People who introduce us to our new favorite foods are the real MVPs! You’re about to meet the ultimate food plug who makes it easy to find the restaurants who cook up dishes that make our hearts sing—and our Instagrams bling (seriously, they have a guide called “How to Take Food Photos That Will Make Your Friends Want to Lick the Screen“).
Meet Terence Latimer and Food Tribe.
Food Tribe is a marketing platform that connects food brands to their biggest fans. It’s clear that even though Food Tribe has a focus on content creation, digital marketing, and influence marketing, uniting people through food is the top priority. Check out The Food Tribe Manifesto:
We believe food is the key to transformation.
In a world of unfairness, creating new interactions is our priority.
We are an ecosystem, designed to build and feed communities.
We believe positive impact happens through uniting.
We are a tribe. We are a collective. We are conscious.
We don’t just eat: we celebrate. You and I equals us.
We share joy.
We won’t stop until we find balance: a perfect cycle, full of abundance and sustainable for generations to come.
Fulfillment is only real when its for everyone.
Our 360 vision creates meaningful relationships, connecting good people to good food.
We invest now, to harvest tomorrow.
After all, we are hungry
Now that looks good enough to eat. Speaking of eat…
While we go find something to snack on, we’ll let you get acquainted the man who cooked up Food Tribe.
Terence Latimer, Founder of Food Tribe.
What is your side hustle?
I’m the Founder of Food Tribe, a 360° platform connecting local restaurants and food brands to their biggest fans. In addition to our marketing agency, we’re developing a new kind of review platform.
When did you get interested in this particular craft?
I started Food Tribe in 2015 as a pure side hustle while I was working full time as a sales executive for a digital ad network. At the time, I was blogging about my experiences eating in LA. I worked in restaurants throughout high school & college and have always had a passion for food and serving. When the time came to make the leap from side hustle to business owner (I got fired from my day job), I knew that it was time to combine my passions and skill set in order to create the type of company I could be proud of.
How did Food Tribe make its first dollar?
The first dollar Food Tribe ever made was during our crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo. Our #JoinTheTribe Foodies Feeding Foodies campaign raised 80% of our goal. Which was a sign of validation that the market had a need for our products and services.
At the time, did you feel “qualified” to start charging for Food Tribe?
No. Because we launched as a blog, we didn’t have any real product offerings. So we did what we did best – write blogs for people. Our team began reaching out to local restaurants, influencers, and industry professionals, and began telling their stories. The more stories we told, the better we got to know our clients. Once we knew our clients better, we began to understand what they were willing to pay for.
What made you take the leap?
Two things helped make the leap easier: I took a one day course with Adam “Smiley” Poswolsky regarding finding purpose in your work, and an entrepreneur friend of mine, Daniel Ordonez (founder of Boutique + Barbershop Saints) loaned me “Start Something that Matters,” by TOMS Shoes founder Blake Mycoskie. Reading that book and attending that class changed my life forever.
Where would you say you are in your business growth now (Hobby, side hustle, small business, large business)?
Food Tribe is scaling. We’ve got clients, we’ve got a solid team – now we’re looking for ways to scale our business + invest in our future growth. We’re a small business focused on transforming into a big business.
What stage would you like Food Tribe to get to and when?
I truly believe we’re a special kind of company – I don’t like the word “unicorn,” however I believe we’ve got the potential to get there. I’m not settling on anything less than bringing the first unicorn to South LA.
Looking back, would you do anything differently?
That’s a tough question – lessons learned can sometimes be painful. The thing about lessons is, we wouldn’t be where we are without them. I’m grateful for lessons that grown Food Tribe. What would I do differently? I would have had a better plan of action in place for Food Tribe’s crowdfunding campaign – we weren’t prepared for how successful the campaign was going to be, and ultimately weren’t able to keep our commitment to our fans.
If you could go back in time to the day before you made your first hustle dollar and tell yourself anything, what would it be?
Manage your time + your money. Value your people over everything.
What’s one song that keeps you motivated and why?
That’s a tough one! I’m west coast kid through and through. Plus, my mom works in the music industry, so I grew up around a lot of musicians. I’m going to cheat and give three:
- King Kunta by Kendrick Lamar – I love Kendrick for reminding me to be proud of my blackness. If I’m being honest, being black and working in startups is a little intimidating; you never know how you’re being perceived and you hope that doesn’t kill your chances. King Kunta reminds me to be proud of who I am.
- Let’s Stay Together by Al Green – I’m a lover at heart. Let’s Stay Together reminds me to love even when I don’t always feel like it.
- Electric Relaxation by A Tribe Called Quest – Growing up, my big brother was the coolest kid I knew, and he loved A Tribe Called Quest, which means that I loved A Tribe Called Quest. Phife Dog was a 5-foot giant, and Q-Tip was the coolest cat on the planet. Combine that with Ali Shaheed Muhammad and all of a sudden you had something dangerous. Electic Relaxation reminds me to kick back, relax, and enjoy the ride.
Huge thanks to Terence for sharing his story with us! You can learn more about Food Tribe here and follow Terence all over social media here: Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
