We were lucky to catch up with Shelby Sorrel recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Shelby, thanks for joining us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

When I first started taking photos around the beautiful city I call home, Austin, Texas, I was just a college student that bribed her friends to let the camera eat first. I had a passion for food and people that I wanted to cultivate through photography, so I spent every second I could standing on chairs for the gram and adventuring around Austin taking photos of the things and people that I love. That passion sprouted into a colorful Instagram account that has been my full time job for four years now, and I couldn’t be more grateful.

Shelby, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I have developed my brand around Austin’s thriving and ever-changing culinary scene. When I’m not running my personal instagram, I am an accomplished Social Media Strategist who has managed some of Austin’s top culinary and retail institutions. I create paid social strategy for all clients for engagement, web traffic, and lead generation and have fostered record reach and engagement on all clients I have directly managed. I also flourish when creating content for local businesses in town to build their social presence.

How did you build your audience on social media?

My biggest encouragement for those who are just starting to build their social media presence would be to stay authentic to who you are as a person and never waver even once on what you believe. Create and post content that you love and can truly get behind and you will be fruitful. Authenticity thrives online – folks are not only looking for an escape via the internet, but are truly looking for people and brands who are relatable and stand for something. If you can lean into that, you will be successful at social media.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My main goal through my social media account it to support small businesses and to help cultivate joyful experiences. We have so many incredible restaurants in town and my hope is that people branch out and try all of the phenomenal food that Austin has to offer while supporting local. Nothing makes me happier than when someone loves a restaurant I recommend or has an enjoyable experience for a celebration at a local event in town. I, so badly, want everyone to experience the beauty of Austin – it is the best city with the best people and I truly hope everyone sees that through my account.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.shelbysorrel.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/shelbysorrel
• Facebook: www.instagram.com/shelbysorrel
• Twitter: www.instagram.com/shelbysorrel