Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kristen Hess. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Kristen thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Alright, so we’d love to hear about how you got your first client or customer. What’s the story?
My first client was someone I met on LinkedIn – Michelle Collins. She was a fellow creative that lived in NYC who started a Kosher Wine Club online and needed a photographer to shoot her wine selections and food pairings for the website and social media. She initially reached out to connect on LinkedIn with me and then we met for coffee in Soho in New York and had a great conversation and connected on a creative level so she hired me to do her photography each month and that lasted for about a year. She also hired me to do an event catering job for her company that she was working with and I created appetizers and small plates for about 85 people at the event in Soho. We are still friends today and she even hired me to be a personal chef for a Thanksgiving dinner for 15 people that she did with her friends in NYC a few years ago!
Kristen, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I am a content creator, food stylist, photographer, and storyteller in food, media, and creative entrepreneurship. With a background in advertising, visual design, and culinary arts, I have spent my career helping brands and audiences experience food not just as something we eat, but as something that tells a story.
I began my career in the advertising and design world, where I developed a strong foundation in brand storytelling, visual communication, and marketing strategy. Over time, my lifelong passion for food, cooking, and hospitality naturally merged with my creative background. That intersection ultimately led me into the world of food media—styling, photographing, producing, and writing about food in a way that brings it to life visually and emotionally.
Throughout my career I’ve worked with a wide range of Fortune 500 brands and media companies across the food, beverage, retail, and hospitality industries. My work spans content creation, food styling, photography, video production, recipe development, and editorial storytelling for advertising campaigns, social media, television, digital media, and print. For several years I also served as a Senior Photography Stylist for H-E-B Advertising in partnership with Quad Graphics’ photography studio, where I collaborated with creative directors, producers, and photographers to concept and style food and product imagery for large-scale marketing campaigns.
In addition to my commercial work, I’m the creator and founder of The Artful Gourmet, a multi-platform culinary and lifestyle media brand that includes a blog, podcast, and YouTube series. Through this platform I create original content centered around food, cooking, restaurants, travel, music, lifestyle, and creative entrepreneurship. One of my signature projects is the *Groovy Eats* series, where I explore nostalgic recipes and cultural moments from past decades, blending food, music, and storytelling into a modern multimedia experience.
The services and creative work I provide are rooted in helping brands and audiences communicate through food. For clients, that often means developing visually compelling food photography, styling dishes for advertising campaigns, producing recipe videos or editorial content, or creating storytelling-driven media that connects with audiences in an authentic way. For my own platforms, it means developing recipes, producing video and podcast content, writing editorial pieces, and sharing stories that inspire people to cook, explore, and celebrate food culture.
One of the biggest problems I help solve for brands is translating food into compelling visual content that truly resonates with people. In today’s digital world, brands need more than just a product—they need a story, an experience, and imagery that makes viewers feel something. My background in both advertising strategy and culinary media allows me to approach food content from both a creative and a marketing perspective, ensuring that what we create is not only beautiful but also purposeful and aligned with a brand’s message.
What sets my work apart is that I approach food media as a complete creative ecosystem. I combine the disciplines of food styling, photography, video production, storytelling, recipe development, and brand strategy into one cohesive approach. Because I’ve worked on both the brand side and the creator side, I understand how to translate culinary ideas into content that works across multiple platforms—from editorial features and advertising campaigns to social media and video storytelling.
What I’m most proud of is building The Artful Gourmet into a platform that reflects my creative voice and passion for food culture. It has allowed me to explore the connections between food, travel, music, nostalgia, and personal storytelling in a way that feels authentic and meaningful. Projects like Groovy Eats are especially close to my heart because they celebrate how food is tied to memories, eras, and shared experiences.
More than anything, I want people to know that my brand is about creativity, connection, and inspiration. Food has an incredible ability to bring people together, evoke memories, and spark joy. Through my work—whether it’s styling a dish for a national campaign, developing a recipe, or hosting a cooking show—I aim to create content that inspires people to slow down, enjoy the moment, and rediscover the magic that happens around the table.
At its core, my work is about storytelling through food—capturing the beauty, culture, and emotion that make food such a powerful part of our lives.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
Building my audience on social media really happened organically over time as I followed my curiosity and shared the things I genuinely love—food, travel, photography, music, and storytelling. When I first started The Artful Gourmet, it was simply a creative outlet where I could document recipes, food styling, and the moments that inspire me in the kitchen. As platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and later TikTok evolved, I leaned into what each one does best—beautiful food imagery, short-form video, behind-the-scenes content, and deeper storytelling through my blog and Substack. What helped the most was consistency and authenticity. I didn’t try to chase every trend; instead I focused on sharing my perspective as a chef, food stylist, and creator, and inviting people into that world.
