We recently connected with Stephanie Sanchez and have shared our conversation below.

Stephanie, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What do you think it takes to be successful?

Persistence, work ethic and passion — these are the characteristics I believe it takes to be successful.

As a little girl, I witnessed these characteristics in the women who raised me — my mother and grandmother. Although they didn’t have an outpouring of financial wealth and we often lived paycheck to paycheck; in my eyes, they were successful. They epitomized how “the will to keep going” and hard work can help you reach any goal. Their greatest goal — other than making sure their family was cared for — was for me and my siblings to have opportunities not afforded to them.

Now as an entrepreneur, I realize that on top of persistence and work ethic, you also must possess passion to keep working toward success.

Stephanie, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Mindlessly scrolling through Facebook in December 2021, I came across a post from a colleague asking for charcuterie board recommendations for New Year’s Day. I already was making a board for my family, so I reached out offering to make her a board. She said yes.

A day later, that same colleague reached out asking if I would be willing to make a board for her friend as well. I said yes.

Grazing with Steph was born.

Grazing with Steph thoughtfully and carefully curates beautiful and delicious charcuterie, brunch and sweet boards and grazing tables. I also offer workshops teaching others how to put together their own charcuterie boards.

When working with clients, my goal is always to provide the freshest items and offer a range of flavors and textures. The greatest feeling is when I hear back from my clients on how wonderful and delicious their board was or how they loved the cheeses or how they enjoyed all the various elements of their board.

Although I love a classic charcuterie board, I also try to be creative and innovative in my approach when appropriate. For example, at a recent business grand opening, I made their logo a focal point of my grazing table by applying an edible image on cheese. I also often personalize boards with edible ink on cheese or topper and I hand paint designs on cheese. During Dia de Los Muertos, I created a calavera catrina by hand carving and painting cheese.

I think my previous careers and jobs have helped me as a charcuterie business owner. I have been a restaurant server, leasing consultant, reporter for a newspaper, communications specialist and most recently an elementary school teacher. I think I have been able to apply the various experiences I have gained in these roles in my business.

Grazing with Steph now is my full time business other than being a mom to my seven-year-old son and four-year-old daughter. Although I love being a business owner and mom, I don’t think I have ever worked harder. However, I hope that my children will witness the benefit of persistence, hard work and passion just as I did when I was a little girl. My hope is that they instill and carry these characteristics throughout their lives.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

The most effective strategy in building my clientele is organic marketing. I think putting out a really thoughtful and quality product has helped with frequently returning clients and those clients love to share their experience with Grazing with Steph with their family and friends. Of course, I do post well-lit photos of my work and various reels to social media, but I think my passion and love for what I do is at the root and is really conveyed through my work. I also love to get out into the community and do popup markets to meet people.

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

Grazing with Steph began as a side hustle and I officially went full time in July 2022. At the time I started my business, I was a second grade teacher. I think having a career and stable income allowed me to take risks with my business. I knew there was something I truly enjoyed about putting together a stunning charcuterie board. It was therapeutic and a way to truly express my creativity, and I thought about how amazing it would be to get paid for it. Growing my audience on social media helped scale my business and helped me make the decision to go full time.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @grazingwithsteph
• Facebook: Grazing with Steph
• Other: Email: [email protected]

Image Credits
Personal photo by Serendipity Social Co.