Ian Rivero, also known as “IanKewks” is a Calgary Content Creator who primarily works on sharing and creating easy Asian recipes, with a focus on Filipino food. With over 607K followers on Instagram and 1.8M followers on Tiktok he brings delicious and easy recipes to his followers. We had a chance to chat with him to find out more about what he does.
What is your channel called and what is it about?
My channel is named “Iankewks”. It was initially supposed to be “Iancooks” until one of my friends thought I should change up the spelling a bit to look more interesting. I use my channel and social media to post easy Asian recipes, with a focus on Filipino food.
When did you start it? What motivated you at the beginning?
I started Iankewks back in March 2020 on TikTok. I was on TikTok for a while before I even started posting, but ever since the pandemic hit (and because almost everything was closed down at the time), I began posting my everyday meals for people to see.
Who were you inspired by? Any influences?
I was inspired a lot by the Food Network since I used to watch it almost every day after middle school. People like Gordon Ramsay, Guy Fieri, and Anna Olson were just some of my favourite influences back then.
How would you describe your audience?
The majority of my audience either loves cooking Asian food, or just likes watching someone cook. They’re very sweet, and some have taken the time to say hello to me in public, which I always appreciate! I’m really grateful for everyone’s support.
What is your creative process? Do you have people who work with you?
My process comes down to sitting myself at a café, coming up with a list of possible recipe ideas, and figuring out a way to film those recipes on a schedule. Sometimes I’ll test out a recipe that I’m planning to post, but realize it’s not exactly ready yet, so I’ll knock it down to the bottom of my list and get back to it later. I don’t currently have anyone working with me.
How do you monetize your content? Do you also have another job?
My content is monetized through brand sponsorships and through revenue generated on my website. I don’t currently have any other job.
What is your favourite piece of content you have created?
My favourite piece of content that I’ve made so far is this one video where I talk about Filipino food and how it is extremely underrepresented and/or misinterpreted in media. I love speaking my mind and sharing it to the world, and so talking about Filipino culture and food from my own experiences is something I grew to be very passionate about.
What is the best part about what you do? What is the worst part?
The best part about what I do is that Iankewks became an outlet for my creativity since I love cooking and sharing my creations/videos to others. It’s also heartwarming when I receive messages from my audience saying how much I’ve helped them in preparing meals and how some of my recipes reminded them of home.
The worst part would probably be balancing everything and maintaining a strict schedule to constantly update all my social media. I’m not currently a full-time content creator, and so allocating time appropriately for social media, work, and university can be draining at times.
What are your future plans for your channel?
In the future, I’d love to create content that educates more people about my own culture and everyday life. Ideally, once I begin travelling more, I can also start creating more foodie vlogs.
Where can we follow you?
I’m on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Pinterest! You can also find all my recipes on my website.
PAY IT FORWARD: What is another Canadian content creator that you love?
I love TiffyCooks! She’s such a sweet and amazing content creator who’s been a lifesaver for easy cooking recipes during my university years.