One of the things I love most about building The Artful Gourmet is that every platform lets me tell the story a little differently. Instagram and TikTok are where the visuals and personality really shine—beautiful food photography, behind-the-scenes moments from my cooking show Groovy Eats, and quick, fun recipe inspiration. Facebook has become a wonderful place for longer conversations with my community, while LinkedIn allows me to share the professional side of my work as a food stylist, photographer, and media creator. On X and Threads I love engaging in real-time cultural and food conversations, and Pinterest is perfect for curating the visual inspiration behind my recipes, travel, and styling ideas. Substack is where I slow things down and go deeper with storytelling—sharing essays, recipes, and reflections that connect food, music, travel, and memory. Each channel plays a different role, but together they create a full picture of my brand: celebrating creativity, great food, and the stories that bring people to the table.
When I first launched The Artful Gourmet Podcast and YouTube channel, my goal was simple: create a space where I could share my love of food, creativity, and storytelling in a more personal way. I had already built a foundation through my blog and social media, so the podcast and YouTube became a natural extension of that world—bringing my audience behind the scenes of the creative process. Over time, the platform evolved into three distinct mini-series that reflect different sides of my brand. “Into Focus” explores mindset, creativity, and personal growth; “Groovy Eats” blends retro music, culture, and cooking into a nostalgic culinary journey through the decades; and “UNFILTERED” is a conversational interview series where I connect with inspiring creatives and entrepreneurs about their passions and life paths. Each series lives across YouTube, podcast platforms, my websites, and social channels, so the content flows seamlessly—from a video episode to a podcast, blog post, Substack essay, and social clips. That ecosystem allows me to meet my audience wherever they are while keeping everything connected through the same core idea: celebrating creativity, culture, and the stories that bring people together around food and inspiration.
My advice for anyone just starting out is to treat social media like a conversation rather than a broadcast. Show up consistently, share what you’re truly passionate about, take advantage of keeping a consistent brand message across channels and don’t be afraid to evolve as your voice and brand grow. Audiences respond to authenticity, and over time those genuine connections are what turn followers into a real community.
What’s been the best source of new clients for you?
The best source of new clients throughout my career has always been networking and word of mouth. When I first moved to New York City and started my business, I didn’t have formal experience as a food stylist or photographer yet—but I had relationships, curiosity, and a willingness to put myself out there. In my very first year, two opportunities completely changed the trajectory of my career. A chef friend referred me to a cookbook author in NYC, which led to photographing recipes for Gary Null’s Whole Foods cookbook. Around the same time, I attended a cookbook conference where I met a literary agent who later introduced me to her partner—resulting in a major project shooting the Pinkalicious Cupcake Cookbook for HarperCollins. Those early referrals were proof that relationships truly matter. When people trust your work and your work ethic, they open doors you couldn’t access alone.
From there, things began to snowball. After that first year of cookbook work, blogging, and consistently sharing my projects on social media, a food industry recruiter reached out and started contracting me for larger styling and photography jobs in television, events, and PR campaigns. As my portfolio and network grew, so did my visibility. I focused on keeping my website, blog, and social media updated with my best and most recent work, which helped my name appear high in Google searches for “NYC Food Stylist” and “NYC Food Photographer.” I also built strong relationships with professionals in advertising, PR, marketing, and TV/film production—many of whom I connected with on LinkedIn. Some of those connections turned into long-term clients who hired me for multiple brand campaigns over several years. That’s the beauty of this industry: when you do great work, treat people well, and stay connected, referrals and repeat business become the most powerful marketing you could ever have.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kristen-hess.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artfulgourmet
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/artfulgourmet
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/klhinnyc
- Twitter: https://www.x.com/artfulgourmet
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@theartfulgourmet
- Artful Gourmet Blog: https://www.theartfulgourmet.
com - Other: LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/theartfulgourmetThe Artful Gourmet Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2dI0lF9FW9bPByWm0W6JwM?si=cb4dacb407744254
(also available on Apple, Amazon, iHeart, Podbean, PodserveFM)Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/@artfulgourmetTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@foodiegirl87Threads: https://www.threads.com/@artfulgourmet
Substack: https://artfulgourmet.substack.com/
IACP Profile: https://www.iacp.com/member/kristen-hess/
P.O.W.E.R Profile: https://members.powerwoe.com/member/profile/kristen-l-hess
Kristen is also a new cast member of the TV documentary series “Women In Power” at Inside Success Networks and her individual episode is planned to air internationally on major streaming platforms in early 2026.
Read the full press release: https://www.einpresswire.com/article/869017741/kristen-hess-to-appear-on-women-in-power-tv
View more info on her individual TV episode: https://www.womeninpowertv.com/kristen-hess
Image Credits
All brand photos + headshots – Kristen Hess Photographer
All recipe images –
Food + Prop Stylist: Kristen Hess
Photographer: Mitch Magnuson
Cinnabon Ad –
Food + Prop Stylist: Kristen Hess
Photographer: Matt Brown
PDQ Ad –
Food + Prop Stylist: Kristen Hess
Photographer Nutmeg Imageworks