Maya-Camille Broussard
Netflix's Bake Squad star and Owner of Justice of the Pies
Marissa Mullen
Founder of That Cheese Plate
Marissa Mullen is a bestselling author, entrepreneur, food stylist, and podcast host whose beautifully-arranged cheese plates, as featured on her Instagram That Cheese Plate, have transformed the image of entertaining. In her fun, informative, and inspiring workshops, she brings teams together around shared plates, talks about the importance of gathering, and shares her personal story of becoming an entrepreneur, struggling with impostor syndrome, and taking a leap of faith.
-
About Marissa Mullen
Marissa Mullen is the founder of That Cheese Plate, a global community for cheese plate inspiration and creative food styling. With her beautiful, inventive, and accessible new approach to food styling, she pioneered the cheese and charcuterie trend in popular culture today.
Mullen wasn’t always a foodie entrepreneur: she established her career in entertainment, where she worked for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and with acts such as Jon Batiste, The Roots, and Meghan Trainor. But cooking—and especially cheese—had always been her passion, so 2013, Mullen created That Cheese Plate. Six years later, she took the leap of a lifetime and left her job in music to pursue social media success full-time.
Since then, her risk has paid off: Mullen has appeared on The Today Show, Good Morning America, The Rachael Ray Show, Live with Kelly + Ryan, Business Insider, and Food + Wine among many other outlets. Her innovative Cheese by Numbers Method has revolutionized how cheese and charcuterie boards are crafted, and her work consistently inspires authenticity, intentional gatherings and finding joy in the present moment, when joy is needed more than ever.
Mullen’s inspirational workshops on food, creativity, and artistic expression bring people and teams together, even when they are far apart. In her talks on entrepreneurship, she shares her incredible journey of giving up a dream job to follow a new passion and the struggles and rewards that followed—from the highs of social media stardom to the lows of impostor syndrome.
In addition to photography, recipe development, and speaking, Marissa Mullen is the Resident Cheese Contributor at Food52. Mullen’s podcast, Diving In, hosted with Leslie Mosier, touches upon the vulnerabilities behind the entertainment industry, such as comparison and authenticity, and serves as a platform for her advocacy for mental health in the creator space.
Marissa Mullen’s debut cookbook, That Cheese Plate Will Change Your Life, underscores how creating cheese plates can be a grounding, meditative activity. This book has inspired many, was awarded with Amazon’s Editor’s Pick for 2020 and listed on Wall Street Journal‘s Bestseller List with over 250,000 copies in print. Her second cookbook, That Cheese Plate Wants to Party is set to release in Spring 2023 with The Dial Press / Random House.
Contact us for more information about booking Marissa Mullen for your next event.
-
Speaking Topics
That Cheese Class
A hands-on, step-by-step workshop teaching how to build a stylistic and flavorful cheese board using the Cheese By Numbers method. Marissa Mullen covers the history of charcuterie and hosting in America, how COVID changed the landscape for gatherings and how my Cheese By Numbers method was the catalyst for inspired grazing. She also touches upon how a cheese plate can be used as the inspiration for a party theme.
A Virtual Cheese Plate Workshop with your Organization
In this workshop adapted for the virtual world, Marissa Mullen leads teams and organizations in building a beautiful cheese board that can be shared even when colleagues are apart. This workshop can be adapted to include cheese history, cheese pairings, future trends in the food space, food styling tips, and food photography tips.
Entertaining as Self Care
Entertaining should be a source of joy, not stress. By leaning into cheese plating as a relaxing art form, something that once felt daunting can transform into an act of self-care. In this talk, Marissa Mullen addresses the importance of bringing people together through food and gatherings, while grounding yourself in the process.
Impostor Syndrome, Comparison and the Mental Tolls of Social Media
Working in social media full-time can be a taxing and exhausting industry. Over the years, Mullen has learned how to develop boundaries, build self-confidence and stay true to herself. This talk is all about the struggles of switching jobs in different industries, avoiding comparison, decoding the Instagram algorithm, and separating your identity and self-worth from likes and engagement. She also looks at the positive aspects of social media and how it can be used for good.
Taking The Leap – Quitting My Dream Job for My Passion
Marissa Mullen had her dream job in the music industry. She always thought she knew what she wanted to do, until her intuition and a spark of passion led her down a different path. This talk is all about following that inner voice, setting realistic goals, and never taking no for an answer. It’s also a story about trusting timing, learning from failures, and acknowledging the ebbs and flows of working in a creative field.
-
Video
-
Books by Marissa Mullen
-
Media About Marissa Mullen
Request Fees
and Availability
- 212 572-2013
- Marissa Mullen travels from New York, NY
Featured Title
That Cheese Plate Will Change Your Life
“[Marissa Mullen] takes the guesswork out of the coolest, most solid thing to bring to any party or potluck: the cheese platter.”
—Rachael Ray
Similar Speakers
Melissa d’Arabian
Celebrity chef, TV host, and bestselling author
Kwame Onwuachi
James Beard award-winning chef and Top Chef guest judge