What began as a side project to showcase her passion for food, Jody-Ann Williams’ Instagram page, wheresthefoodjo has grown to become a place where people can go to get recommendations for great restaurants they can visit in Jamaica.

Williams was born and raised in Ewarton, St Catherine and attended the St Andrew High School for Girls in the Corporate Area. She went on to study television production at the Northern Caribbean University in Mandeville where she learned the basics of media.

“I’ve been using a computer since I was a child and grew up around a lot of entertainers and music and that’s what made me want to study production,” said the blogger.

“I first began giving my opinion on music on Twitter in 2010 as ‘Msz Rockstar’ and won the Jamaica Blog Awards for best music and entertainment blog twice – 2010 and 2011,” she continued.

The idea to transition to a food blog occurred in 2016 while attending a live music event.

“My friend asked me ‘Where’s the food, Jo?’ and I just fell in love with the name,” revealed Williams.

Williams said that, since obtaining her degree, she has been working in media. She started out as a production assistant in 2013 and fell in love with and transitioned to social media management in 2015.

“I do social media management … day-by-day … and whatever time I have left, I’m doing something food related.”

Her advice for people interested in becoming social media personalities?

“It’s a big long-term commitment. Don’t wait for the right moment, start now with whatever tools you have, read books about photography, watch YouTube videos about your niche and be sure to practice and research social media tools like hashtags, jargon and SEO,” said Williams.

“When I started, all I had was an iPhone 5, just remember to invest in yourself as you go along. Photo backdrops are important, if you don’t have steady hands then a tripod is a must and invest in a good LED light because you won’t always have natural lighting,and be prepared to ask your friends to share your work to build traction and always promote yourself,” she continued.