We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Shaun Hughes. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Shaun below.

Hi Shaun, thanks for joining us today. Let’s jump to the end – what do you want to be remembered for?

Food. What comes to mind? For me it’s community, survival, memories, and the future! Though an Instagram page dedicated to the trials and tribulations of an LGBTQIA+ 20-something living in Indianapolis may not change the world over night, it sure can make a change in this present place in time. My goal is first and foremost, community. As a member of a minority, it can be difficult to find supportive spaces in a sea of red and my goal is to foster an ecosystem of creativity and inclusivity not only in Indianapolis, but beyond. IndyFoodKing will remain for years to come. The memories, places, and partnerships will live digitally for decades and my goal is to simply share where people can hopefully feel a sense of safety like I can. Keep picking up the phone to ask your bestie to coffee or a glass of wine on a sunny day. Shoot…even for a movie night to wait out a snowstorm (just around the corner, Midwesterners ;)) Food will always serve as a medium for community. At the end of the day, it is a universal language. Flavor is power and always remember, #EatWellEatOften

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 back background and context?

IndyFoodKing is a digital platform on Instagram rooted in food, flavor, and community. Shaun specializes in bringing fantastic bites around Indianapolis, and beyond, to your feed. Colorful imagery, enticing video, and digital marketing consulting services are just a few of the ways you can get involved with IndyFoodKing. I specialize in helping food and beverage startups, scale ups, and industry leaders better understand their local consumers through the lens of an influencer who ALSO works in food and beverage marketing as a Marketing Director. My goal is to align what consumers crave digitally with your business goals to produce an evergreen strategy.

I started my consulting business 2.5 years ago between jobs as something to do. Satisfy the creative ‘itch’ one might say. Growing up in a tiny, three-stoplight town, food options were limited. Gosh, I can remember when we got a McDonalds! So, as I moved to the big ole’ city of Indianapolis, my tastebuds went wild. I created the Instagram page to remember the meals I would consume and people I would meet across the city while breaking bread. A few years go by and a couple thousand followers later, it has grown into a community of people who understand my mission and I understand there. I am forever grateful for the people I have met and optimistic for the future to meet those I have not.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

Networking events! Luckily, my career is rooted in the food and beverage industry so my passion for flavor has led me down a lovely path. I love the sense of community Indianapolis has and have found that people want to work with other locals sharing how awesome of a place this is to live. Working with similar minds, we make works of art together!

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Mental health will continue to something I struggle with. Being a content creator, it is often a struggle to maintain the sense of happiness and excitement that I have historically felt I have owed to my community. A year or so ago I debated pulling the plug on my whole project. All of the works and relationships. It felt…a lot to bear on ones shoulders. I have found that learning into my community and support group, being transparent, has allowed me to continue growing my business and community. We are not in this alone, and should not need to be, so lean on those around you during your valleys. Celebrate as a community in the peaks and shoot, even celebrate with your community in the valleys. Typically that is where the fun and change can happen!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/indyfoodking/?hl=en
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/indyfoodking

Image Credits

@instadurr on Instagram for the rainbow, king photo