In 2017, Lisa Nguyen started writing herself a note every day. It read:
“I, Lisa Nguyen, will become a world traveler and videographer. In return, I will create visually and audibly appealing videos. … Starting 2017, I will achieve a reputation for crafting valuable videos. By December 2018, I will be debt free, and I will make $4,000 of passive income to fund my world travels.”
Nguyen was a paralegal then, and felt complacent, unfulfilled, and daunted by the prospect of that being it. In a flurry of inspiration—spurred by therapy and a similar strategy by Bruce Lee—she started writing the notes.
Piece by piece, Nguyen built a new reality. She bought a camera and started highlighting local restaurants—first in her hometown of Wichita, and by 2021, her new home of Kansas City. Today, she’s a (debt-free) full-time food video creator with over five million YouTube subscribers. She’s tried beef tartare in Paris, pad Thai in Thailand, and showcased just about everything in Kansas City.
Most famously, she’s learned to “level up” instant ramen noodles from friends and chefs alike. Soon, she plans to run an instant ramen pop-up in KC.
“I’m thankful for my job every single day, that I could wake up and just make a cooking video and that’s my job, or travel to a different country and that’s my job,” says Nguyen. “I couldn’t be more thankful.”
A major reason for her success is acting on that moment of burning inspiration in 2017.
“You don’t really know when that moment’s going to hit again,” says Nguyen. “Your energy and your emotions work in ebbs and flows, and when you’re up, you definitely want to capitalize on that.” Follow Nguyen’s adventures on YouTube.
Lisa’s essentials...
Best Bite: This is always changing, but right now my favorite spot is Baba’s Pantry. You just get hit with a dose of warm love as you walk through the door. My favorite thing to order is the hummus platter with pita.
Heat Champ: It’s not my everyday hot sauce, but Spicin Foods’ Da Bomb hot sauce is my favorite one to have stocked for my friends and family when they come to visit. It’s fun watching them struggle.
Crafted Cocktail: I’m always stalking Moon Bar KC’s Instagram page to see when their next pop-up is. You can’t go wrong with any of their cocktails.
Farmers Market: I go to the City Market farmers market almost every weekend when I’m in town. The vendors are incredibly friendly, and I’m always amazed by the variety of fresh, local goods.
Top Ramen: The spicy creamy chicken ramen from KC Craft Ramen is absolute perfection. I learned how to make eight-plus different types of ramen when I was in Rajuku Ramen School, and tori paitan (creamy chicken) was by far my favorite.