We were lucky to catch up with Charles Johnson recently and have shared our conversation below.

Charles, appreciate you joining us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

I learned being a content creator from trial and error. I started with content creation last year with the encouragement of friends who told me I have a magnetic personality. I did not know what I was doing and took me a minute to find my rhythm and niche.

Knowing what I know now, I would not have done anything to speed up the learning. I am still learning being a new content creator and I feel the pace is good at which I am learning.

The most essential skills to me were time management, and organization and communication.

Some obstacles that stood in my way of learning more would be doubting myself and staying in my comfort zone when it came to doing food videos.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

I’m Charles, a food content creator based in Indianapolis, and honestly, I got into this industry through a lot of trial and error.

Back in June 2025, some close friends of mine, Sir Allen and Anthony King, who also serves as my manager, kept encouraging me to put myself out there online. They told me I had the personality for video content and that people would connect with me. At the time, I didn’t really believe them. I knew nothing about content creation and had no idea what kind of content I wanted to make.

So I started experimenting. If you scroll back to some of my earliest videos, you’ll see me doing all kinds of things—cooking in the kitchen, cutting fruit, showcasing drinks at the Indiana State Fair, and just trying different ideas to see what worked. I was learning as I went.

Then one day I posted a restaurant review, and it performed really well. More importantly, I genuinely enjoyed making it. I love food, I love people, and I love sharing experiences, so I decided to do another review. Then another. And another. With every video, I got a little better, a little more confident, and a little more clear on what I wanted my content to be.

What started as simply trying things out has now grown into a platform where I get to showcase restaurants, support local businesses, and help people discover great places to eat. That’s something I’m incredibly grateful for.

What sets me apart is that I’m just being myself. I’m not trying to be a food critic or pretend to be something I’m not. I’m a regular guy who enjoys good food and loves sharing genuine experiences with my audience. People follow me because they know what they see is real.

The thing I’m most proud of is the community we’ve built. Whether it’s helping a local restaurant gain exposure, introducing followers to a hidden gem, or simply making someone hungry enough to try a new spot, I love being able to create content that has a positive impact.

If there’s one thing I want people to know about me and my brand, it’s that authenticity will always come first. I want every review, every video, and every partnership to feel genuine. My goal is simple: connect people through food, support local businesses, and have fun doing it.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being a creative is the impact I get to have on people and businesses. It’s really a two-part answer.

The first part is the connection with people. Whether I’m at the grocery store, the mall, the airport, on an airplane, or just out living my everyday life, it’s always an amazing feeling when someone stops me and says, “Hey, I love your videos.” When people want to take a picture, share a story, or tell me about a restaurant they visited because of something I posted, it reminds me that the work I’m doing is reaching people. It lets me know that what I’m creating matters and that it’s making a positive impact.

The second part is helping businesses, especially local and family-owned restaurants. One of the best feelings is hearing from a business owner after I post a video and learning that they’ve seen an increase in customers or traffic because of the content. I hear stories like that all the time, and it never gets old. Knowing that something I created helped a small business grow or brought new customers through their doors is incredibly rewarding.

At the end of the day, what I love most is being impactful. Whether I’m making someone’s day a little better through a fun video or helping a local business get the attention it deserves, I enjoy using my platform in a positive way. I genuinely want to see people win. I want to see businesses succeed. I want to see communities support one another.

I think that’s also what makes my content different. While the goal is always to showcase great food and great businesses, we have fun doing it. My content isn’t overly serious or scripted. We get the message across, but we do it in a way that’s entertaining, authentic, and a little outside the box. That’s the energy I’ve always wanted to bring to my audience, and it’s what continues to inspire me every day.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

If I had to explain how I built my audience on social media, the first thing I would say is consistency. It sounds simple because people hear it all the time, but it really is one of the most important things.

For me, that meant showing up every day, posting consistently, and staying active with my audience. I try to post 5 to 7 times a week and make sure I’m engaging with people in the comments. Whether someone leaves a positive comment, asks a question, or even has a little criticism, I try to respond. People appreciate knowing they’re talking to a real person, and that interaction helps build a genuine community. Social media shouldn’t just be about posting content—it’s about building relationships.

The second thing that helped me grow was being authentic. One mistake I see a lot of people make is chasing trends that don’t really fit who they are. Just because someone else is getting a lot of views doing something doesn’t mean that’s what you should be doing.

My content works because it’s genuinely me. I love food. I love trying new restaurants. I love sharing those experiences with people. As I like to say, I’m big, fat, and hungry—and people can tell that passion is real. When I sit down to enjoy a great meal, I’m not acting for the camera. That’s who I am whether the camera is on or off.

My advice to anyone just starting out is to find something you’re truly passionate about and create content around that. Maybe it’s food. Maybe it’s fashion, makeup, hair, fitness, shoes, travel, or something completely different. Whatever it is, make sure it’s something you genuinely enjoy because your audience will be able to feel that authenticity.

Growth doesn’t happen overnight. There were plenty of videos that didn’t perform well when I started. But I stayed consistent, kept learning, kept improving, and eventually found my lane. If you’re willing to show up, be yourself, and stay committed to the process, your audience will find you.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/contentcreatorcharles?igsh=MXQzNDNzcHY5a2YzZg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1BNJLqGYwu/?mibextid=wwXIfr
• Other: TikTok:

  https://www.tiktok.com/@cwjiv?_r=1&_t=ZP-97EYY6GmeLf