AlexEatsTooMuch 2024 Recap and 2025 Goals

This was a big year of growth for AlexEatsTooMuch. In 2024, I expanded my brand to work with more destination offices around Pennsylvania and more national brands. I also did content with the Harris Walz campaign and with Governor Josh Shapiro. Obviously, sharing the awesome meals and events of Pittsburgh is still the primary goal, but I love that I’m getting to experience new things. I saw some growth on Instagram and TikTok. I’m getting better at making videos, but I still can improve. The most frustrating thing is as AlexEatsTooMuch has grown, it has been hard to keep up all the great content I want to share with everyone. So just like every year, I want to look back at the previous year and look forward to 2025.

Reviewing 2024 Goals

Keep Growing Followers and Reach – My account grew way more than I expected in 2023. I think a great goal is 25,000 followers on Instagram by end of year. I’d love to see TikTok and YouTube grow more too. I didn’t even come close to this goal. I gained about 3,000 Instagram followers this year, but then lost about 800 around the election. TikTok tripled to almost 3,000 followers, but YouTube has barely grown. I blame myself for YouTube because I didn’t make any long videos this year.
More Blog Posts – I’m sticking to the monthly roundups but I also need to do more posts about places and events. I want to make sure I do more posts about restaurants, events, and travel for things that deserve a full post. I only did 4 posts like that this year. I’m still failing to find time to write more blog posts. I did the monthly roundups, but I only did 2 other posts all year. I need to make separate posts for my travel.
More YouTube videos – I only made 3 long format videos for YouTube. I had intentions of making so many more and it didn’t happen. I’d like to double that. I didn’t make one long form video all year.
More Travel – Every year I think I’ll go out of town more often and then I’ll not go anywhere for months. I want to go on at least two big trips in 2024. I also want to do food related travel. I think I have a couple of things in the works already. I did travel more this year, but unfortunately it was mostly in Pennsylvania. I went to NYC, West Virginia, Roanoke Virginia and New Orleans. The rest of my travel was to work with destinations in Pennsylvania. I am hopeful to travel more outside Pennsylvania. The trip to Roanoke was for a travel conference which I was so happy to have attend.
Apply for My LLC – I have been meaning to do this for a long time. I need to just make it happen already. One goal I actually completed. I got my LLC in February.

So I basically failed at most of my goals for 2024. However, I also had my most successful year as a content creator. Look at some of my highlights below to see why I think so.

2024 Highlights

I held my birthday party again at St. Clair Social. Unfortunately, it was for the last time as they were one of the closures of 2024. It was one of my favorite bars.
I attended a press trip to the Laurel Highlands for the kickoff of their Pour Tour. I got to visit three great craft beverage producers and learn about the Pour Tour which features over 60 establishments. It was supposed to be an overnight, but I left early because of snow.

I went to New York City for a long weekend to see shows and eat lots of food. I had a couple of meals that really stood out.

Cocodaq, a trendy Korean Fried Chicken restaurant

Hamburger America, a classic style American burger joint opened by the Burger Scholar George Motz

I did a Lunar New Year dinner at The Parlor Dim Sum.

I finally got to Bae Bae’s Kitchen for dinner and cocktails.

I got to partner with Sheetz on a couple of videos.

I was among the first to get a drink at ETA Bar, the Japanese style bar attached to The Warren, one of my favorite bars in Pittsburgh.

I finally got invited to Press Day at PNC Park for the start of the Pirates 2024 season. I got to learn about all the improvements to the park and all the new food.

I did a fun partnership with Nexium 24HR Heartburn Reducer. It was fun getting to do something a little ridiculous, especially since I already used the product.

Fet-Fisk was one of my favorite meals of 2024. I never get roast chicken yet this was one of the best roast chicken I’ve ever had before.

I went to see The Postal Service, a band that put out one incredible album.

I shot a fun video with my friends are Blue Sparrow.

I spent a weekend in State College to attend Hoppy Valley Brewers Fest, the first beer festival in Beaver Stadium.

