🎙️ Ariella Sherman: From Therapist to Foodie Influencer – How to Pivot, Become an Influencer, and Build a Brand from Scratch
🎧 How Ariella Sherman aka South Florida food blogger and influencer, “Never Not Eating”, went from being a licensed therapist to building a remarkable platform as a foodie, and eventually being hired as the Director of Marketing for Meyer Lucas Companies. Ariella and Holly unpack her role within Meyer Lucas, chat about how she grew her platform as an influencer, and say a tearful good bye as Ariella closes her chapter at Meyer Lucas and Hype Boss.
Ariella Sherman at The Mother Ship
This episode is all the things — hilarious, emotional, and one of our most raw conversations yet.
It’s Ariella Sherman’s last day as the Marketing Director of Meyer Lucas Companies, and Holly hands her a mic, much to Ariella’s dismay (you’ll hear all about that - ha.) After three years of building everything marketing related behind the scenes for Meyer Lucas and Hype Boss, Ariella is departing and she is leaving big shoes to fill. But before she leaves, Holly convinced her to sit down for one last time, Friday at 4pm for an hour of banter, deep dive, and a fun conversation. Before Ariella ever joined Holly’s team, she was already a name in South Florida’s food and hospitality scene. She unpacks how she became a foodie, an influencer, and what it was like working at Meyer Lucas along side a leader like Holly.
Ariella Sherman aka Never Not Eating is In The Hype Seat for an intimate podcast episode with Holly Meyer Lucas where she unpacks how she became one of South Florida’s most prolific food bloggers and what it was like working at the Meyer Lucas Companies with Holly and her team.
Under her Instagram handle @never_not_eating_, she carved out a niche as a local food influencer—posting smart, stylish, and totally authentic content that made her a go-to in the world of media dines, restaurant openings, and foodie brand collabs. In this episode, Holly pushes her to unpack exactly how she built that platform—what worked, what didn’t, and what she’d tell anyone trying to break into the influencer space today.
If you’re in the food, beverage, or hospitality world (or trying to be), this is a crash course in building trust, reach, and relevance, without being cringe.
How Ariella Went from Therapist to Influencer to Marketing Director
Ariella started out with a master’s in mental health counseling, working in trauma and substance abuse programs. But somewhere along the way, she started posting food pics on Instagram as a creative outlet. Her voice was honest, specific, and grounded in real experience—and it caught on fast.
Media dines, PR invites, and brand deals followed. She continues to grow a trusted platform by focusing not just on what looks good, but on the experience of eating out—service, vibes, value, hospitality. Her content is a go-to insider take on where to go (and where not to), and she keeps it real. Whether it’s a media dine or a spontaneous stop at a local gem, Ariella shares it all with her signature honesty and taste-driven perspective.
How Ariella got hired at Meyer Lucas in the First Place:
The episode kicks off with a throwback to the night Hallie introduced Ariella to Holly at the member’s only club at 1000 North in Jupiter, Florida. Holly is a member and she specifically wanted to interview Ariella in that setting because, as she describes it, “it is very hard to hide how you will behave with our high net worth clients, if you can’t properly order a drink at 1000 North in Jupiter with [owner] Michael Jordan sitting behind you.”
At the time, Ariella had just left a job and wasn’t sure what was next. Hallie already knew her potential as they had been foodie colleagues for a while, and told Holly straight up, “We’re hiring her.” Within days, Ariella was plugged into a fast-paced real estate brand with no formal real estate experience, and she excelled immediately.
What it was like to be thrown into marketing without a traditional real estate marketing background
Ariella opens up about what it was like to step into a role that demanded branding, content, digital ads, systems, and tech troubleshooting without a real estate background. She talks about how her background in counseling gave her the skills to listen, problem-solve, and juggle complex workflows. She also shares the moment she realized that in a fast-moving company, success isn’t about experience, it’s about being resourceful and relentless.
What it actually takes to build a real estate brand and creative agency from scratch
This is where we get into the messy middle. Ariella and Holly talk through everything she helped build - Meyer Lucas Real Estate, Real Estating, Hype Boss, and the launch of The Mother Ship. From creating brand decks and internal workflows to troubleshooting internal systems and literally holding cameras at shoots, Ariella was in the trenches for all of it. She shares how marketing for a real estate team is unlike any other industry, and how she navigated being the go-to person for everything from social to systems.
The mechanics of becoming a foodie influencer—and the truth about media dines
Holly pushes Ariella to break down the influencer playbook. How do you get invited to media dines? What do you post? Do you get paid? Ariella shares how she built @never_not_eating_ from scratch, how she balances honesty with brand partnerships, and why her content is always about the experience, not just the food. They also laugh about the food influencer who went viral reviewing only chain restaurants and why authenticity always wins.
Burnout, boundaries, and why she ultimately decided to step away
This part of the episode gets emotional. Ariella talks about what it felt like to be the person who always “just figured it out” and how that kind of invisible leadership can wear on you. She opens up about planning her wedding, caring for her family, and finally admitting that she needed space. Holly shares her own resistance to the idea, how she delayed telling the team, and the complicated feelings around letting someone you trust go.
Her advice to marketers and influencers who want to do this work for real
Finally, Ariella drops some of the most practical marketing advice we’ve had on the show. She talks about the difference between someone who will learn vs. someone who will tap out. Why curiosity matters more than credentials. Why being on hold with Meta for 14 hours is sometimes the job. And what she looks for in brands, collabs, and marketing strategy in 2025.
Why You Should Listen to This Podcast Episode
If you’ve ever:
Pivoted careers into something unexpected
Built a brand or company from scratch
Juggled a creative side hustle with a demanding full-time role
Been the person who figured things out without a manual
Worked in food, hospitality, real estate, or small business marketing
This episode will hit hard.
Ariella’s story isn’t about going viral or chasing followers. It’s about doing the work. Learning fast. Showing up when it’s hard. And knowing when to say, “It’s time for something different.”
This conversation is a love letter to the people who build in the background—and the people brave enough to pivot when their time is up.
🎧 Listen to the full podcast episode: www.inthehypeseat.com
📸 Follow Ariella: @never_not_eating_
🌐 Learn more about Holly: www.hollymeyerlucas.com
