BRANDON DEARDEN of @ChefAuthorized on Viral Social Media — Restaurant Influencers (RI012)

Brandon Dearden is living a chef’s dream and sharing it with the world on social media. Using TikTok as his main social networking tool with the screenname @chefauthorized, the executive chef has amassed over half a million followers. Watch now to learn the Silicon Valley chef’s tips for going viral on social media with consistency and simplicity.

WHAT DID YOU LEARN on this episode of the Restaurant Influencers podcast, sponsored by Toast (@ToastTab)? Let us know by leaving a YouTube comment below!

CHAPTERS:
[01:49] - Brandon Dearden’s Story
[06:18] - Why Use TikTok for Business?
[13:32] - Creating Content Online
[22:27] - Favorite Sponsorship Deal
[33:43] - Always Be Posting

Brandon Dearden is a Restaurant Influencer —

The “CEO of ChefTok” has amassed over half a million followers on the platform as @chefauthorized. “TikTok is where it’s at right now,” he suggests. The organic growth and ease of delivery being the social media app’s most attractive features.

“When COVID hit, I decided to go all in on my personal brand and social media while currently working my job,” he shared on the Restaurant Influencers podcast, hosted by Shawn P. Walchef of https://calibbq.media.

And that he has.

• FOLLOW Chef Brandon Dearden on Social Media @chefauthorized

Like many of us, Dearden almost stopped his organic growth before it started. It is not easy to be consistent. After gaining little to no traction, he decided to delve deeper into the TikTok universe and try something new as a last-ditch effort.

“So I did the duet video in my chef jacket in a bathroom. No lighting selfie cam. Smudged camera. And I was kneeling down. And I did a duet video on an iPod stake and the video goes viral. And I couldn’t believe it.”

“After spending all of that time editing and making sure everything was perfect, what I realized is it’s not up to me. It’s up to the consumer.”

That became the lesson. What you, the creator, thinks may work or not work should take a backseat to putting content out.

“You have good content. People want to see it.”

That is an affirmation all creators should hang on their bathroom mirrors.

WHAT DID YOU LEARN from this interview? Let us know in the comments. https://restaurantinfluencers.media

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EPISODE LINKS:
• @ChefAuthorized on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@chefauthorized
• Brandon Dearden Links https://beacons.ai/chefauthorized
• Subscribe on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/BdChef10

NOMINATE A RESTAURANT INFLUENCER — Do you know someone or a restaurant who is great on social media? Let us know by emailing [email protected] or sending the @calibbqmedia team a DM on social media.

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SUBSCRIBE TO RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS PODCAST – https://link.chtbl.com/RIpodcast

ABOUT BRANDON DEARDEN (@CHEFAUTHORIZED):
Brandon Dearden is a passionate and driven executive chef with years of leadership experience in Michelin-starred restaurants and luxury hotels. Successfully making a name for himself in the culinary community throughout an extensive 16-year career.
Brandon has worked with some of the most top-rated chefs in the business including Daniel Boulud at Cafe Boulud under James Beard nominated Chef Zach Bell. Charlie Palmer’s Aureole in Las Vegas under Michelin-Starred Chef Vincent Poussel. And the most prestigious of them all Chef Grant Achatz’ Alinea in Chicago, three Michelin starred and featured on the world's 50 best restaurants list numerous times.
Brandon then went back to the west coast to work under Celebrity Chef Wolfgang Puck’s Fine Dining Group at Spago, Las Vegas, and quickly promoted to CDC at Hotel Bel-Air in Beverly Hills. After a 5-year stint with Wolfgang puck Brandon decided to relocate to San Francisco to work with the Saison Group on their Angler Restaurant Concepts as Executive Chef.

• Chef Brandon Dearden on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandon-dearden-75567134/

ABOUT RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS:
Welcome to the Restaurant Influencers podcast series, sponsored by Toast POS (@toasttab). Every week host Shawn P. Walchef (@shawnpwalchef) talks with leaders in restaurant and hospitality about their secrets to Smartphone Storytelling and how to show up and engage where customers are spending time online.
The weekly digital series (audio, video, writing, images) is hosted by Cali BBQ Media Founder Shawn P. Walchef and presented by Entrepreneur Media (@entrepreneur), Yelp for Business (@yelp), and Cali BBQ Media (@calibbqmedia).

• Entrepreneur Media - https://entreprenuer.com
• Yelp for Business - https://biz.yelp.com
• Cali BBQ Media - https://calibbq.media

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SPONSORED BY TOAST:
Restaurant Influencers is brought to you by Toast, the powerful restaurant point of sale and management system that helps restaurants improve operations, increase sales and create a better guest experience.

Toast — Powering Successful Restaurants

Learn more at https://pos.toasttab.com