Check Out Armani Thao’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Armani Thao.

Hi Armani, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
The story of how and why I started my blog is truly a funny one. I met my now fiance, Nic, back in October 2015.

During our dinner dates and even before our time together, I’ve always gone the extra mile to get the best food shots on my cellphone. Whether it’s standing on chairs or using his cellphone flashlight to get the best shots, I’ll do it. A few months in he confronted me and asked what I was planning on doing with all of the photos and I told him that I didn’t have any plans with them.

He then continued to state that it was ’embarrassing’, but if I had a blog or if I had another purpose, he would be happy to support my endeavors. The then awkward conversation continued and I decided that evening that I would start an Instagram page long story short, here we are today.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
I can honestly say it’s been a smooth road for me. Only because this is a hobby of mine. It’s certainly A WHOLE LOT MORE than I ever anticipated or envisioned today, but this is fun for me. I enjoy every aspect of it; dining out, supporting local businesses, and being an expert on recommendations based on my experience.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My blog (Tiktok & Instagram) @ForkingWithArmani is officially an LLC. I offer marketing services for local restaurants, hotels, and more. From photography, content curation, videography, social media management, and more; I utilize my skills and expertise to support my clients in promoting their businesses.

What I’m most proud of: I’m most proud of the fact that my audience is 100% organic. In today’s industry, it’s very rare to come across pages that are ‘real’; especially with affordable bot services. I also believe that this is what sets me apart from others. I focus on the quality of my work and reaching a real audience which in turn, benefits my clients and the businesses that I support.

What sets me apart from others: On a less serious note, pulling my fiance into everything I do for the blog adds a personal, fun, and romantic element. Food, travel, and fashion are a part of our everyday lives, whether or not we realize it. Content creators have the option to share as much as they’d like and as a general rule of thumb for my page/s, I only post about positive experiences and personal milestones. That being said, my fiance makes me the happiest so it only makes sense to involve him in everything.

What I’m known for: Before Reels and TikTok were a thing, I was known for quality foodtography and witty food puns. Now I’ve “gotten with the times” and have been focusing a lot more on Reels/video content. However, food photography is still something I focus on improving every day. All of my content is 100% curated from my cellphone. Google Pixel 6 and iPhone 13 (Now 14).

What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
This is a tough question. It’s truly hard to predict where the industry will go in the next 5 – 10 years. What I do know certainly is that the restaurant and hospitality industry will continue to thrive, with fluctuations here and there.

As for the influencer and social media industry, I think they’re here to stay. What I do hope for is a stoppage to the bot services. I hope that’s in the future so that real talent and influencers with a true organic audience are able to be at the forefront, deservingly.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forkingwitharmani/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ForkingWithArmani/
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@forkingwitharmani