For more than a decade, Jane Ko has built a career that did not exist when she first started. What began as a personal blog has grown into “A Taste of Koko,” a platform that has shaped how people experience Austin’s food and travel scene. Today, her work extends far beyond content, spanning consulting, investing, and brand partnerships, all built on a foundation of curiosity and storytelling.
Jane’s days do not follow a traditional structure. In the mornings, while her husband takes care of their baby, Jane is already working: moving through emails, planning, and making decisions that keep everything running in a steady flow. By evening, she shifts fully into family time, stepping away from work until the house quiets again, taking over the midnight shift with her infant.
“Travel has been one of the most rewarding parts: getting to experience new places and bring that storytelling back into what I do.”
“I’ve had to be really intentional with my time,” Jane explains. “There’s no clear start or stop to the day, so you figure out what works for you.” Even as her work has expanded, she continues to run the business and projects herself, staying closely tied to every moving part, from creative direction to long-term decisions.
“People think you get to a point where you’re not doing everything anymore, but I’m still in it every day,” she says. She has hired help before but realized she actually enjoys the administrative work and creating content herself.
That hands-on approach traces back to the beginning. When she launched her blog in 2010 while attending UT Austin, it was not meant to become a career but was simply a fun way to document the city around her. At the time, the idea of content creation as a full-time job did not exist in the way it does today.
“I didn’t fit into the traditional 9-to-5 path,” Jane says. “I tried, but it just wasn’t working for me.”
“You have to evolve. What worked before doesn’t always work now. You have to stay ahead of the trends and stay true to yourself.”
In those early years, she worked four part-time jobs, saving enough to invest in a camera and slowly build her platform. As the blog began to gain traction, opportunities started to emerge, but stability remained uncertain. The shift came in 2015, when social media marketing began to take hold, and Austin’s rapid growth created new opportunities in the digital space. What had once felt unpredictable became something she could build on, as brands began reaching out and UGC partnerships expanded.
Since then, her work has grown far beyond the blog. She has partnered with hundreds of brands, consulted for major companies, and built a reputation that extends well beyond Austin. Travel has become a central part of that growth, shaping both her perspective and the content she creates.
Jane explains, “Travel has been one of the most rewarding parts: getting to experience new places and bringing that storytelling back into what I do.”
In recent years, her focus has expanded yet again. Alongside content and consulting, she has moved into investing, interior design, real estate, and consumer products. It is a natural progression for someone who has spent years understanding how brands grow and connect with consumers.
“You have to evolve,” Jane expounds. “What worked before doesn’t always work now. You have to stay ahead of the trends and stay true to yourself.”
Looking forward, Jane is less focused on fitting into a single role and more interested in continuing to expand what is possible. Her work is no longer confined to a single platform or identity. It is something she continues to redefine in real time. “I’m excited about what I’m building,” she smiles. “There’s so much more to explore.”
Advice : “Follow that itch if you have an idea. It could lead you down a 16-year journey of so many possibilities.”
Favorite Part : “The ability to share stories through writing, photos, or video”
Contact:
atasteofkoko.com
@atasteofkoko
