We were lucky to catch up with Alana Mooi recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alana, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
I draw my strength from a lineage of remarkable women whose resilience, vision, and love for life have profoundly shaped my journey. Their legacy empowers me to face challenges with grace and determination.
When days get tough, deep care, trust, and staying focused on the larger goal help me navigate the immediate hurdles that can sometimes feel overwhelming. As women, we often carry societal pressures that lead us to question ourselves—Am I being too loud? Am I making people uncomfortable?—or feel the need to diminish our presence. But when I focus on what’s at stake if I don’t rise to the occasion, I’m more able to stay grounded, finding inspiration to act rather than succumb to overwhelm. This mindset fuels my resilience in tough times and reminds me of the greater purpose behind my efforts.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Born in Mexico City in the 90s, I grew up in a large family where the kitchen was the heart of our home. It was a space of constant activity and connection, where multiple generations gathered to celebrate, grieve, and simply be together. From an early age, I was immersed in the vibrant world of food—playing with ingredients, recognizing seasonal produce at weekly markets, and understanding the kitchen as a place of both safety and ritual. The kitchen wasn’t just where we ate; it was where we remembered who we were and where we came from.
Food has always been a constant in my life, helping me find a sense of belonging wherever I go. Exploring local markets and culinary traditions in new places allows me to reconnect with flavors and eating patterns that have stood the test of time. Most recently, my mother’s unexpected cancer diagnosis has deepened my journey into food as medicine. This has led me to focus on nourishing not just the body, but the heart and soul, rediscovering the power of ancestral eating patterns and their impact on our health and well-being.
When I bring home fresh produce, I still hear my mother say, “esto sabe a infancia”—these vegetables taste like my childhood. It’s a reminder to honor our roots in order to cultivate the future, and to celebrate the profound connection between food, health, and culture.
In the coming months, we will be launching NANA, Farmer’s Footprint’s Culture Channel. NANA is an open invitation to reconnect with self, place, tradition, and culture through food, conversations, and ancestral paradigms. It’s about highlighting the culture in agriculture. Through rich culinary experiences, curious kitchen conversations, and intimate community gatherings, NANA reawakens the sacred bonds that tie us to our ancestors’ wisdom. We aim to guide people in attuning to their inner knowledge and embracing nourishment that celebrates the deep connections between food, health, and culture.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Looking back, I’d say the three most impactful qualities on my journey have been resilience, genuine connection, and embracing uniqueness.
Resilience – It’s about staying open to the unexpected and trusting that you’re always on the path you’re meant to be on, even if it doesn’t look like what you originally envisioned. My advice is to focus less on a specific outcome and more on checking in with yourself at each step. Trust your gut and intuition—they often know more than we give them credit for.
Genuine Connection – When things get overwhelming or challenging, the people you surround yourself with can make all the difference. Invest in relationships with those you share real, meaningful connections with—people who care about you and whom you respect. These connections will offer the support and grounding you need to keep going.
Uniqueness – Embrace what makes you different, and don’t be afraid to approach things from a unique angle. There’s strength in doing things differently, and that’s often where your true power lies. Trust in your individual perspective, because that’s what will ultimately set you apart.
For those early in their journey, I encourage you to nurture these qualities. Stay open, trust yourself, lean into your community, and don’t be afraid to be different. These are the things that will sustain you and help you grow.
We’ve all got limited resources, time, energy, focus etc – so if you had to choose between going all in on your strengths or working on areas where you aren’t as strong, what would you choose?
The more I get to know myself, the clearer it becomes which areas I excel in and where I’m less strong. Rather than trying to be well-rounded in everything, I’ve found that focusing on my strengths and collaborating with others who bring complementary skills is far more rewarding. I believe in the power of partnerships—working alongside people and organizations that fill in the gaps allows us to go much further than we could alone.
There’s an African proverb I love: “Alone, a youth runs fast; with an elder slow, but together they go far.” This resonates with me deeply. It reminds me that true progress often comes from collaboration rather than trying to do it all by ourselves. For me, investing in my strengths while relying on the expertise and talents of others has led to some of the most fulfilling work and the biggest accomplishments.
For example, as I’ve grown professionally, I’ve realized that while I excel in storytelling, community building, and cultural exploration, other aspects like technical logistics are better left to those whose strengths lie in those areas. By embracing this and seeking out collaborators with complementary skills, I’m able to create more impactful and well-rounded projects, without spreading myself too thin by trying to master everything.
So my advice is to go all in on what you do best, while finding people who can support and elevate you in areas where you aren’t as strong. Together, you’ll go further than you ever could alone.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://farmersfootprint.us/
- Instagram: @farmersfootprint and @nana.food.culture
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alana-m-24054b210/
Image Credits
Nirvana Nungaray
Guigo Foggiatto
Ryder England
Leia Marasovich
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
