Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Shanel DeWalt. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Shanel, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s talk legacy – what sort of legacy do you hope to build?

My legacy lies in the people that I touch and those that I impact on a daily basis. I always believed in leading with kindness first to set the tone for my actions. I am very purpose driven and I believe that success does not amount to the amount of money I make, but it lies in my impact. If I can touch one person than that is good enough for me. Those that know me understand that what you see is what you get in me.

Shanel, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Chef Shanel and Chef B started The Break’N Cornbread Experiences as a curated pop- up dining experience centered around the celebration of black culture. We show up and show out every time! Our model is we provide food for the culture that brings comfort to your soul! We show up in any given space, take over and celebrate the Black culture. No code-switching this way! We love ourselves and we are unapologetically black everywhere we go.

When you think about breaking bread with someone you are not only sharing a meal, but you are creating a meaniful connection! Every black household usually got cornbread on the table depending on the meal so that’s how Break’N Cornbread came about. Our food features flavors within the black culture such as creole, soul food, African, Jamaican, etc. You would be surprised how much we as African Americans influenced other cuisines as well. It’s all connected.

We are only a year old, but Brandon and I are now in a space now where we are looking more into the bigger picture of our business, so we have taken a step back to redefine our goals and the community we want to create. We want our foundation to be strong and solid because we not going anywhere!

How’d you meet your business partner?

I met my co-founder of Break’N Cornbread, Brandon Johnson years ago working on the line in the kitchen. He did not want to talk to me because we worked the morning shift, and he is not a morning person. Being the ray of sunshine that I am, he eventually warmed up to me. I honestly couldn’t just work with somebody and not talk to them. I like to have fun and being in a kitchen is usually a stressful environment, but it never feels like stress when we are working together because we always have a good time. Our friendship blossomed over the years, and I am so thankful for him. Brandon is so talented, and his personality is off the charts! We have really good energy, so it only made sense to work together.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

The lesson I had to unlearn is although I lead with kindness and have great intentions, I am not for everyone. My focus is on pleasing God not people. Those that are meant to be in my life will be and I am forever grateful for the support I have in my community. The backstory behind this lesson is I used to care so much about what people think of me. Now I really don’t give a damn because I realized it wasn’t me. Yes, I can hold myself accountable, but sometimes God put people in your life for a season and not a lifetime. It’s hard for me to let go because I love hard but God don’t play about me, so I am not going too either.

Contact Info:

• Website: breakncornbread.com
• Instagram: breakncornbread
• Facebook: Break’N Cornbread
• Other: Email: breakncornbread@gmail.com

Image Credits
-Dom & Vic Productions -Dele Nguyen