I love this story about Marissa and creating her cheese plate company so much.
Following your passion, especially when it leads you off the beaten path, can be terrifying. But if where you are now doesn’t spark your creativity, it may be time to listen to that.. Life is way too short to stay in a job that does not fulfill your soul.
In this episode of The Pollen Podcast, I bring on Marissa Mullen, founder of That Cheese Plate, to talk about her big leap from working in the music industry to chasing creativity and building her own brand. We also dive deep into the importance of human connection and how to let your creativity flow.
Listen to this episode to learn when it’s time to quit your job and follow your passion! A happy and successful life is more than just money — choose to chase your creative impulses.
🔥Here are three reasons why you should listen to this episode:
- Learn how pursuing your passion is the fast track to success.
- How Marissa went from working in the music industry to building beautiful cheese plates that bring her so much joy.
- Hear a real story about how following your creative impulses leads you to deeper alignment in your work and life.
📘Resources
🎧Episode Highlights
[08:34] Meet Marissa
- Marissa has always been outspoken throughout her professional career.
- Growing up with an interest in music, she made it her life’s mission to work in the music industry.
- Interning for the music department at the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon sparked her interest in working in the music department of a late-night show.
- She worked as an assistant to Jon Batiste on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
[15:28] Starting Her Cheese Plate Journey
- In her free time, Marissa started making cheese boards to destress and relax.
- In 2014, she wanted to make a centralized location for inspiration and created a Tumblr called “The Art of Cheese.”
- She eventually rebranded it into “That Cheese Plate” and moved to Instagram.
[19:54] That Cheese Plate
- After coming up with “cheese by numbers,” Marissa decided she wanted to build on it.
- When she started the brand, her dream was to write a cookbook. However, several publishers had rejected her, so she started another account called “Cheese by Numbers.”
- Eventually, she got an invitation to be on the Rachael Ray Show.
- Listen to the full episode to find out how her brand blew up after guesting on the show!
[22:40] Quitting Her Day Job
- Random House accepted Marissa’s book proposal.
- Since publishing the book was a once-in-a-lifetime chance, she decided to quit her personal assistant role with Jon in March 2019.
- After that, she began to focus on her brand by writing and doing events.
- When the pandemic struck, she connected with her community through Instagram.
- The book’s initial printing did well, and they have printed 225,000 copies today.
[26:01] Resparking Her Creativity
- After moving into her own apartment, Marissa felt isolated and uninspired.
- She started therapy and reflected on why she associated her self-worth with productivity.
[28:07] Marissa: “You need to take a break in order to feel inspired again. You can’t just keep going like a machine.”
- Her second book, That Cheese Plate Wants to Party, is about how cheese plates are a form of self-care.
[29:03] The Importance of Human Connection
- As a deep feeler, Marissa needs to channel her emotions in creative ways.
- She started a podcast called Diving In with her friend Leslie, where they talk about the vulnerabilities of being in the entertainment and content creation industries.
- Talking about her internal issues through the podcast helped her heal.
[30:28] Marissa: “[At] the core of all this, it’s just human connection that is the most important, you know? It doesn’t matter what you’re building, what you’re doing, it matters about how does it make people feel? And how does it bring people together in this way?”
[32:21] How to Create Content Without a Professional Camera
- Marissa shot the photos for her books on her own using her iPhone.
- The creative aspect, aesthetics, and vision were really important to her.
- For her second book, her photos turned out better because she learned how to edit her photos on Lightroom.
- All you need is a nice backdrop, indirect natural light, and your phone.
[35:48] Making Connections
- Figure out who you want to email and be strategic.
- Interact with other brands on social media.
- In-person networking is also important to expand your network.
- If you want to find out how Marissa and Diana met, tune in to the full episode!
[49:01] Diving Into Astrology
- During the pandemic, Marissa started exploring astrology and doing birth chart readings.
- Journaling and connecting with yourself takes practice and commitment.
- Feminine energy is better transmitted through movement, while masculine energy is best transmitted through stillness.
[57:07] Marissa’s Advice
- Feel what your intuition is telling you about something.
- Turning your passion into your work isn’t easy, but hard work pays off.
- Rest is important.
[59:48] Marissa: “It’s the hustle that inspires you but it’s not going to happen if you just put in an hour here and there and sit on the couch and wait for things to happen. You have to make that email, you have to reach out, you have to network. Do all these things that you’re putting your energy out there so that it comes back to you.”
[1:01:40] Letting Creativity Flow
- Creativity is operating in that flow state where your fears and doubts disappear, almost like a spiritual moment and connecting to childlike joy.
- Marissa’s entrepreneurial crush is Ina Garten.
- Lately, she’s listened to the audiobook of Untamed by Glennon Doyle and Sofi Tukker’s music.
- She’d love to create flower arrangements, curated dinner parties, and a poetry book.
About the Guest
Marissa Mullen is a bestselling author, entrepreneur, food stylist, and podcast host. She is the founder of That Cheese Plate, a global community for cheese plate inspiration and creative food styling, and is known for pioneering the cheese and charcuterie trend. She is dedicated to bringing people together through cooking, creativity, and artistic expression.
She hosts a podcast called Diving In with Leslie Moser. Her debut book, That Cheese Plate Will Change Your Life, focuses on crafting a cheese plate as a meditative activity. Her second cookbook, That Cheese Plate Wants to Party, is set to release in 2023.
Connect with Marissa: Website │ Instagram
Enjoyed this Podcast on Following Your Passion?
So many people get stuck in a job that does not bring them joy because they’re expected to — or because they’re afraid of change. Sometimes, the best course of action is to steer away from the beaten path and go where your creativity leads you!
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