging them in posts, mentioning them in stories, or sharing products and places you truly love—can lead to more visibility and new connections.
✨ Real talk: I recently partnered with Visit Tucson and made it a point to tag and collab with every restaurant I featured in this reel and this reel, along with @VisitTucson. I wasn’t paid by the restaurants, but because I shared authentically and used Instagram’s collab feature, I saw a noticeable boost in engagement and gained new followers from the Tucson foodie scene and beyond.
You never know who’s watching. Collaborating organically builds trust—and it just might land you on a brand’s radar for future paid work.
But it’s not just about brands.
Collaborating with other creators can be just as powerful.
Earlier this year, I traveled to Cabo with a group of fellow creators from the
We made it a point to tag each other, collab on reels, and genuinely support one another’s content.
The result?
📈 More reach
🤝 More trust
✨ More followers
Don’t wait for a paid opportunity to collab. If you’re part of a talent agency, creator community, or even a group chat—repost, tag, and hype each other. That energy sticks.
Uplift Others—Publicly and Often
Support in the DMs is nice, but support in public is poignant and powerful.
When you repost a friend's new article, hype their product launch, or tag them in relevant conversations, you amplify their work—and signal to your own audience (and brands) that you’re someone who collaborates generously.
Collaboration doesn’t have to mean co-creating content. It can be:
Leaving genuine comments on their posts
Sharing each other’s wins on your stories
Recommending a friend for a campaign you can’t take
Featuring them in your newsletter or Substack roundup
Shouting out a favorite product or company you love, even if it’s not sponsored (yet!)
That energy? It’s magnetic. And it always comes back around.
It’s Not a Competition When Everyone Wins
When I started blogging, there were maybe ten of us in the Mexican and Latina food space. We weren’t just bloggers—we were allies. We boosted each other. We commented. We grew together. That spirit built a foundation of collective growth.
Now, with thousands of creators in every niche, it can feel harder to stand out. But sometimes a supportive partnership can create more growth than a solo journey.
Engagement Over Ego, Always
Every genuine interaction creates a breadcrumb trail that leads new followers, collaborators, and brands back to you.
Think of it like a virtual potluck. If you show up empty-handed, you might eat. But if you bring your signature side dish and compliment the mole someone else made? People remember you. They invite you back.
Long-Term Relationships > One-Off Campaigns
Algorithms change. Engagement fluctuates. But strong relationships with fellow creators? That’s your safety net.
Whether it's an unpaid mention, a guest feature, or simply hyping up a fellow creative, that consistency builds trust—with your audience and with brands.
You don’t need to go it alone. In fact, you shouldn’t. This work is more joyful, more sustainable, and often more successful when you weave yourself into a supportive, generous, and engaged creative community.
So next time you see a post that makes you smile, comment.
If a friend lands a deal, celebrate them publicly.
If you want to work with a brand—even if it’s not sponsored yet—collaborate anyway.
Your future self—and your future brand partnerships—will thank you.
We rise by lifting others. And if you ask me? That’s the most powerful growth strategy of them all.
Con cariño,
Yvette
My Books
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Yvette Marquez
Blog: https://muybuenoblog.com/
Cookbooks: https://muybuenoblog.com/book/
Instagram: https://instagram.com/muybuenocooking/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/muybuenocookbook/
Your wisdom and advice extend far beyond food and I love reading about your recipes and philosophy.
Love this! I never found community as a food blogger but I sure did here on Substack! You are so right, foodie friends/communities are the best safety net and encouragement. Great advice.