Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! What is your “backstory”?
I grew up in a foodie household, with a strong emphasis on bringing together friends and family through dinner parties, summer barbecues, holiday gatherings, etc. With a working mom in the PR industry, and a perfectionist father who worked in interior design, it was only natural I grew to love making aesthetically pleasing and tasty cheeseboards for every family get together. During COVID, my 18-year-old senior year of high school self, used charcuterie boards as a vessel for happiness and a little surprise and delight for my family, and I used this time to strengthen my charcuterie board building skills. Now four years later, I am a self-proclaimed cheese expert who has judged at the World Cheese Awards, but deep down I am still the same foodie who just loves the simple pleasures of an aesthetic instagrammable cheeseboard.
Can you share the funniest or most interesting story that happened to you since you started your company? What lessons or takeaways did you take from that experience?
I would say the greatest blessing of my business was having my dad join me in the endeavors of SS as my business partner a few months into the business. Being able to share all the highs and lows of the business with someone who understands me better than I know myself has been a true gift. The funniest moments of the business are always the chaos behind each beautiful grazing table. One time we had driven up to Napa Valley from Los Angeles, about 6 hours, for this beautiful wedding for 150 people. It was halfway through the setup of the table that my dad and I looked at each other and realized we had forgotten all of the fresh fruit for the table. With nearly one hour until showtime, we both had a serious moment of panic, and then followed it with a big laugh as we realized that there were five prepacked bags of fresh fruit sitting in the walk-in fridge in Los Angeles. In moments like this, I am so grateful to have my dad as my partner for the highest highs and the lowest lows, and everything in between!
What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
I think that beyond just a charcuterie board company aiming to make beautiful highly curated spreads, we provide an experience with every cheeseboard. Whether it be the time we catered a wedding and it turned out to be the only food served the entire night so my team stayed for hours refilling the grazing table, or donating a charcuterie board class every summer at Camp Jabberwocky, a camp for people with disabilities; we always try to go above and beyond with every spread we create and experience we curate. The most special part about being in this industry is being a part of people’s happiest moments and most special gatherings, so we try not to take any of these moments for granted.
Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are?
I am incredibly grateful for the role that Sofia Vergara has played in championing my business. She began ordering from me back in 2021, just a few months after I launched my business, and she has continued to shout me out on her Instagram, and has order from us dozens of times, and it has changed the trajectory of my business and life! Most recently, I had the opportunity to go on National Television to thank her for this moment and congratulate her on Griselda, and she remained the most humble girl boss known to society. She is an angel and I thank my lucky stars for her every day!
Are you working on any exciting projects now?
My most recent project was with Reynolds Wrap to launch their BBQterie Kit in partnership with ButcherBox! I worked closely with their teams to create an exclusive product perfect for summer barbecues, including ButcherBox’s high quality meats, Reynolds Wrap Heavy Duty Foil, and styling tips from myself! In every kit shipped nationwide, there is a list of the top 10 Charcuterie Styling Tips and Tricks to create the best “sophisticated” BBQ spread.
The kit comes with everything you need to make an impressive board and includes BBQterie tips to help you wow your guests all summer long. The first-of-its-kind BBQterie Kits are now available exclusively online nationwide to purchase for a limited time for $119 at ButcherBox.com (while supplies last).
How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?
I often think about the perfect combination of luck and hard work I curated in order to reach the success I have for Sophisticated Spreads at such a young age. I have always been hungry for opportunities, and I think back to the people who took a chance on me when I was first starting out and if it wasn’t for them, where would I be? I try to give back and give advice to small businesses starting out in the charcuterie world, whether it be through videos on TikTok and storytimes showing the real side of what its like owning a business, or through my charcuterie consultation call’s where I offer 1-to-1 phone call’s with aspiring entrepreneurs and answer all of their questions.
Do you have a favorite book that made a deep impact on your life? Can you share a story?
When I was younger, I wanted to become a doctor and someone told me to read When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalinithi. I remember reading his biography and realizing a few things, one of which was that I was not cut out for neurosurgery, but the second more poignant takeaway was understanding how beautiful it is to love what you do in life so much that if you were given a terminal diagnosis, you would spend your last days continuing to do the thing you love most. I changed the way I approached work and continue to remind myself of this all the time in how I run my business and how I approach my future.
Can you share 5 of the most difficult and most rewarding parts of being a “Twenty-Something founder”.
- Finding success at a young age forces you to hold yourself to a higher standard, which is great but also can create unrealistic standards for yourself.
- I am consistently the youngest person in the room, when it comes to business calls or opportunities, which is one of my biggest advantages, it just took me a while to see it that way.
- I used to tell people I was 25 when I worked at the farmers market selling cheese because I thought they would be more likely to trust me. I later realized my age is one of the greatest things about my approach to business and I should have been proud that I was 18 at the time.
- I approach business with a human centered approach, as opposed to a business mindset, which is a huge pro, but can also be a con.
- I think sometimes being so young and finding success for my business through social media can sometimes dismiss my success as a business owner and people could argue that I am more of an “influencer” which can hold a bad reputation, but the reality is that I was a business owner before I came an influencer, and my business will always come first!
What are the main takeaways that you would advise a twenty year old who is looking to found a business?
Launch quickly and adapt later! It is easier to launch something today, or tomorrow than it is to sit on your hands and keep adjusting things until it’s “perfect” for a launch in six months. The secret is that you will never be totally “ready” to go to market and the issues you will face once you launch are oftentimes unpredictable, so it’s better to start sooner than later!
Is there a person in the world that you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why?
I would love to have lunch with Ina Garten, the queen of the kitchen and the woman that holds the keys to my heart (and stomach). I have always appreciated her recipes and everything that Barefoot Contessa stands for, so for me it would be a clear winner to eat with Ina Garten, preferably in her home and enjoy a home cooked meal.
What is the best way our readers can follow you on social media?
You can follow me at @sophisticatedspreads on Instagram and TikTok!
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!