Meet Shae Nicole | Digital Content Creator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Shae Nicole and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shae, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I started developing an interest in a lot of the “food porn” worthy photos I saw online, and how they lured me into trying new restaurants, and even encouraged me to want to travel more just to try new foods. So even though I didn’t think of myself as a creative at the time, I started developing a passion for food photography, grew my skill, & built a community/ network.

Essentially I wanted a way to grow creatively, take amazing pictures, and document my foodie journey & eventually travel, so I could inspire others to explore new cuisines and destinations – while connecting with a like minded community.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m a content creator that’s aspiring to get on the road and travel, but as of right now I’m local to Atlanta. I create digital visual short form content for restaurants showcasing their food, menu, decor, ambiance, vibes, etc. to help bring awareness and drive traffic to their business.

Creativity is something I’ve always struggled with. So once content creation turned from just photography in Covid (when I started), to videos, reels, and TikToks I welcomed the opportunity to learn new skills, & find ways to grow my creativity skillset so I could find my individual vibe & niche. It wasn’t always easy because when picking up a new skill that wasnt a strong suite of mine to begin with, I was always second guessing myself and comparing myself to others. But I kept finding new camera angles & editing features to learn, & new ways to make my videos a little more engaging. & now just knowing that there’s people that rock with my content and think that some of it is dope is a personal triumph to me, because there were days that I always doubted that. & now I love that I can take my creativity & help provide a service to brand, business, or restaurant & help them grow – but also provide a service to my audience by helping them discover new places to eat when they’re in Atlanta.

In addition to all the support I get on & offline, I think one of the things I’m most proud of is a major food chain brand reaching out to me from a picture I took & tagged them in in 2021. They asked if they could, & posted it on their International & domestic channels media pages. It was a photo I took in the very beginning of my food blogging journey, & I took the photo while trying to figure out correct lighting on a new ring light that I just purchased. I just posted the picture, just to post it – It didn’t go viral or anything, barely 300 likes. But the restaurant chain reached out to me & I was ecstatic. Thats when I knew, this was something I could really do this.

One of the major life lessons I’m still learning along the way is the importance of work/life balance, & knowing when to take a break when necessary. I’m a full time employee and content creator, & that life is not for the weak. So having a routine, learning to time-blocking for editing, & knowing when to put the phone down and taking a digital fast is important so I dont feel overwhelmed and overworked.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
*Try to fly in on a professional game week, attend an AUTL at Mercedes Benz Stadium or a Hawks game at State Farm & stay at the Signia by Hilton Atlanta
“Have a tourist day downtown, & go to the Aquarium, Coca Cola Museum, take pictures in Centennial Olympic park, Atlanta Botanical Garden, Zoo Atlanta, & get on the Skyview
* Do a quiet experience like create your own body butter at The Skintimacy Bar, make your own Candle or Perfume at Lit by LeCreme, Drink & Ink (@official_drinkandink), or create your own custom Tufted Rug (@tuftrugsatl) – then do Taco Tuesday at Frida’s Bar & Grill in Fayetteville… But Nuevo Laredo Cantina also has amazing Mexican food.
* Get a Slingshot Rental to tour the city, then have Arcade night at Your 3rd Spot
* Pedicure at Nails & Toes Buckhead for an ‘Atlanta’ experience (with a hookah & glass of wine) & then do Thursday night R&B Bingo at Elite Hookah Lounge (to see if you win a bottle of Bel-Air or Julio)
* Shopping at Phipps & Date Night (or Girls night out) at Tulum or Tiki Thai, or visit the new Lego themed Hookah Bar Adana in Marietta
* Friday Night at the High Museum of Art – then visit the new Harold Chicken on Panola Rd. w/ grown & sexy vibes
* HopNGo Tours, then light Saturday shopping & lunch at Ponce & then walking along the Beltline
* Brunch Hop on Sundays – Octopus Kitchen, Toast on Lenox, Crescent City, Marcus Bar & Grille, & Auburn Angel are all some amazing brunches

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Shauntay of The Glam Kitchen – @theglamkitchen on IG, TikTok, & YouTube.
I should probably let her know more, but she’s always a huge inspiration to me. Since we met years ago, I’ve admired the determination, & drive she has of turning her passion of cooking into a success with her blog and social media platforms, long before I got swept up in what content creation was. & whether its consistently engaging on my posts, or hyping me up & encouraging me here & there, I’ve always appreciated her support of me – because I really don’t get that often from others in the community.

& my Dad, cause that man prays over me to no end. So I know that whatever obstacles I face – I’m gonna be covered, no matter what.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foodie.bae.shae/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Foodie.Bae.Shae