Today we’d like to introduce you to Shelby Powell.
Hi Shelby, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My love for food began in high school, inspired by the Food Network, family gatherings, and the way food brought people together. In college, I started cooking and baking for friends, using the kitchen to recreate that sense of community.
After moving to Raleigh in 2023, I spent about a year building connections in a new city. Once I found my community, I began selling plates and desserts at House of Art Raleigh. That experience showed me that something I had always done out of love could become a business.
From there, Unicornlyfe Eats grew into catering, pop-ups, curated food experiences, desserts, beverage concepts, and bartending. As a licensed bartender, I also began creating crafted drinks, always focusing on the experience not just the food.
That creativity led to my specialty lemonade line, featuring customer favorites like Peach Basil, Lavender, and Passionfruit. I see the potential for it to become its own beverage brand, with the long-term goal of bottling it and placing it on local store shelves.
At the heart of Unicornlyfe Eats is my love for creating things that bring people together. I enjoy taking an idea, putting my own spin on it, and turning it into something people can enjoy and remember. I’m excited to keep growing, trying new things, and seeing where this journey takes me.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It definitely has not been a smooth road. One of my biggest struggles has been learning the business side while still trying to protect the creativity that made me want to do this in the first place. I have had to learn everything from pricing and budgeting to marketing, purchasing, preparing for events, and figuring out how to grow without getting ahead of myself.
There have been times when things did not go as planned, events were stressful, sales were unpredictable, or I had to figure something out at the last minute. As a small business owner, there is no one else to hand the problem to. You have to find a solution and keep moving.
I have also had to learn that growth takes time. I have so many ideas for Unicornlyfe Eats, from expanding catering and curated experiences to growing the lemonade line into its own beverage brand. Sometimes I want to do everything at once, but I have had to learn to build each piece intentionally. The challenges have made me more resourceful, confident, and patient with the process.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Unicornlyfe Eats is a food, beverage, and experience brand centered around creativity, flavor, and bringing people together. We specialize in catering, pop ups, desserts, curated food experiences, specialty beverages, and licensed bartending services.
What sets Unicornlyfe Eats apart is that I am not interested in simply offering people a plate of food. I want every experience to feel intentional, memorable, and uniquely Unicornlyfe. I enjoy taking familiar foods and drinks and putting my own creative spin on them, whether that is through a menu, a specialty drink, a dessert, or the way an event comes together.
Our specialty lemonade line has also become an exciting part of the brand, with customer favorites including Peach Basil, Lavender, and Passionfruit. What began as a beverage offering for events is growing into its own branch of Unicornlyfe Eats, with the long term goal of expanding into bottled lemonade and local retail.
One of the things I am most proud of brand wise is how much Unicornlyfe Eats has evolved while still feeling true to who I am. It has grown beyond just selling food into creating experiences and developing products that people can connect with. I want readers to know that Unicornlyfe Eats is a brand that is always creating, experimenting, and evolving. There is a lot more to come, and I am excited about building a brand that people recognize not only for good food, but for creativity, personality, and experiences they remember.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
What makes me happiest is being surrounded by good people, good food, and good energy. I love laughing, trying new things, traveling, discovering new restaurants, and creating memories with the people I care about.
I also genuinely enjoy creating. Whether I am developing a new recipe, coming up with a lemonade flavor, planning an event, or turning an idea in my head into something real, there is something really fulfilling about seeing my creativity come to life.
More than anything, I think I am happiest when I am able to make other people happy. Seeing someone genuinely enjoy something I cooked, love a drink I created, or leave an experience with a smile reminds me why I love what I do. For me, happiness is really about connection, creativity, and being able to enjoy the life I am building for myself.
Pricing:
- Lemonades are $7
- Pricing is truly dependent on the needs
Contact Info:
