Meet Shelina Elyse

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

Shelina, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.

I developed confidence through learning to trust myself. I believe you have to intentionally practice confidence until it becomes your default. Determining what’s most important (passions, goals, values, skills) for you will guide you to becoming your best self. Also, let go of expectations! Knowing you’re on this path allows you to trust yourself at any given moment leading to a confident approach to life.
 
When it comes to my YouTube show, Cultural Dishcovery, of course I worry that people won’t like it. I remind myself that I created it to fulfill a passion – exploring cultures through food. My main goal is to share these experiences and create a community of people who also value openness and learning along the way. If I remain true to myself, I will find or create what’s meant for me and adapt to what’s next. This helps me feel confident from everyday decision making to significant life changes.

And if you’re not quite there yet even after all of this? “Fake it ’til you make it!” Hype yourself up like you would a best friend! Tell yourself you believe in you even if you don’t yet. You’ll hear it enough and start to feel it. Let me give you a head start – “You’ve got this!”

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I am the host and producer of Cultural Dishcovery, a YouTube show exploring cultures through food! I make space to learn and make mistakes without judgement while finding joy in it all. I love finding connection through different experiences, reminding us that we’re more alike than not. We share these experiences together!

Season 1 focused on building confidence in the kitchen. As an intermediate home cook, I practiced my cooking skills, tried out celebrity cookbooks, and made my own recipes.

Season 2 started in my kitchen and moved outside! It’s been my sincere pleasure to speak with local restaurants and small business owners about what their culture and food mean to them. This season ends in April 2025, and I’m looking forward to what’s ahead!

For Season 3, I’m hoping to connect with more local businesses, chefs, and makers! I’d love to join folks in the kitchen to cook together.

Eventually, I hope to incorporate new experiences with food through travel. It’s gonna be a fun time!

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

The three qualities I find most helpful to navigate life are confidence, adaptability, and a student mindset. It’s important to intentionally practice them. They’ll help you plan, pivot, and evolve through the unknown.

Confidence doesn’t have to come from lived experiences. It’s about trusting yourself to make the best decision with what you know. You’ve been successful, so you can do it again. You’ve made mistakes that taught you valuable lessons. You know you can do anything!

Adapting means letting go of expectations and addressing the present. It’s great if everything goes as expected. But your response when things don’t go as planned is even more important. Determine what is the primary objective, what can be accomplished immediately, and prioritize next steps. Anything else can be done later.

A student mindset opens you up to continuous learning and sharing information. If you’re not successful, what is the lesson learned to apply for next time? Seeing missteps as a learning opportunity turns a negative into a positive. You’re more likely to take chances rather than hesitate over potential failure. Sharing your experiences and what you’ve learned strengthens community, helping everyone do their best!

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

I’m looking to collaborate with local and/or small “food-related” or travel businesses. For me, “food-related” can be food trucks, restaurants, chefs, products, producers, creators, etc. But I’m also interested in how edible items relate in other aspects of culture – medicinal, skin care, traditions, etc.

I’m passionate about supporting and highlighting growing businesses, creators, etc. Please feel free to email me at culturaldishcovery@gmail.com or message me on Instagram at @culturaldishcovery to collaborate. If you’re curious about an opportunity, please connect with me. I’d love to chat!

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Adam Berardi

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