Today we’d like to introduce you to Ember Byrd.
Hi Ember, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
After having my daughter in 2021 I started the Fort mill food blog which is an instagram account and website focusing on dining, small businesses, and community life in Fort mill, SC and the Carolina’s. Theres always so much going on in town and I wanted to be a source to keep people informed, and a source for marketing for local businesses. By including a wide variety of businesses we started meeting all different kinds of people and it’s been such a blessing. I moved here in 2018 from Michigan and fell in love with the community and the unique businesses that make it up and started sharing what I was eating and doing online. We quickly shifted our content from just food to all things local, and highlighting our life in Fort mill. Now in 2026 we are so blessed to have worked with hundreds of businesses of all varieties of content, events, and amazing opportunities all over the Carolina’s. 2026 has been our best year yet and we’re so excited for summer. We post daily and update our website weekly to keep things current.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Filming yourself in public and putting yourself out there online is definitely something that you have to get used to. Also learning not to say yes to everything, not every opportunity will align and that people aren’t always going to say yes. For every no there’s definitely a yes, but it’s important not to get discouraged and it can be hard to put yourself out there at first especially not knowing many people in town but i’ve learned that its just important to stay consistent and be authentic. The right opportunities and audience have come in Gods timing! I’m super proud of the work we have put in over the years. I have gotten over feeling awkward sometimes people look at you funny oh well. Sometimes people leave a rude comment, oh well I delete it. There are definitely people who are rude about things or don’t understand the point or power of social media, that’s okay! Nothing to worth having is easy but when you focus on Christ and trust His plan things like that don’t matter and you become more comfortable in what you’re doing.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My platform is a community spotlight that helps locals and people traveling here discover new restaurants, stay up-to-date on town events, and find exclusive promotions. I’m most proud of the relationships we have built in the community over the years and to be a source of local marketing that people trust, We have clients that we’ve worked with for years, some since they’ve opened. It’s really special to me! Social media is basically the main form of advertising these days. It’s important to me to be consistent with my community, to create bonds with the business owners and create content that not only is fun and creative but that brings business into the places. What sets me apart from others is I am just me, I am grateful for what I do, and most importantly I put God at the center of everything I do! I find all of my joy, love, everything good in my life comes from Jesus Christ and I truly believe people can feel that radiating through my interactions and content.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
I think that social media will continue to be a tool for marketing and advertisement, I also think the amount of creators will continue to increase as it has over the. I think and hope AI marketing content will be a trend that goes away quickly! I’ve noticed the trend of AI flyers, content, and even AI influencers, I think this is the worst thing a business can do and I hope people realize it sooner than later!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://fortmillfoodblog.my.canva.site/home
- Instagram: @fortmillfoodblog
