20 (More) Columbus Instagrammers You Should Be Following

20 best columbus instagram instagrammers

A few months ago, I shared a post featuring the 20 Columbus Instagrammers You Should Be Following. If you know anything about Columbus, it should come as no surprise that what followed was a stream of suggestions about who should have been included on the list. (We've got no shortage of creative talent + local love.) In other words, there's too much goodness for just one list. So this is list #2.

Anyone can take a photo, but not everyone is a visual storyteller. Much like the first group of instagrammers, the 20 people you'll meet below have a passion and a gift for consistently telling the story of Columbus (and Ohio) through the beautiful, thoughtful images they snap and share.

WLL

Lauren Blake // @wholelivinglauren There was  time I regarded "whole living" as nibbling on nuts and leafy greens like some sort of giant rabbit. Lauren's endless feed of "whole livinspiration" has proven me wrong. Very, very wrong. 

cbuscoffee

Columbus Coffee Experience // @cbuscoffeeWho needs to wake up and smell the coffee when you can wake up, tap into Instagram and scroll the coffee?

cheer up press

Cheer Up Letterpress & Design // @cheeruppressFACT: Real mail makes people happy. This feed is a constant street of paper porn (of the SFW variety) that lives up to the promise of its cheer-inducing name.

mission coffee

Mission Coffee Co. // @missioncoffeeco I have an inexplicable aversion to hot liquids, which prevents me from being a coffee drinker. But if I were, this is where I'd be sipping my days away, one beautiful, perfectly-lit, topped-with-a-foamy-work-of-art cup at a time.

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DeliciOhio // @deliciohio You know that unspoken Thanksgiving rule in which an entire nation agrees to embrace the imminent binge and gorge...because FOOD? DelicOhio puts the "feed" in "instagram feed."  Enjoy a Columbus-inspired visual gorge...with none of the calories and zero need to don your favorite fat pants.

farm fresh therapy

Chelsea Mohrman // @farmfreshtherapyIf I were inviting one Instagrammer to come decorate my home for me, it would be Chelsea of @farmfreshtherapy. One part simple beauty, one part unexpected delight, all parts crazy beautiful. Chelsea creates a world filled with marvels (both manmade and natural) that make you feel like you've just stepped into a magical storybook ...or the coolest store ever. 

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Taylor Riggs // @simplytaylorblogWhen the former @cravebytaylor fell off my Instagram feed, I was sad. When she reappeared as @simplytaylorblog, I was delighted. Taylor's photos will leave you with a serious case of breakfast envy...and a major side of puppy snuggles. I can't imagine a better combination than that. 

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Live Columbus // @livecolumbus Think of @LiveColumbus as a community within the community. Someone new has been taking over this account daily since October 31, 2014, which makes each new day kind of like turning the page in the story of Columbus and what life here means to the people who call this region home. 

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Amy Taylor // @ohiogood OhioGood is a celebration of all things Ohio -- with an emphasis on life in and around Columbus. From farmers markets to rural farms, the Short North to shortcake, if it's good and hails from Ohio...you'll find it here. 

rockswithsass

Amanda Heslinga // @rockswithsass I have come to think of Amanda as Columbus' true "rock star." With beautiful work like this, it's not hard to see why. 

ohioexplored

Ohio Explored // @ohioexplored Fly over state, eh? Your argument is invalid. And this is the Instagram account that's gonna prove you wrong.

columbus nutrition co

Sarah Crock // @columbusnutritionco Forget what you think you know about boring ol' health food. Sarah's feed is photo proof that healthy eating can be wonderful tasty...and profoundly beautiful. 

1820 house

1820 House Candle Co. // @1820house With a scent offering that includes tomato vine, roasted coffee bean and French baguette, these candles should be at the top of every localvores Columbus holiday giving list.  

porketta

Por'ketta // @porkettacbus Sorry vegetarians, you're missing out. Not only does this local food truck produce some drool-worthy culinary creations, they're hugely active on Instagram and big supporters of other Columbus instagrammers.

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Derrick Linn // @marsder Meet Columbus' tiniest residents. They're always up to something (and half teh time, it's a fairly sassy something...) 

tizara

Tina // @tizara Tina's photos stop time for a single, precious, awe-inspiring frame, creating a feed that proves there's a world of difference between seeing and savoring our moments.  

400 west rich market

400 Market // @400market Arguably the hippest farmer's market in the most up-and-coming hood in Columbus, 400 Market has shared a season of sneak peeks behinds the scenes at Franklinton's local gem.

