Today we’d like to introduce you to Matt Tulpa.
Hi Matt, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I started cooking because I was a curious, young student home on summer break from college. Cooking was always something that I wanted to try, and I knew that as I progressed through school, I’d be less likely to take a risk and try something new that required a substantial time devotion.
Once I graduated from dishwashing, the repetition, compounding culmination of small efforts, and physicality of cooking were (and still are) akin to the discipline I experienced in competitive long-distance running. I was naturally drawn to the potential creative aspect as well. Later did I learn how the business could satisfy me academically, entrepreneurially, and financially as well.
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’s been a very smooth road. I have never experienced any challenges other than the existential dread of self-doubt, imposter syndrome, severe depression, the miracle of fatherhood, financial despair, a global pandemic, and fucking up a batch of chocolate chip cookies every once in a while. Couple that with the minor decision of contemplating a corporate career or life in academia (I went on to finish a degree in psychology), or blue-collar, back-bending, and time-consuming work, and I’d say there has been no shortage of wind in my sail.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m most proud of earning a living doing something that I absolutely love, despite it being confusing and difficult for my friends and family by proxy. I couldn’t imagine not caring about the vast majority of how I conduct myself, what I sell, how I sell it, how I get to experience the world through whichever lens I choose, and who I get to meet along the way.
The life of a cook is all-encompassing. It never shuts off and my friends and family are probably sick of hearing about all of its nodes every single day. But at the very least, I hope its gritty message is contagious.
I can wax poetic all day about the warm fuzzies you get by listening to your true calling, but at the end of the day, I just try to make delicious food that strikes a balance between what I want to cook and what people want to eat and pay for. That way I can keep cooking for as long as I’m physically able to.
Cooking is a learned skill first. However, it does have artistic nuances that I really enjoy. That’s why I really enjoy cooking food over fire because it’s primitive but serving it in a way that you would never even want to replicate at home.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Something I feel that doesn’t get spoken about enough in this industry is your physical shape. We like to talk about your desire, your passion, and your skill, etc., etc., but I feel that physically training for the job that you do couldn’t be more important. I see this career as a physical and mental endurance race, and if you’re not condition for both you’re not going to last long.
Contact Info:
- Email: Matt@coffeedownunder.com
- Website: Shelbydetroit.com
- Instagram: @shelbydetroit
Image Credits
@tour.lalto
@jasonkeenco
@gerardbelevender
