Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Mayo.
Melissa, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I’m a Jewish South African chef, author, and motivational speaker — yet my most beloved roles are those of wife and mom. I love yoga and traveling, and I am an eternal optimist.
I believe abs are made in the kitchen, but in order to have a healthy body, you need a healthy soul.
I love being in front of the camera and have created a series of two-minute demo videos in which I prepare quick, simple, delicious food. I also appeared on two seasons of Food Network’s Private Chefs of Beverly Hills which made me realize I wanted to reach a global audience with my cooking.
To that end, I created an online community where I could share my recipes and passion for travel. I’m the food photographer, website developer, content creator, recipe tester, marketer, social media strategist, publicist, business developer, videographer and writer. I have been blessed to grow my community over the years — and I now enjoy a loyal following.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
Several years ago, I cooked for prominent Hollywood studios, private events, and notables such as Hans Zimmer and Jeffrey Katzenberg. I also spent three summers teaching at a kids’ cooking camp for RED Camera on the Paramount Studios lot.
Using these opportunities to experiment and perfect my culinary craft, the logical next step was to open my own cooking school. In 2017 I put the finishing touches on the renovation of the home of my dreams in Lucca, Italy — and my international cooking school, “Susina Cucina,” named for my beloved late mom. I’m thrilled to now be able to offer international cooking experiences to passionate individuals who want to create mouthwatering dishes under the Tuscan sun.
I put my heart and soul into my daily social media posts. I love to write, and I keep it very authentic and real. I believe my uniqueness lies in my seamless blending of food, nutrition, and fitness with life lessons gleaned from the ups and downs of my time on this planet, as well as motivational thoughts and pride in my Judaism.
In your view, what is the biggest issue artists have to deal with?
Finding the time to balance work and play. If they are like me, they love their work and are happiest when they are creating. But finding time to work isn’t always easy.
With this plugged-in world, it is so hard to balance all the admin requirements and still stay in touch with their audience, community, and the mounting emails.
I am a wife and a mom, so I make a habit of getting up super early to finish my work so that by the time my daughter is done with school I am ready to step into family mode and make dinner and spend time with my husband.
Technology boundaries are key and getting a solid morning and evening routine is too.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
I post tons of free recipes, videos and health and fitness tips on my website: www.melissamayo.com
They can also follow me for daily meals, movement and motivational inspiration
On Instagram, Facebook, YouTube: @chefmelissamayo
https://www.instagram.com/chefmelissamayo/
https://www.facebook.com/ChefMelissaMayo
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9uO05Z1O27cx7g2qzlQSUA
They can also come cook with me during the summer months in my cooking school in Lucca Italy
And they can buy my cookbooks on my website https://www.melissamayo.com/shop/
Contact Info:
- Address: 2206 Manning Ave
Los Angeles
CA
90064 - Website: www.melissamayo.com
- Phone: 13105267654
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chefmelissamayo
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChefMelissaMayo
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9uO05Z1O27cx7g2qzlQSUA
Image Credit:
Photos by Melissa Mayo
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
