Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Samson.
Hi Rachel, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Hi all! I started @stickaforkinme [on Instagram four years ago]. It feels like much longer – Admittedly, I am one of those people who has taken pictures of her food since flip phones were our day-to-day cameras but finally listened to my friends urging me to take it further in 2017. TikTok came much later, I have only been active on that platform since 2020.
I think the pandemic really changed what content people wanted to consume and I was able to follow a lot of trends to grow my pages during that time. Fun fact – This is my second career. I was actually in Construction Management for 13 years before I began @stickaforkinme. I think the skills I learned from working in an office environment and under many different managers gave me the discipline to work for the hardest boss I have ever had – Myself! People have a lot of misconceptions when it comes to content creation and influencer marketing, and its extremely hard work. I estimate that I typically spend 70-80 hours a week working, whether that is shooting at a restaurant, a recipe at home, editing, fielding emails, drawing up proposals or attending events.
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?
A big challenge as a content creator is to balance things I “have” to post vs things that will do best on my page and attract and retain my followers. Growth is forever a struggle and frustration on Instagram and I’ve found it to be quite the opposite on TikTok. Not every post will be a home run, but I never want people to get bored. I do a lot of research on where I can find new and exciting food trends to highlight on my page and then spend hours shooting, editing and posting. Sometimes it can get overwhelming with communication and requests coming from so many different angles but I believe if I keep working hard, I will continue to meet my goals. I also learned quickly that I cannot always say yes to everything. I get so many requests and offers but I need to sort through and decide what is best for my brand and me.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
For the most part, I specialize in video on both of my platforms. I think this was key in staying ahead of trends over the past couple of years. I am known for unique finds, outlandish combos and over-the-top dishes that people can target to visit on their next night out. My style showcases bright, colorful foods, eye-catching and “fun”. I try and do the same with my home recipes with fun takes like Hot Cheetos Ice Cream and Pizza Babka.
I primarily shoot on iPhone 12 Pro Max. I try and stick to 100% natural lighting and shoot during the day but utilize several lighting devices if I’m heading out at night. Photos of myself I’ll typically shoot with my Canon M50, but I tend to get frustrated with the camera and return to the safety of my iPhone. I think people like that raw, realistic look of a phone shoot, especially when shooting video but it’s not always optimal for every situation. I am extremely proud of my precision and determination to get the “money shot” each and every time.
Can you talk about how you think about risk?
I think risks are so important! No risk, no reward. I recently saw a brand marketing a Mac and Cheese Ice Cream. Since I couldn’t get my hands on a pint, I decided to make it myself… I knew there would be people who would want to behead me for this one, the unfollows always happen but in the end, it could have been my next viral post and resulted in a new group of food lovers discovering my pages. I know neither every food nor every post will be for everyone, but my hope is that if someone isn’t impressed with a particular post, they will respect the work I’ve put in, scroll on and come back another day.
Contact Info:
- Email: Info.stickaforkinme@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/Stickaforkinme
- Facebook: www.Facebook.com/etwelltrvloften
- TikTok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMdKjt6pg/
