The Traveling Foodie Guyde Builds Substantial Instagram Following Through Culinary Adventures
Writer / Renee Larr
Photography Provided
Transforming your passion into a profitable career is the ultimate aspiration for many individuals. One such inspiring example is Markiss Stone, aka the Traveling Foodie Guyde. Stone ingeniously combined his love for travel and food to create a lucrative business venture.
“I was traveling quite a bit all around the world for fun, and I noticed when I was going out to eat on these nice vacations, I was still ordering the types of food I would here in the United States,” Stone says. “I thought to myself, ‘I have to stop doing this. I must get out of my comfort zone and start trying new things.’”
Stone returned home with a mission – to indulge in the country’s finest delicacies and document his gastronomic journey. He knew he was sure to amass a large following with his captivating personality.
“I was hoping to offset some of the cost of my travels by partnering with different restaurants,” Stone says. “I got home and immediately booked a trip to New York because I had never been there. After that, I did the same for Columbus, Ohio, and Louisville, Kentucky.”
However, unforeseen circumstances forced Stone to put his adventures on hold when a colleague fell ill, and he had to assume additional responsibilities at his day job. Determined to continue producing content, Stone decided to explore his own backyard for culinary gems. Despite never considering Indiana to have a vibrant food scene, he discovered numerous unique restaurants and delectable dishes within the state.
“I never really thought about Indiana as having an interesting food scene,” Stone says. “I started exploring more places throughout the state and finding out we have many unique restaurants and food right here.”
Deservedly so, Bargersville was on his radar. Stone has profiled Our Table American Bistro, The Up Cellar and Coffeehouse 5, as well as Revery in Greenwood and Main & Madison in Franklin.
Drawing on his education in radio and television communications, Stone utilized his self-taught photography skills to capture the essence of each local haunt he visited. While he initially relied on a DSLR camera, he recognized the increasing capabilities of smartphones to create stunning visuals.
“Now we’ve evolved that our phones have such great cameras,” Stone says. “If you know what you’re doing with lighting, framing and composition, you can create some great photos and videos.”
To maximize his online presence, Stone delved into the intricacies of Instagram’s algorithm, posting content frequently and engaging with his followers regularly. Balancing his full-time job, Stone dedicated his days off to exploring four to six restaurants every week.
Stone’s infectious enthusiasm for food, evident in his larger-than-life facial expressions, shines through in his content. Whether flawlessly executing a cheese pull or savoring a juicy burger, he seeks out exceptional pizza pies, tempting libations at breweries and wineries, and unique experiences at trendy attractions. Within a few short years, the Traveling Foodie Guyde has
accumulated an impressive 84,000-plus followers.
“I kept making goals for myself and exceeding them rather quickly,” Stone says. “It’s sort of a shoot for the moon and land among the stars. I love establishing a great relationship with my audience. I love talking to people in the comment sections or seeing them in Target when I’m out. The relationship I’ve established in the community is more important than the amount of followers.”
Nonetheless, Stone admits it would be a dream come true if his content creation could fully fund his future travels. Follow him on Instagram @travelingfoodieguyde.