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Megan Hogan // @_mgnhgn There are creative people...and then there are creative people. You know, the kind of people who seem to leave a trail of color and wonder and glitter and inspiration in their wake wherever they go. Megan is the latter. Bonus? Her spirit and endlessly positive message are just as beautiful as her art. 

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Best of the Menu // @bestofthemenu Not sure what you're in the mood for? Tired of the same old places? Feeling a rising swell of hanger? Never fear. Your taste buds have just met their match. 

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Amy Taylor, @amyabtaylor Shameless self promotion! Hi. I'm Amy, the human behind WriteHuman.com. (I'm also the human behind @OhioGood.) You can follow me on Instagram @ohiogood + @amyabtaylor. Have someone you'd like to nominate as a Columbus Instagrammer to follow? Leave their IG handle in a comment below or email me. 

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Who would you add to the list?

8 Badass Columbus Female Founders You Should Know

Columbus has been named the seventh best city in the country for female founders, a top 10 city for small business and the best city for working mothers. Whatever you call it, there's no denying that we have some mighty talented, badass, creative female founders in our midst -- and they're not only doing great business, they're doing great things for the Columbus community.

If you haven't met these ladies, you should. If you don't know them by name yet, you will.

Allie Lehman, Death to the Stock Photo Something about Allie Lehman's photography makes me feel like we're all living in an eternal state of autumnal bliss on a never-ending Saturday morning. She has such a gift for capturing the subtle, intimate, meaningful moments of daily living most people miss by rushing through life. Not only is Allie a super-talented photog, she's also an author, an entrepreneur and the founder of Death to the Stock Photo, a movement that is changing the way the world views stock photography.

Lisa LaMantia, Willow & Wren Color Free of toluene, dibutyl phthalate, formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin and camphor (aka: the really bad stuff) Willow & Wren is doing nail color in a newer, better way. Alongside classics like Sticks + Stones (a creamy, vampy red) and the perfectly peachy Fizzy Pop (a personal fav), you'll discover an ever-evolving palette of now-inspired shades that rotate and retire with the changing of seasons and trends. From All That Glitters (a gorgeous, glittering rose gold) to Maine Attraction (a vibrant, emerald green that will make you want to get in the car and hit the road), W&W offers a signature color for every style and taste. The passion project of Lisa LaMantia, a local City Planner (and good friend), Willow & Wren has become a permanent fixture on my toe tips and my go-to gift for lady friends. 

Allison Chapman, Igloo Letterpress If you've never had the opportunity to lay your hands on a letterpress, drop what you're doing and head to Worthington. Look for Igloo Letterpress situated squarely at the intersection of history, wordology and design (39 West New England Avenue). Allison has brought a magical thing to the central Ohio community, and invites visitors to put down their technology and take a step back in time by creating something beautiful and meaningful with their hands. 

Heather Whaling, Geben Communication Thought leader. Crisis averter. World changer. Do gooder. Of all the things I could call Heather Whaling, I'm most thankful to call her my friend. As Founder and President of Geben Communication, a German Village-based boutique public relations firm, Heather leads a savvy PR team that is kicking ass and taking names on a daily basis. (And moving the needle in a big way for their clients in the process.) With a guiding mantra of "Doing well by doing good," you'll find Heather giving of her time and talent as a tireless philanthropist, mentor to many and friend to the community.

Danielle Evans, Marmalade Bleue As I mentioned in a recent post, when it comes to my list of likes, food and typography rank near the top. So it should come as no surprise I’ve got a serious creative crush on the woman who brings both of these things together to create magical, storybook-worthy works of art. If your brand is a foodie brand, drop what you’re doing and call Danielle. If your brand isn’t a foodie brand, after you see her work…you’re gonna wish it was.

 

Mollie + Kelly Fankhauser, Kittie's Cakes There are cakes...and then there are Kittie's Cakes. It's easy to tell the difference. Kittie's Cakes are the kind of thing that compel a person to get out of bed, put on real pants and drive across town on a Saturday morning because you know the rest of the city is going to see today's Instagram and race to German Village to buy up whatever is left. (Not that I would know anything about that.) When it comes to these former-golfers-turned-bakers, it would be easy to love Mollie and Kelly based solely on their product, but the love doesn't stop there. This duo somehow manages to run an awesome business, support several community initiatives and rule the Instagram world on behalf of both Kittie's and their golden child, Linus. Living proof that you really can have your cake and eat it too...and have a meaningful impact on the world in the process.

