Meet Chrys No I

Today we’d like to introduce you to Chrys No I.

Hi Chrys, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve always been a foodie. For years, I watched TV shows like “Top Chef,” “Master Chef,” various Guy Fieri shows on Food Network, and foodie YouTube channels like Mark Wiens and JL Jupiter.

I also always search for the best restaurants with 4.5 or more stars when dining out, and when I’d leave Yelp reviews, I ensure that they are thoughtful and informative.

Fast forward, one year ago, I considered being a food reviewer, but thought, “no one wants to see me eat or talk about food,” so I paused on the idea.

However, in September 2024, after learning about Iconic Foodie Keith Lee’s initial humble content creating setup, I thought, “you know what?! I’m gonna give it a shot and do this for 3 months, and I’ll stop if the content doesn’t resonate with viewers.”

So, I posted my first food review video on November 26, 2024. My first 8 or 9 videos did ok (averaging from 500-1,000 views), but my 10th video (which I posted on December 26, 2024) went viral.

My POV is to “try what people say are the BEST restaurants in LA.” So, if there’s a menu item that’s not to my liking, rather than simply saying “it’s trash – don’t go!!” I ensure that I give thoughtful and informative feedback, with constructive criticism — just like I did my Yelp reviews. Because at the end of the day, I don’t want to hurt these small businesses (or the feelings of the people behind them) — I want to uplift them, and offer feedback that they can implement to improve their dishes — all while still providing honest food reviews so that customers can feel informed when they spend their hard earned money to patronize these businesses.

Little did I know, my food review content would resonate with so many people so quickly. Viewers always tell me that they tried food that I recommended, and they agree with my reviews and analyses, and many restaurants have thanked me countless times for how my honest reviews have helped their business. So far, this journey has truly been a blessing.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The ride has not been smooth at all. There were times that I thought, “I should just stop,” or “no one is watching,” but those were after the first few videos with “lower views and likes.” Then I remembered— just post consistently for at least three months and go from there because success doesn’t happen overnight.

That said, I dove into the content performance analytics and strategized and improved my content to make it resonate with viewers.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I started my sales and marketing career doing door-to-door sales for Verizon FiOS in Philadelphia, PA. That’s where I developed my skill set to confidently articulate the value of a product to prospective customers in a consultative way, while being 100% honest.

My naturally indifferent, or, “If it works for you – perfect, but if not – no worries” approach enabled me to be myself in the field, and those happy customers instantly felt that, so they trusted me, and even referred me to their family and friends.

After a few more sales roles in Philly, my wife and I moved to Los Angeles in August 2020 as entrepreneurs, where I would develop brand partnerships with brands and companies, while working with major record labels as an A&R Consultant. I later started working at BET/Paramount in 2021, where I managed partnerships and partner marketing campaigns for BET+. In this role, I frequently collaborated with internal teams (like the digital creative team that made artwork for partner marketing campaigns I led), and streaming partners like Amazon Prime Video, Apple, Google, Roku, Samsung, SlingTV, and more, where my impactful work contributed to increasing BET+’s subscribers and revenue. I later decided to leave Paramount in August 2023 to focus on my businesses.

Afterwards, a few startups recruited me to develop, manage, and oversee strategic partnerships — from collaborating with global brands like Greystar to Mars/M&Ms, but ultimately, I knew that I’d feel more fulfilled in life if I focused 100% of my time on my own business endeavors.

Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
What makes me happy is seeing people win. Also, focusing on the good. There are so many depressing things that happen in the world everyday that, if we focus on those, we’d always be sad.

So, if I can help spread positivity (even when sharing some unpleasant news or feedback), I’m happy. Because at the end of the day, people don’t remember what you did for them, but they ALWAYS remember how you made them feel.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrys_no_i
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@chrys_no_i?si=9BWRezNsNc-DYdMU
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@chrys_no_i?_t=ZT-8xDPZBhU0y6&_r=1