Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelci Reedy.
Kelci, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
When I was in college, one of my assignments for a media course was to create a blog about anything as long as we could post about the chosen topic once a week. I attended St. John’s University in Queens, New York, and it was my first time being away from Maryland for that long. I chose to blog about my adventures (restaurants and events) in New York City and named it “Apple of My Eye.” After the course ended, I chose to continue blogging because I loved it so much.
After graduation in 2015, I moved back home and shifted my focus to local restaurants and events. I changed the name of the blog to Foodish Ways so it was on-brand with my Instagram account. One of the hardest things was viewing things I was used to seeing through a tourist’s lens. Some people do not know about places like Ellicott City, and I like highlighting restaurants and events for people to try in the future. I have also started highlighting local and Black-owned businesses more.
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?
It hasn’t always been a smooth road. When the pandemic started, I had no clue what the future of my blog would look like. I never expected things to come to a halt like that. Little did I know, I needed that time to regroup. I started thinking more about my blogging processes, which led to me creating more content about content creation.
One of the things that inspired me during the shutdown period was seeing people just having fun with their social media, like playing instruments and cooking. I think social media has shifted so much in the past few years. It was great seeing people having fun and doing regular things.
When restaurants started doing takeout only, I was excited to get back to sharing about restaurants. I wasn’t going out as frequently because I was still being cautious. It meant a lot to me to be able to use my corner of the internet to highlight restaurants in the area.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m currently a social media manager for a local nonprofit and a content creator in my spare time. I’m known for my blog and Instagram, Foodish Ways. I’m most proud of highlighting local businesses because it’s my way of giving back to the place where I was raised. Sharing my journey with other content creators is what sets me apart from others. There is room for all of us to win. Why not help someone else? My journey has not been perfect, and I believe in sharing the ups and the downs.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
The most important lesson I’ve learned along my journey is to keep going. I have had moments where I question if I should keep blogging. I have moments when I overthink things and wonder if a blog post is good enough to share. You can’t let thoughts like that hold you back.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://foodishways.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foodishways/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FoodishWays/
Image Credits
Kristin Qui