Jeni Britton Bauer, Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams No list of Columbus female founders would be complete without mention of our Patron Saintess of Creativity, Jeni Britton Bauer. What can be said about Jeni that hasn't been said before? (Probably not a lot, given that her name yields over 91,000 hits on Google.) As she suggests in her book, anyone can make great ice cream. Inspiring an entire city to fall deeply in love with a better way of doing things, however, takes a special person, a tireless spirit and a true passion. For those of us who live in Columbus, we've bought into Jeni's story and better way with each scoop and spoonful. Jeni's isn't just a story about great ice cream; it's the story of the spirit of our community -- innovative, creative, passionate, fun and relentlessly focused on doing, not just being, good.

 

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AUTHOR /// Amy Taylor is a Columbus, Ohio-based Marketing Strategist + Copywriter. Learn more about her at WriteHuman.com or follow her on Twitter @NoMeatballs.

Meet a Community Manager Monday: Betsy Decillis

Welcome back to Meet a Community Manager Monday! A few weeks ago we kicked off what a recurring series of interviews with community, social and interactive marketing managers from various fields. 

Today I have the pleasure of introducing Betsy Decillis, a fellow Columbus gal. I can't quite recall when or where Betsy and I met, but over the past several years our careers have taken unexpected and wonderful turns, and a friendhip has blossomed along the way. These days she's heading up her company, BAD Consulting, taking the occasional break to Facebook pictures of her beloved cat Cesare. 

Enjoy the read! 

Who are you? I'm a cat-obsessed, Yankees-loving dork. I'd say geek, but my inability to make at least one of my tech devices work on a daily basis speaks to me being more dork than geek.

What do you do? I own my own business (Betsy A. Decillis Consulting, aka BAD Consulting). I was told to come up with a title, so I started calling myself the Chief Content Officer.

Where do you do it? My couch, Panera, Starbucks, random offices, etc. The world is my office. My favorite is Panera, because I become totally focused on writing. Plus, there is always someone sitting near my "desk" that is unintentionally feeding me material. Being anti-social as a rule, it's necessary that I get out to listen to how other people talk.

What has been your most memorable moment as a community manager? I was about to fly out to Austin for the weekend. I'd only been working with my business's first client for about a month, and we were seeing some great results but nothing spectacular. The client took this photo of a "Last Call", which happens at a firefighter's funeral. It was two firetrucks with ladders up, each holding the end of a flag. The sky was the perfect shade of blue and the flag was flapping in the wind. I posted it with a quickie caption thought of on the spot and got on the plane. It was risky and not something I normally would do, but I knew the client was watching. I touched down in Dallas to her text messages freaking out about how the picture blew up. I can't really describe it, but it was part validation of my skills and part of reminding me of how much I love social and working with clients. I have amazing clients that know how to collaborate to make this stuff fun.

What was the hardest thing you have had to handle as a community manager? I was personally attacked on a client's Facebook page. Someone found out who I was and went to town on me and my client for using my services. My boyfriend calls me naive, and there's a bit of truth to that. I never see attacks coming, and to have it happen so openly made me crumple a bit. I want to believe everyone is deep down a nice person, and I hate to be proven wrong on that fact. It took awhile before I could open that client's pages without trepidation.

In your opinion, what is the biggest misconception about community management? That you actually manage anything. It's best to take your cues from the audience. Get down and play with them. That's when the magic happens.

What are the top 3 personality traits a good community manager needs to have? Good listener, storyteller and fun. Nobody wants to follow a boring person.

What are the top 3 skills a good community manager brings to the table? Being able to hold a lot of information in their heads, love of learning new things and being able to teach.

What has community management taught you about people in general? That most people are good. It's hard, because we do have to put way too much energy into trolls. I always focus on the why of a troll, when there is usually no why. Putting more of my energy into the good always results in people being nice and supportive. Funny enough, that helps when those trolls pop up.

What do you know now that you wish you had known when you first got into community management? That it's okay to relinquish control. I want to take care of my audience at all times. But sometimes they need to take care of me and lead me to where we need to go. Whenever I need to be inspired, I simply ask why they love my client. I learn a lot from that. If I had known that at first, it would have helped a lot in the content creation.

Community Management is …the most all-encompassing job there is. You never know what you'll have to do or who you will have to talk to, and it requires that you have as broad a knowledge as possible.

