At HEXPO 2025, the Feastival of Ideas served up a delicious mix of creativity, courage, and curiosity. And no one embodied that blend better than content creator and food storyteller Ailene Wu, better known as @melbfoodieee.

Her session, “How to Influence a Craving,” wasn’t your typical influencer talk. It wasn’t about brand deals or follower counts. It was about the art of consistency, the power of honesty, and the courage to build a personal brand that feels real, not curated.

The Spark

Ailene’s journey started far from the spotlight.

She deferred from university, took a six-month baking and patisserie course during lockdown, and started posting food reviews online. Within months, her blend of curiosity, personality, and comfort-food energy captured hearts, and appetites, across Melbourne.

Today, she’s one of the city’s most recognisable voices in the food creator scene, with a following that trusts her taste (and her timing). But as she reminded everyone at HEXPO, none of it came from luck. It came from consistency.

The Big Ingredient: Consistency

“Consistency, consistency, consistency.”

That was Ailene’s mantra. It sounds simple, but it’s the backbone of her success. Every post, every review, every caption was a chance to learn, what worked, what didn’t, and what her community loved.

She didn’t need viral luck; she needed rhythm. By showing up every day, experimenting, and staying true to her own style, she proved that consistency beats perfection every time.

Her advice was direct: stop chasing trends and start mastering your own. Whether you’re a creator, founder, or student, the audience shows up when you do.

Real People, Real Stories

Ailene’s influence goes beyond fancy food photos. Her talk was a reminder that the best stories don’t always come from Michelin-starred kitchens, they come from real people making something with heart.

She spotlighted small business owners, local makers, and everyday food lovers who turn passion into livelihood. By focusing on authenticity over aesthetics, she built something most influencers miss: genuine connection.

As she said, “People don’t crave perfection. They crave honesty.”

Finding Your Niche

In a world full of noise, Ailene’s message hit home: find your niche, and own it.

For her, that meant knowing exactly what she wanted her content to feel like, warm, human, and unfiltered. For others, it might mean finding the one thing that makes them irreplaceable.

Your niche isn’t just what you do; it’s how you make people feel.

And when you’re clear on that, your brand doesn’t just attract followers, it builds community.

De-influencing the Hype

One of Ailene’s most refreshing takes was her stance on “deinfluencing.” She urged creators to stop waiting for perfect tools or fancy setups. You don’t need the latest camera or editing software to tell a good story, you just need to start.

Her recipe was simple: use what you have, share what you love, and don’t overcomplicate it. Creativity isn’t about gear; it’s about perspective.

The Aftertaste

When Ailene wrapped up her session, you could feel it, that mix of inspiration and relief that comes from hearing something real. Her story wasn’t polished for perfection; it was baked with patience and honesty.

She reminded everyone at HEXPO 2025 that influence isn’t built overnight. It’s built one post, one story, and one act of consistency at a time.

Ailene’s voice, like her content, left a lasting impression: humble, creative, and fiercely authentic.

And just like that, the Feastival of Ideas kept cooking, one speaker, one story, and one craving for creativity at a time.