My Story

Allow me to reintroduce myself once more. My name is Sharell Johnson but to my clients, I am Chef Sharell J. I am a Food Journalist, 2x self-published Cookbook Author, the creator of the new social media series Meet me in the Kitchen, member of The National Association of Black Journalist, , and the Owner/Executive Chef of Sharell Cooks, LLC. I introduce myself in that way because there was a period in my life that everything that I did just wasn’t enough. It took quite a long time for me to feel confident enough to acknowledge who I am and all that I have accomplished.

I took my business offline just February of 2021 and on to the plates of the people...and it’s growing rapidly! By 2023, I will be one the most sought out small event caterers and private chef in SC! And that’s on facts and faith!

Let’s back up a little. I graduated college at 29 years old. I had a huge plan of becoming this famous local journalist only to get my dreams crushed when no one would hire me with no experience. (Side Note: I even practiced what my signature "sign off" would be!). Being a small-town first-generation college student comes with challenges and ignorance. I was so engrossed on getting the degree that I never realized that I needed to gain experience to have the degree work for me. So, when I walked across that stage, all I had was a piece of paper and a broken heart. As a 29-year-old nontraditional student, I didn’t have an on-campus advisor. None of my professors counselled or gave me direction. My internship was being a secretary at my job at a Nursing Home. Understand, this isn’t a pity party. I am not blaming anyone for my shortcomings. I could have asked for guidance; I just didn’t realize I needed too. So now, I had no money (I quit my job) and no experience. What the hell was I going to do? I went on to inflate soccer balls at a local warehouse.

I’ve always been a foodie! I grew up around cooking. My mom, grandma, and aunts could burn some pots in the kitchen! Not literally speaking, but in the southern black culture, it’s a statement of endearment and overstating that a person can cook and cook well. My oldest brother is a chef, my cousin is a chef, and now I am a chef. During my struggles as an adult college student and helping my sister raise my now adult nephew, our meals had to be cheap, creative, and cheap. I started sharing my recipes via my social media platforms and they became an instant hit! My audience at the time were single working mothers who had no ideas of what to feed their child(ren) besides chicken nuggets and mac and cheese. I started sharing some of my nephew’s favorite like the Taco Pie or the Manwich Casserole. I shortly started sharing Date Night recipes and Ladies Night In Recipes like the Shrimp Steak and Grits or now my signature Collard Green Dip and Homemade Cornbread Bites. These recipes were impressive yet inexpensive; it blew up!

Suddenly, I felt lonely. I was so busy with blogging and the woes of everyday life that I did not realize how single I was. I was single, single! No boyfriend, no boo, no baby, no nothing! I was working harder than I ever had trying to become a better version of myself and figuring out the next move on my career path. So, I started dating and I met my then Fiancé during this time. For the first time in 15 years, I was moving away from my sister and nephew. For 15 years, it’s always been just the three of us. My nephew may not have grown up in a traditional “two parent” home, but it was indeed two parents, and his auntie was leaving. It was only a 2-hour drive, but for us, it felt like Pluto.

During this time, I wrote two e-books, Sharell Cooks, The Single Life (part one) and Sharell Cooks, Auntie Life (Part 2). My cookbooks aren’t your traditional style cookbooks. Each recipe has a story. A story of singleness, independence, finding love, and of course being an Auntie to my “Nephew-Son” as everyone in my inner circle likes to call him.

When things went South between my then Fiancé and I, I wanted a change. After I finished “boo-houing” I decided to take my business offline and into the plates of the people. I decided that I wanted to mix my education in journalism, my talent of cooking, and my passion for the written word into a business.  I started freelancing as a food writer and catering as a private chef.

Here we are today, I am happy, healthy, and healed! I am strong believer that a passion filled mission is all the motivation you need to succeed.