We recently connected with Shanel Howard and have shared our conversation below.

Shanel, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

I’m very grateful to be able to use my skills to do something that I love every day! I never imagined that I’d be teaching let alone teaching high school. I guess everything comes full circle. I’ve always had a thing for food. I used to sit on the phone with friends watching the Food Network in its early days. One of my first “real” jobs in high school was working as a cashier at Tops grocery store in my hometown Buffalo New York. I loved seeing all of the items fully stocked on the shelves and getting some insight on how people planned to prepare ingredients I was unfamiliar with. I actually chose to attend culinary school because the program was two years for an associate’s degree, people always have to eat, for that reason I figured I would always have a job. My parents actually let me go to Johnson & Wales University all the way in Norfolk VA sight unseen. Looking back that was kind of crazy but it all worked out.

While I was in college the emphasis was on becoming a Chef or Restaurant Manager. I did not have a desire to do either, so I always kept a job waiting tables even after I earning my degrees because I loved the flexibility of the schedule and getting paid the same day. When I graduated from college, I was hired by the Key Bridge Marriott as a Gift Shop & Restaurant Supervisor and that was when I realized management in a place that literally never closed was not for me.

Fast forward to a few food related and not food related jobs later I was a stay-at-home mom of two living in Southwest Michigan. I started selling plates because I wanted to start doing something I loved again. It allowed me to reconnect with my passion and meet people who shared my love of food. While in Michigan, I was able to teach at Martin’s Supermarkets School of Cooking. Once I left Michigan, I was able to continue to use my creative work to earn a living doing cooking and mixology demonstrations at apartment communities throughout the DMV. I eventually was referred for my current role as a high school Culinary Arts teacher by a former classmate from JWU. This is my fourth year of teaching and owning/operating my business Chef Shanel & Company LLC in the DMV.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

I offer Small Group Catering, Private Chef Services for intimate occasions, and both Virtual & In-person cooking lessons in and around the DMV. What sets me apart from others is that I offer a variety of services that allow my clients to sit back and be a guest at their own event or to learn skills to wow their guests at an event. I’m most proud of being able to let my sons Dwight III and Cannon see me thrive as a single mom while doing something that I love. Being able to spend time in the kitchen with them is priceless. I’m also proud that I had the chance to be on TBS in Season 1 of Rat in the Kitchen and impress Chef Ludo with my secret family recipe pound cake.

My followers know that I don’t shy away from showing my personality online. I don’t separate Shanel in real life from online Shanel, I love being my authentic sarcastic witty self. I pride myself on not only my authenticity but also my willingness to be a lifelong learner. I’ve learned a great deal from people I’ve worked for over the years.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I wish I would have learned more about how to use social media to grow my brand in its early days. There were periods of time when I wasn’t online as much only to come back and feel like I’m playing catch up trying to learn how to navigate all of these platforms.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I love to banter on social media. I often post catchy captions, some that hit and some that miss. During those viral moments with the ones that hit I take advantage of the engagement and keep the banter going. Being consistent helps too. I have a group of followers that have been keeping up with me for years, so I try to stay active and connected with them. Also be yourself, your people will find you.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.chefshanel.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/chef_shanel
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChefShanelTerae
• Linkedin: Shanel Howard
• Other: linktr.ee/AboutShanel

Image Credits
TBS Rat in the Kitchen Captured by Cowan A Rare Dymond