I had an incredible dinner at Lilith.

I attended the Mattress Factory Garden Party as a promotional partner. It’s their annual fundraiser.

I attended Beers of the Burgh for the first time and I had a blast drinking lots of local beers.

I went to Hyeholde Restaurant for the first time and had an incredible meal.

I partnered with Community Kitchen on a couple of posts to help them get the word out about their kitchen training programs and events they have.

I went to Hershey to see the Foo Fighters, The Hives and Amyl and The Sniffers. It was an incredible concert. While I was there I also partnered with Visit Hershey & Harrisburg on a couple of videos.

I finally went to the Big Mac Museum in North Huntington. They have lots of history about the Big Mac and a giant Big Mac statue.

I got to spend 2 days in Erie, PA for a fun partnership to promote their Unlock Erie app.

I went to Barrel and Flow again. This beer festival highlighting Black Brewers and Artists is my favorite beer festival.

I attended my first Steelers game. Sure, it was a preseason game, but it was still a lot of fun.

I went to Riverlife Party at the Pier. It was a fun event, but I think more importantly one of the best photos of me of 2024 was taken that evening.

I attended the Mid-Atlantic Tourism Public Relations Association Marketplace conference in Roanoke, Virginia. I met a lot of other great creators and made a lot of connections with destinations.

I attended One Bite One Day, a best bites of Pittsburgh event and the annual fundraiser for One Day to Remember.

I went to Cleveland to see The Hives perform for the thi^rd time in less than a year. They are one of the best live bands I have seen.

I did a really cool partnership with Juniata River Valley to experience Goose Day, a local holiday where they eat goose to get luck for the next year.

I went to the PPG Paints Arena Press Day ahead of the Penguins 2024-2025 season. I got to learn about all the new food for the season.

I went see President Obama speak ahead of the elections. He is just an incredible speaker.

I met Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro when he was in town to announce the state’s $600 million commitment to revitalize Downtown Pittsburgh.

I went to the final Harris Walz campaign rally in Pittsburgh at Carrie Furnace. This was an incredible evening. I’m glad I spoke up and supported her even though the election didn’t go as we hoped.

I went to have brunch at Strange Roots Experimental Ales featuring PGH Sandwich Society and Blue Sparrow.

I spent a morning cracking eggs with Ryan Peters, Pittsburgh’s pasta content creator. He was filming another video to make a large batch of pasta to be donated to charity for meals.

I had a crazy night on the town with Cat, the Pennsylvania Junkie. She made quite the entertaining edit of our evening.

I had an amazing meal at The Tavern on the Square in New Wilmington. Visit Lawrence County asked me to come up to try it out and it was worth the drive.

I got to go to a Holiday Brunch at the Pennsylvania Governor’s Residence.

We ordered the whole menu for Supper at Oak Hill Post

I went to the opening evening of One by Spork. It is an incredible Chef’s Tasting dinner. IT was also the most expensive dinner I’ve had in Pittsburgh.

2025 Goals

Keep Growing the AlexEatsTooMuch Brand – This is the first time I’m not basing growth on a number of followers. I’m going to be much more arbitrary this year. I want to see more partnerships with brands and destinations. I want to see more paid opportunities. The amount of effort I put into posting has become so much greater.
More Blog Posts – I am going to keep doing the monthly roundups and year end posts. I want to move all my travel content to separate blog posts. I want to write more posts about big events or amazing dinners.
More YouTube videos – I didn’t make one long format video in 2024. I’m going to start recording more video in landscape so I can create longer videos.
More Travel – I need to expand my travel outside of Pennsylvania more. I went out of town a lot, but only three of my trips were outside Pennsylvania. I know I already have at least two confirmed out of state trips in 2025 and I hope I will have more than that.
Create a Business Plan – I still dream of a future I can do content creation full time. In order to do that, I need to make sure I have a steady income. This will mean figuring out how I can better earn money off of everything I do. I can’t pay my bills off of comped meals and event tickets.