If your TikTok FYP is packed with satisfying skincare routines and mouthwatering recipes, then you’ve probably come across Wendy Ly, also known as @wendyskin and @wendereats — the multifaceted content creator and entrepreneur who’s amassed quite the following by sharing her passions.
Before Ly was a full-time content creator, she was a typical college student at the University of California Davis who had no idea what she wanted to do when she graduated. What started as casually sharing her daily routines on social media turned into a digital brand that blends authenticity, culture, and aesthetics – one post at a time.
Spoon University chatted with Ly to get the inside scoop on her life as a content creator.
Spoon University: What inspired you to start content creation in college?
Wendy Ly: I went into college as a managerial economics major and needed to find my own career path within economics. I did a lot of research and stumbled across social and digital media marketing. Back in 2020, it was there, but a very new thing. Through online forums, someone said to make a blog on something I’m passionate about. I was passionate about skin care because I just turned 20 and thought, ‘I need to start my skincare routine, or I’ll regret it.’ I made an Instagram account the day after my sophomore year of college ended. It quickly became something I was so passionate about that I could see it as a potential career option after graduation. And by the end of my summer vacation, I had grown over 10,000 followers on Instagram.
SU: How did that evolve into launching your food account @wendereats?
WL: I got into food because I’ve always been a foodie. I would constantly showcase my food in my Instagram stories. My followers always asked me if I could send them a recipe or share it. And I would share recipes on videos. It came to a point where I wanted to separate my love for food and beauty. So I made my account (@wendereats) at the end of May of last year, and it just became my hobby to like and share my recipes.
SU: How are you approaching the content creation on @wendereats?
WL: I get content ideas when I go on with my day-to-day life. And, you know, I’m suddenly eating something, like, ‘Oh, my gosh, I should make a video about this.’ And that also happens with skincare but with food. This morning, I ate a yogurt. I was like, ‘I should make a video on how to make yogurt.’ I did some research, and you need to use yogurt to make yogurt. I thought that was interesting. I think everyone does it differently, but I like how it just flows in my head, and that’s when the best ideas come to life.
SU: What does a day in your life look like?
WL: I have to discipline myself just because I can make up my schedule to be whatever I want it to be. However, I choose to wake up early and set a time to ideate and create content during the day and at night. And now that I’ve been a content creator for five years, I have a whole team behind me. I have my agency, PR team, creative director, and editor. It’s not just me who’s doing this all by myself. Some people lay around and do nothing all day. But I have people depending on me, and I rely on them as well. Every day is entirely different, but I still have to show up.
SU: How have you turned @wendereats into a business? What income streams have this opened up, and what happens behind the scenes?
WL: This is something that not many people have information on. When I started, I didn’t know you could make an income out of posting on social media, so I initially thought this was just something for my resume. But along the way, I realized that you can earn money through brand deals, which is my primary source of income. Various brands support me, and I support them. You can do so much with these brands by forming excellent relationships. Like, you can do one-off brand deals or long-term brand deals. You can do brand edits. Another stream of income is the Creator Fund, like TikTok. I’m also on YouTube. Another source is affiliate links. The possibilities are endless.
SU: Do you have a favorite type of content to make? A favorite video?
WL: My favorite type of content is when I recreate Asian recipes I learned from my family. These are unique because you don’t see as many Asian recipes online. Whenever I try to cook something a certain way for an Asian recipe, there’s not much on the internet. My main thing is to utilize my platform to spread awareness about these amazing recipes that the internet hasn’t seen yet or that the internet has seen and they didn’t know that it’s Asian. My favorite video was when I made the Nobu miso black cod. I don’t remember the price off the top of my head, but miso black cod is expensive at Nobu. So I went home and researched, and it did not cost $50 to make. I bought all the ingredients at the grocery store and recreated them online — it turned out so well. You can make good food at home for so much less.
SU: Do you have a video you’ve made that you thought wasn’t going to do very well but resonated with people?
WL: Yeah, when I made a video about reheating takeout pho correctly, I didn’t know it would gain momentum, but it did. I’m glad many people finally know how because I’ve seen so many people doing it incorrectly. But it just isn’t what is meant to be done for taste purposes. So, I just wanted to utilize my platform to show people how to correctly do it so that you can maximize their taste palettes when they eat takeout pho.
SU: Do you have any advice for college students who are getting into social media content creation?
WL: My only advice is just to do it. Don’t waste your time wondering and saying, ‘Oh, I’m going to do it after this, I’m going to do it after that.’ Just do it. You are your own worst critic. Just post your first video — it doesn’t have to be perfect. Don’t listen to people on the internet, the people that leave hate comments. They’re just projecting. Most of the time, they’re from spam accounts, so they don’t even dare to say something from their accounts. That’s what leads to many failures in the social media space. Don’t be afraid to invest in your dreams.