Sohla El-Waylly went from dreaming of Michelin Stars to being a YouTube Star.
The New York-based food creator never set out to be an internet personality.
Her original dream was to become a Michelin-starred chef, working in high-end restaurants.
But after a failed attempt at opening a restaurant with her husband in Brooklyn, Sohla found herself unexpectedly pivoting to food media.
"It was accidental," Sohla told Shawn Walchef (@calibbqmedia), host of Restaurant Influencers.
"I didn't know anything about media like I didn't know what the New York Times was or Bon Appetit or any of this stuff.
So none of it intimidated me.” Sohla started out writing recipes and articles for Serious Eats, where she was able to experiment and find her voice without much pressure.
"It was kind of good because I got to figure a lot out while nobody was paying attention," she said.
"Because nobody read anything I wrote for years." Her unique perspective as a self-taught chef, rather than a traditionally trained food writer, eventually led to opportunities at higher-profile outlets like Bon Appetit, the History network, and the New York Times.
Now millions have watched her cooking online and on other big stages like The Big Bunch on MAX.
Watch now to learn about about making meals for the internet, secrets of YouTube success, and her personal tech stack.