Today we’d like to introduce you to Fabiola Nuno.
Hi Fabiola, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My name is Fabiola, and I am proudly Mexican, from the state of Jalisco. I am the oldest of seven siblings—four boys and three girls, including myself. I grew up on a small ranch with my parents and siblings, surrounded by nature and a very simple life, but a beautiful one.
From a young age, I had a very special connection to food. In my family, we grew corn, tomatoes, and different vegetables, and we also raised cows, which provided the milk we used to make our own cheese. I have so many memories of the homemade food my mother prepared and all the flavors I grew up with. I believe that is where my deep love for Mexican cuisine and for preserving our recipes and traditions began.
I got married when I was 18, and in the year 2000, my husband and I decided to come to the United States in search of a better future. I arrived with many dreams, but also with a lot of sadness from leaving my family behind. We came with very simple goals: to work, be able to buy a car, build our home, and one day start our own family.
My first job was at an electronics company, where I worked for about two years. Then my first daughter was born, and I decided to stop working for a while to take care of her. When she was one year and two months old, I went back to work, this time at night as a dishwasher in a restaurant. I took care of our daughter during the day, and my husband took care of her at night while I worked. I stayed there for about three years. It was not easy leaving my daughter when she was so young, but at that time, it was the way we found to move forward.
After that, I worked as a cashier at a Mexican grocery store. A few years later, my husband and I decided to have our second daughter. My daughters are eight years apart. When she was born, I stopped working again for about two years. After that, I started cleaning houses because I needed a job that gave me more flexibility to be present in my daughters’ lives.
But deep down, there was something else that had always been calling me: cooking.
About seven years ago, I started selling tamales, and I remember that people really enjoyed them. That sparked my desire to share how I prepared them, as well as other recipes that had always been part of my life. The problem was that I knew absolutely nothing about creating content, and I was also very nervous about being in front of a camera. I was afraid of criticism and of what people might say.
That was when my oldest daughter encouraged me to start my YouTube channel. She played a key role at the beginning because she recorded me and helped me edit my videos. Little by little, I started to overcome my fear and realized that behind the camera, I could share something I truly loved.
A year later, my younger daughter was the one who convinced me to also start on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. That is how Cocinando con Faby began to grow.
What started simply as a desire to teach people how I prepared my recipes became a community of people who, just like me, love cooking. For me, it has been incredibly rewarding to share a little piece of my roots, my traditions, and the Mexican cuisine I grew up with.
Today, when I look back at everything I have gone through and see that I have even had the opportunity to collaborate with some of the brands I admired for many years, I feel very happy and, above all, deeply grateful. I never imagined how far that very first video—the one I was so afraid to record—would take me. And I still feel like this is only the beginning.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Throughout my life, I have faced different challenges that have helped me grow and appreciate each step I have taken even more.
One of the biggest challenges was leaving Mexico at a very young age and starting a new life in the United States. Leaving my family, my roots, and everything I knew was not easy. I arrived with many dreams, but also with a lot of nostalgia and the challenge of starting practically from scratch alongside my husband.
Then, when I became a mother, one of my biggest challenges was finding a balance between working and being present for my daughters. There was a time when I worked nights as a dishwasher at a restaurant so I could take care of my daughter during the day, while my husband stayed with her at night. Later, I decided to clean houses because I needed a job that would give me more flexibility for my family.
When Cocinando con Faby began, a different kind of challenge came along. I really wanted to share my recipes, but I was very nervous about being in front of a camera and afraid of criticism. I also did not know how to record, edit videos, or manage social media. Everything was completely new to me.
My daughters played a very important role in helping me take that first step. Little by little, I started to overcome my fear and learn along the way. It has not always been easy, and I am still learning, but every experience has taught me to trust myself more, to be consistent, and not to give up when things do not turn out the way I expected.
One of the most important lessons this journey has taught me is that we do not have to know everything before we begin. Many times, we simply need to be brave enough to take the first step and then learn along the way.
Today, when I look back, I feel grateful for each of those challenges because they are also part of the woman, mother, and creator I am today. And if my story can motivate another woman who has a dream but is afraid to begin, I would like to tell her that it is never too late to try.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My work as a content creator usually starts in my kitchen. I plan the recipe I want to make, gather all of the ingredients, and set up my camera, ring light, and tripod before I begin cooking. Sometimes the tripod is in the way or I have to move things around in my kitchen to get the right angle, but I have learned to work around it. I record each step of the recipe while cooking and try to make the process feel natural and easy for my audience to follow.
Once I finish cooking, there is usually a lot of cleaning to do, especially after recipes that can get a little messy. I clean the counters, the stove, and everything I used before moving on to editing the video. Then I choose the best clips, edit everything together, and add the finishing touches before uploading and posting it. I also share stories on my social media to let my followers know that a new recipe is up and encourage them to watch it.
I enjoy being able to turn something I have always loved—cooking—into a way to connect with people and share my Mexican recipes and traditions. Alongside creating content, I also clean houses, which is another part of my work and has allowed me to support my family while continuing to grow Cocinando con Faby.
What are your plans for the future?
My dream is to continue growing as a content creator while sharing my love for cooking, my Mexican roots, and the traditions that have shaped who I am. I would love to write my own book someday, share my story through podcasts, and use my experiences to inspire other people to believe in themselves and pursue their own dreams.
I would also love to create my own brand of kitchen and hair care products, especially products that reflect the things I love and use in my everyday life. I hope to continue collaborating with brands that connect with my values and with the community I have built.
Above all, I want to keep learning, growing, and creating new opportunities for myself and my family while staying true to who I am. I want to continue sharing my journey, my culture, and the things I love, and hopefully inspire others along the way.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cocinandoconfaby/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cocinandocon.faby/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@cocinandoconfaby
