We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Maya Sapp a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Maya, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

Growing up, my parents were always hosting people at our home. Whether it was a cookout, family reunion, or just because they felt like cooking. We looked for any excuse to have people over and my parents always made sure that they left a lasting impression on our guests. As I’ve gotten older, I have inherited that same hosting spirit and I’m always searching for a creative meal or drink to prepare for my loved ones. I love being extra! That’s just in my spirit, and one day about four years ago, I started seeing charcuterie boards on social media. I’m a creative girl, so I automatically took interest and wanted to try my hand at making one, but I knew I had to do it right because… again, I’m extra. For a good two years, I collected a plethora of charcuterie screenshots from social media and tucked them away for inspiration until I was ready to create. During the Christmas holiday, every year, my family from out of town comes to stay with us from the day after Christmas until New Year’s Eve. Of course in 2020, that tradition looked a little different given that we were in the middle of a global pandemic. So instead of leaving the house for family fun, we had to get a little creative inside. The year prior, we went a winery and did a wine tasting. So I decided to recreate that experience at home along with charcuterie. Of course this was all documented on my Instagram story, and the reactions that I received were shocking to say the least. People were speaking life into my business before I even had the idea of it. It came so easy to me, and it brought me joy during a time where life was just lifing. I knew that this was something that I wanted to pursue.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am in my late 20’s from Hampton, Virginia, which is apart of an area that we love to call by the area code, the 757. I got into creating charcuterie because my job at the time was draining me. I was extremely unhappy with my career, and it took a toll on my mental health. I felt that I needed a passion project to help me tap back into my personal creativity, and provide balance. I’ve been working in the retail/fashion industry for almost a decade now, but I knew that I didn’t want to do anything apparel or retail related. It would’ve been too predictable and felt too much like real work. But I love food, making a statement, luxury, and gathering people together. Charcuterie only made sense.

Cheers Charcuterie curates custom charcuterie boards as statement pieces for any event. Each board includes a creative assemble of meats, cheeses, fruits, crackers, snacks, etc to the customer’s liking. From birthdays to weddings to intimidate gatherings, Cheers’ goal is to offer an extra touch of fun, creativity, or even luxury to the customer’s experience.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

Social media and word of mouth for sure. Constantly creating reels on Instragram or just simply posting anything related to Cheers Charcuterie on any platform that allows sharing. Facebook has become my favorite, and for me, it’s extremely underrated. I’m Facebook friends with so many people from different walks of my life, and I am so grateful because they share anything that’s related to my business which results in their friends sharing it as well. Most of my clients have been complete strangers through those Facebook shares.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I love to create reels on Instagram, specifically of me building my boards. Social media has become such an educational platform through short videos but what I’ve learned is that people are intrigued in seeing the process and what goes into creating a product. They love to learn “how to” and become inspired so that they can do it themselves. Another thing that’s helpful are hashtags and music. Using trending sounds for videos and relevant hashtags put your post in the eyes of the consumer that it interests the most and gives them the opportunity to engage with your content.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://cheerscharcuterie.as.me/schedule.php
• Instagram: @cheerscharcuterieva

Image Credits
Titus Sapp II