Community Management is not …managing a community. If you try to do what the name implies, they are going to bite you. Let them lead.

In your opinion, what brands (besides your own, of course) are doing social really well? I love Visit Savannah and Travel Oregon. Both organizations are filled with nice, fun people, and their social reflects that. And with all the awesome pictures they post, I'm dying to get to both locations. Mission accomplished.

What are three tools that make your job easier? (Yes. I want you to share your secret weapons.) Buffer, Instagram and Facebook Groups. The last two aren't technically tools, but they are so useful. I use a hashtag to source content via Instagram that can be used on multiple networks. Facebook Groups are great for when you need a mental health break or advice. And Buffer helps me effectively feed the beast that is Twitter.

What one thing would you like to tell the world about community management? I don't just play on the Twitters all day, like my boyfriend likes to tell people. And it's actually the most demanding job I've ever had. That says a lot, since I used to work on political campaigns.

What is the biggest change you have seen in community management over the course of your career? People are getting smarter. That's both the companies dipping their toes in and the audience. Overall, companies are getting better, which makes everyone have to up their game. And audiences are getting better at seeing through crap, which, once again, makes everyone have to up their game. There is a much larger learning curve than when I started playing in this world.

Current clients aside, what is one community you would love to work with and why? I can't pick between these two, so feel free to get mad at me for putting two: the Pope and the Yankees. I think a lot of people think I'm kidding when I say that I want to tweet for the Pope, but I badly do. I think there is so much the Church can do to become relevant in the world of social and reach out to the younger parishioners. And there are a lot of misconceptions about being Catholic that can easily be cleared up by being active and engaging. With Pope Francis, I foresee that we will see a huge change in their use of social. The tweets from the @pontifex account show a lot of promise. It still needs to talk with the people, and I'd love to see what would happen if it went there. Also, Pope Francis told young people to dream big, so I'm totally following his advice here.

The Yankees have been a long time love of mine. I have two nephews that grew up as ballplayers (one is about to coach the other this summer!). I would have this job exactly one day, because I would totally only talk about one part of the game: How hot these guys look in pinstripes. I feel like that would get a ton of engagement and make a lot more people interested in what the Yankee accounts have to say.

If you could only have one social network, which one would it be? Facebook. Say what you will, it's still very useful. Facebook fans are more likely to tell me stories and Facebook Groups have saved me on more than one occasion.

What is your favorite part about your job? I love teaching. Watching the light go on in someone's eyes as they get something is just amazing. This is why when I write blog posts, it will tend to be towards the 101-200 audience. They need us the most, and they are the most grateful.

As a CM/SM, there is an expectation that you be constantly plugged in. How do you find work/life balance? For me as a solo business owner, yes. That is also a personality defect though. I've balanced it out with date nights with friends and the boyfriend where I'm not allowed to check client stuff. I just recently took a vacation that was made possible by my iPad. I could spend time with my family, but I could regularly post and/or check on posts. I literally watched my nephew make a key play in a ballgame while keeping watch on a post. I also try to make work as fun as possible. Working from home, I have a cat that requires play and attention. Best office environment for me, since he pulls me out of working 24/7. When on the road for a client, it's always a blast. Since I have a focus on tourism, my job is literally to have fun and then write about it. So the industry I have chosen is probably the biggest factor in maintaining that balance.

What one piece of advice would you give a young person who aspires to work in SM? Be helpful to the people and brands that interest you. Find the small to mid-level brands you want to work for and engage on their social (within reason). For every account I work on, I can easily list the top 5 engagers and/or content producers. I count on this core group of people for a variety of reasons. Should I ever decide to hire and one of their names happened to be in there, I would take notice. Don't expect it to happen overnight. It takes a long time to become a part of this core group on these accounts. So start the process long before you are even thinking of needing a job or an internship.

How do you spark conversations with your community? What kinds of things work? What have you found not to work? FOOD! People are hungry at certain times of the day. It's amazing what happens when you post a nice glossy picture of something yummy at those times. Also, historical photos. People love to tell their stories about these pictures.

If you had to distil all your CM/SM wisdom down into one guiding principle, what would it be? I used to work at Target, and they have a guiding principle for their employees that speaks true for social: Be fast, fun and friendly.

3 industry blogs you read regularly? Spin Sucks and anywhere that Lisa Barone or Amber Naslund write.

