Today we’d like to introduce you to Jashell Smith.
Hi Jashell, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Born and raised in San Diego, my journey has taken me across nearly every corner of the county. From growing up in Lemon Grove and attending school in Point Loma, to finishing high school in La Mesa, earning my bachelor’s degree in Psychology at Cal State University San Marcos, and living everywhere from San Marcos, to El Cajon and Chula Vista along the way. Experiencing San Diego so fully has given me a deep appreciation for the city’s diversity, especially the way culture, art, and food intersect here. As I navigated adulthood, food became a natural way for me to connect with people from different backgrounds. What began as casual lunch and dinner outings with people I love slowly evolved into something more meaningful: a desire to capture and share the beauty of the food, spaces, and experiences that make San Diego special.
My content creation truly took shape after a trip to Cancun in the winter of 2023, where I was struck by the resort’s modern architectural design. The symmetry, geometry, and intentionality of the space felt like art. After feeling so inspired, I began photographing similar liminal, design focused spaces when I returned home, highlighting restaurants, resorts, bars, cafés, and lounges throughout San Diego. These images unexpectedly went viral, resonating with audiences who were drawn not only to the aesthetic but also to the romantic, date-night energy they captured. From there, my content naturally expanded into foodie recommendations, date-night planning, café and restaurant reviews, and event recaps. Over the past year, I’ve worked with dozens of local businesses creating video and photo content. I have accumulated roughly 5 million views on TikTok, gaining 3.5 million of those within just the last five months. Today, I take pride in being known as one of San Diego’s go-to date night planners, helping couples and friends discover the perfect place to gather, connect, and create memories in a city I deeply love.
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?
Even after consistently going viral, it can still be challenging to convert these views into dedicated followers. With this in mind, I decided to start sharing things do to in San Diego, and beyond covering all regions of southern California from San Diego, to Orange County and Los Angeles. Although I am still in a growth phase, the best part of being a local content creator has been meeting so many cool business owners and other local foodies that are extremely passionate about what they do. The restaurant scene and foodie community in San Diego is very supportive and local businesses do a great job building relationships with us. The real life connections that I have made along this journey are truly priceless and make it all worth it.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Most people do not know this but professionally I work as a clinical research coordinator in the field of Psychiatry. Our research team administers non-invasive neuromodulatory brain stimulation as a form of treatment for people with treatment resistant depression (TRD). We use biotechnology like Electroencephalography (EEG) and Electromyography (EMG) to conduct biomarker research to help better our understanding of how different people may respond to various forms of treatments for depression. We are currently comparing physiological treatment outcomes of patients who receive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT), and Ketamine treatments. This will help physicians in the future be able to better predict which treatments will be most effective for a particular individual based on their physiological biomarkers. This will eventually eliminate the lengthy trial and error process many patients experience when trying to treat TRD.
Creatively, I have a love for photography, writing and digital music and look forward to merging these passions together under one platform.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
What matters the most to me will always be the people I love. I believe enjoying the life we have been given should always be prioritized. Deepening connections with family and friends over food, beverages, and shared experience is one of the easiest ways to maintain a balanced and happy life. I have a deep appreciation for my family, my friends and anyone who ever offered me kindness at no cost. It is greatly fulfilling to share content that inspires others to get out, get connected, and get the most out of what their local community has to offer.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shllzmllo/
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@shellzmello
Image Credits
Personal Portrait: Jasmine from Jade Studios
