Making a living off of posting food pics – or sharing the behind-the-scenes while making food – is only a recent occupation. It is, however, a seemingly fast-growing one. Between the countless restaurant reviews, fashionable foodie accounts, aesthetic cake pics and elaborate recipe videos, one thing is for sure: food and social media go together like bacon and eggs, hummus and red bell peppers, tomatoes and olive oil, bananas and chocolate or watermelon and feta (you get the idea). 

People are clearly hungry for food content, and there are plenty of creators ready, with their cameras set up in kitchens and eateries around the world. Few, however, feed the masses like Brian Lindo, Linda Lomelino and Katie Krejci. These food creators are part of Instagram’s first-ever class of 25 inaugural Rings winners, which you can spot on Instagram by the gold ring around their profile picture. Spanning a wide range of niches and categories (including DJs, photographers, athletes and other creatives), the winners weren’t chosen because of their follower count, but instead by 13 judges – which included French pastry chef Cédric Grolet, filmmaker Spike Lee and actor Yara Shahidi – who were guided by the creators’ ability to create something meaningful and unique.

In the case of foodfluencers, breaking through the noise means getting people invested in your story just as much as what you are eating. We asked Lindo, Lomelino and Krejci about the moment they realised enjoying food could be more than just a hobby.

Brian Lindo

At what moment did you know that enjoying food could be more than just a hobby?

For eight years, I ran this page purely as a hobby while working a 9-to-5. It was always just something I loved, no pressure, but I was passionate about it. Mentally, it all shifted when I posted one of my NYC food crawl videos, and the video went viral. Suddenly, this hobby turned into a shared experience with millions of people online. I started getting messages from people around the world saying they used my content as a guide to explore new destinations, and even heard from restaurants telling me they had to open new locations because of my videos. That's when it clicked. I felt the impact. It’s been my full-time job for 3 years, and I still can’t believe I get to do this every day.

What’s your biggest piece of advice for aspiring foodfluencers?

People say the food creator space is saturated, but you have to remember you can always bring a unique perspective. The real key today is blending your love for food with your authentic self. People might come for the food, but they’ll stay for you, so show up consistently, give yourself grace, stay a little delusional and – most importantly – have fun with it. If you’re not enjoying the ride, it’ll show on camera.

Linda Lomelino

At what moment did you know that enjoying food could be more than just a hobby?

Food blogs had a huge moment in the 2010s, and I was lucky to catch the wave. I realised I had an engaged audience, and soon after, brands began reaching out and offering to pay for my work. But the real turning point came when a publisher contacted me and asked if I wanted to make a book. That was the moment it truly clicked. And I said yes, of course, absolutely terrified.

Originally, I had planned to focus on creating custom cakes, but I quickly learned that I was too slow and it was too much work to be sustainable. Once I started combining photography and baking, everything just fell into place. It made me happy, too, so it made sense to give it a shot.

What’s your biggest piece of advice for aspiring foodfluencers?

Find your niche – start by doing one thing well, and then you can branch out later if you want. That way, it’s also easier for you to stay on track. For example, my thing became baking and desserts, but especially cakes. I even ended up making a book about cakes. This is probably even more important now, when there are so many talented food creators and photographers out there.

Collaborate with others in a similar niche to yours. Reach out to people whose work you enjoy and see if they’d be into some kind of collaboration. If not to gain a new following, just to have fun. Maybe you’ll make a new friend too! If you are heavily inspired by someone, tag them or mention them.

Start creating and posting even if you don’t feel ready. There will never be a perfect time. Try to stay consistent and enjoy what you’re doing!

Katie Krejci

At what moment did you know that enjoying food could be more than just a hobby?

For me, the transition happened during the fall of 2022 when my Instagram account jumped from 3k to 144k followers, all within a month! It was at that moment that I started to realise that I had the potential to make this hobby of mine into a full-time job, which has been a dream come true.

What’s your biggest piece of advice for aspiring food foodfluencers?

Never compromise on your own personal values and style. Stay true to who you are, and success will follow.