3 must-follow Tweeters

@KatieCook (If you make friends with her, I'm pretty sure she'd help you bury a dead body. She's that nice.) @prTini (The most supportive person I know.) @Shonali (HOLY SMART! She always replies back, and she obviously loves to teach. I've learned way too much from her. I could never repay her for all of the help she's given me. Same goes for @prTini.)

What do you do for fun? I run, dance like a fool in my kitchen, read, play with my cat, giggle with my boyfriend, watch Yankee games and drink wine.

A shout out to your favorite non-profit? Cat Welfare Association (I love how the cats are free to roam around the shelter) and Colony Cats (where I got my cat, Cesare.)

When you were little what did you think you were going to be when you grew up? A ballerina and Governor of New York. I was in love with Mario Cuomo and thought it would be a better job than president. Yes, these really were the thoughts of a 7 year old.

An Open Letter to All of You Good People of Earth

Thousands of shares, hundreds of emails, a handful of media opportunities, two weeks and one tweet from Rosie later, I find myself right back where I started, trying to decide how to follow up that letter.

Going viral was unexpected to say the least. When I clicked "publish" on the post, I had every intention of turning in for the night and carrying on with my evening (and life) as usual. Needless to say, that's not exactly how things panned out.

Many people have reached out in the wake of the story wanting to know how things turned out. Did Mike Jeffries respond? Was I going to participate in the Abercrombie protest? Had Ellen reached out yet? (A note to the curious: No. No. And no.)

But here is what did happen...

I received a flood of comments and emails from people of all sizes, shapes, ages, races, sexual orientations and walks of life, sharing their personal stories of bullying, body image and personal struggle.

While the vast majority of the comments were positive (a category into which I also lump comments from those who respectfully and constructively expressed their disagreement with my viewpoint in the letter), there will always be that small handful of people who chime in with hateful negativity no matter what the topic. In this instance, I think those responses served as shining examples of why this conversation is so necessary and important. At the core, the letter was never really about Abercrombie or Mike Jeffries. It was about the impact intolerance has on the world and on the individual. There is no hierarchy of hate. No form of hatred is more or less acceptable than another. Intolerance is unacceptable. Plain and simple. 

Many people have asked me when I knew this letter was "really something." While hearing from Rosie was surreal, the morning I opened my email to discover this letter from a teacher in Georgia was the moment the magnitude of everything really hit me:

"I would like to request permission to reprint Amy Taylor's article, "An Open Letter from a 'Fat Chick' to Mike Jeffries, CEO of Abercrombie and Fitch" for each student in 6th grade at [XXX] Middle School in [XXX}, Georgia.

The Language Arts Department would like to use this piece in a unit on bullying/fitting in during the 2013-14 school year, and students would need their own copy in order to annotate for understanding as they read. I appreciate your considering this request and look forward to hearing back from you."

As a writer, the greatest reward of all is discovering that your words have resonated with someone, inspiring them to take positive action. It has been remarkably humbling to hear how a single letter has empowered so many parents and teachers to start a dialog with their kids about the things they’re struggling through and dealing with on a daily basis.

Despite what some people perceived, the letter didn’t come from a place of anger. It came from the memory of everyone who has played a part in who and where I am today. Throughout my life I have known so many wonderful people who have been bullied and judged for everything from their sexual orientation to the way they speak, the neighborhood they grew up in to the color of their skin. The message of the letter belongs to all of us, I’m just the one who put it to paper.

As a marketer by trade, I’m acutely aware that every brand has a target demographic and a marketing strategy. Some verbalize it, some don’t. I respect the right of every American to speak their mind, whether I agree with it or not. Mike Jeffries’ alleged comments were simply an opening in the conversation that allowed me to share my story. The message I hope people end up taking away from all of this has nothing to do with t-shirts or jeans. We are all works in progress. We have all overcome something in our lives. We all have a story to tell. Chances are, someone out there needs to hear yours.

As for the future, who can say. In the wise words of my dear friend Josh Cox, "A hundred years from now, I’d rather be lost in the crowd of a revolution that started when everyone banded together as one to take our minds and bodies and lives back. If I do what I believe in the way I want to do it, I’ll be lost in a tidal wave of great people doing great things who never would have done those great things if they didn’t realize how great they were as people."

My sincerest thanks to every person who has reached out, left a comment or shared the post. You've given me a front row seat to the best side of humanity. For that, I will be forever grateful.

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Like this? Check out Amy's passion project, Good People of Earth