Life & Work with Joy Caracciolo

Today we’d like to introduce you to Joy Caracciolo.

Joy, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’ve always been a foodie, but I didn’t start documenting my food and drink adventures until June 2020, during the pandemic. At the time, I’d been reading news articles and reports of many Black-owned businesses struggling to stay afloat as COVID safety protocols were being enforced, and it broke my heart. As I began consciously trying out new food spots and ordering take-out at more local, Black-owned restaurants in the Raleigh-Durham area, I decided to make a separate Instagram dedicated to sharing my food pictures and experiences.

Not even a few weeks after creating my page and posting consistently, I began getting engagement and follows from other local foodies, content creators, and food bloggers that enjoyed my food content. I had no idea that North Carolina had such a vibrant food scene and following other bloggers opened the door to so many different food spots, bars, coffee shops, and things to do in the area.

In the past two years, I’ve grown quite a bit, expanding my platform to TikTok and my own website. It’s been super rewarding to see people value my food recommendations and hear that businesses are gaining new customers that found them from my posts.

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Food blogging comes with its own unique set of challenges. As a single mother that works full-time (and seasonally part-time), being present at every food event and soft restaurant opening is hard. I do end up having to miss some events and reschedule visits due to a scheduling conflict or simply not having anybody to watch my son. I’ve gotten some major FOMO (fear of missing out) from other food bloggers’ posts at events that I couldn’t attend, but there will always be other opportunities.

I’ve also learned to turn down partnerships that don’t align with my platform. Authenticity is very important to me, so I’m intentional about the opportunities I accept. I want my content to be honest and helpful to my followers, so I only post about the food experiences I’ve enjoyed. People always ask me why I don’t post negative reviews, and my answer is always the same — my focus is on highlighting the businesses that I like, not shading the ones that I don’t.

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?
Professionally, I work in public relations for a global technology company, and I also teach public speaking as an adjunct instructor at Durham Technical Community College. Food blogging is more of a hobby and a passion project that makes me happy. Though I’m based in the Raleigh-Durham area, my platform is Joy Eats World because I love all types of food from various cultures around the world.

Based on the comments and direct messages concerning my food content, I think I’m known for keeping it real. I like to use my Master’s degree in strategic communications in my captions and video voiceovers to create creative and funny that my follower will find helpful. There are a plethora of foodies, influencers, and content creators posting about the same places, which means originality is key. Part of the fun in food blogging is getting good pictures and video clips that will help you tell an interesting story.

I’ve had a lot of proud moments throughout my foodie journey, ranging from making new friends to being complimented on my TikTok content. Still, my proudest moments come from the thank you messages that are sent to me from small business owners. Getting feedback from business owners that they’ve gotten a bunch of new customers following a post from my page gives me goosebumps because that was my vision for Joy Eats World.

So maybe we end by discussing what matters most to you and why?
I am passionate about diversifying my food experiences and networks so that I’m using my platform in a way that is inclusive of various cultures. The Triangle area has so many unique small businesses and food spots that people don’t know about because they aren’t popular chains or located in a well-known shopping center. Highlighting Black-owned and minority-owned businesses and helping to spread the word about their excellent food/service will always be a priority for me.

Black entrepreneurs and business owners face additional challenges that their white counterparts don’t have to, like being denied funding from banks and dealing with baseless complaints from neighboring businesses and residents simply because the race of their customers makes them uncomfortable. Underrepresented groups tend to have unequal access to resources that can help them succeed, so I try to be intentional about spending money with local minority-owned businesses and encouraging others to do the same.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://joyeatsworld.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joyeatsworld22/?hl=en

Image Credits
Personal photo is taken at La Santa modern Mexican First photo- Cheeni Raleigh and the man in the photo is Andy McIntosh Second photo- Two Rooster Third photo- Tupelo Honey Fourth photo- Golden Krust (capital blvd)