Beauty as a Compass

Every detail matters to Elisa Marshall — The tiny chips that give plates their character, the story behind every chair surrounding her 14-person dinner table, and the feeling evoking questions she asks gathered around it, like: What made you smile today? Driven to find the beauty in every day, Elisa lives by Elsie de Wolfe’s wisdom: “I’m going to make everything around me beautiful, and that will be my life.” She began by asking - What do I love to do? Who do I love to do it with? - to combine all of her passions into the creation of her global cafes, Maman, and embodies this intentionality in every aspect of her life. We see the world through her creative lens as she shares how symbolic objects enliven the soul of a space and multi-sensory experiences “stimulate our being.”  Elisa and her husband and co-founder, Ben, are also the authors of Maman: The Cookbook: All-Day Recipes to Warm Your Heart. We delve into the importance of togetherness in the kitchen and the moments that become lifelong memories. Whether through sharing a meal or a lively cooking competition, they all center around “devoted time to sit down and really enjoy each other’s company.” *Editor’s note: We experienced a few sound fluctuations recording this episode remotely. Thank you for listening and understanding!