We were lucky to catch up with Megan Lewis recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Megan thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

I think success is an illusive thing. When starting a business, all I could think about is what is next? All everyone would ask is what is next? What does your next 5-10 years look like?

At one point my in my business journey, I hit a bump. Not a bump, a boulder I think. It was 2020, and Covid-19 was at it’s height. I had a company to run, two children under the age of 5, and my mom just passed away after a 9 year battle with cancer. My life had to pivot from “what’s next” to “how can I survive this”.

That experience made me look at success in a new light. Why can’t I be happy with the beautiful life and business I had created? What did I always have to be moving and running towards the next big thing? When you are your own boss, you can decide when enough is enough. I know I will never be a millionaire, but I provide a comfortable life for my family. I love what I do. I can take days off. Sometimes I nap. To me, that is when I reached a comfortable level of “Success”. Knowing that I can be comfortable and confident at any level my business is at.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Megan and I am the owner and Cheesemonger at Milk Made Catering in Fargo, ND. What is a cheesemonger you may ask? It is a person who curates and cares for Artisan cheese, ensuring that the legacy of the cheesemaker lives on, and that you are eating the best cheese possible.

When I graduated from Culinary School in 2010, I wanted to be a food stylist. I had big dreams of moving to New York or Chicago to work for a food magazine or show. Tale as old as time, I met my husband and never left. We built a beautiful life! I had the opportunity to work for a small business that was looking to start a cheese program. I LOVE CHEESE, and was excited to use my culinary background, retail experience, and excitement. When working there, I started making cheese platters, and I was hooked. It was like my love of food stying and cheese came together and had a baby, hence Milk Made.

I started Milk Made in 2017 as a cheese centric catering company offering an assortment of cheese and charcuterie, fresh produce, and breads and crackers. As a unique catering option, we sell platters for your small dinner party, all the way up to a group of 1,500 people. We also showcase our Grazing Tables, which turns your kitchen island or tables into an edible centerpiece. During Covid-19, we invited our “Oh Fer Cute’erie” cones! These walkable cheese platters were a hit from the very beginning, and we sell thousands of them a year.

In 2022 after years of customers asking: “where can we buy your cheeses?” we launched Bessie, our cheese shop on wheels. Our food trailer has a 6 foot cheese case at customer level, and allows us to sell bulk cheeses. I missed that interaction with customers. Sampling and figuring out the best fromage for them. It is so great! We park three days a week June-October.

When I started my company, cheese catering wasn’t necessarily a thing. You had amazing cheese shops and restaurants offering great cheeses and plates, but the concept of cheese platter catering wasn’t as wide spread as it is now. I took a risk opening an incubator type business with no store front, and it has been an interesting and exciting ride!

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

When we first launched a cheese only catering company, we had to say no, a lot.

We would often get calls or emails saying, “we would love some meats and cheeses, but could we also get some meatballs, spinach dip, and some drinks?”

Having past catering experience (and needing the money) made me question myself. Would it be worth it to do those other things? Could I afford to say no? The bottom line is that I wanted to be known for one thing. Cheese.

Saying no was the best thing I could have done. Staying true to the vision of the company and our true passion made us a go to for cheese classes, platters, and knowledge. It sets us apart. Our customer base knows we love cheese because that is all we do.

Alright – let’s talk about marketing or sales – do you have any fun stories about a risk you’ve taken or something else exciting on the sales and marketing side?

When starting Milk Made, I thought that I had to be like many other cheese shops. Fancy lettering, a cow, sheep, and goat logo. Very serious, very traditional. I had this idea of making these characters. Cheeses holding hands saying ” I want to grow mold with you.” or a salami in a top hat saying “Nice to Meat You!”. I was torn. Should I take a huge risk with my branding, or play it safe?

Luckily I was working with a designer who called out my struggle. He told me to stop being what I am not. I am fun, quirky, not too serious. Why shouldn’t my business branding be all of those things too? So I did it. I made the cheese people my logo. I have built a family of “cheesy” characters that my customers love.

I think you have to remember that your brand is YOU. No one will represent your business like you will. I still smile everyday at the vibe I have created. It is welcoming, funny, and cheerful.       

Contact Info:

• Website: www.milkmadecatering.com
• Instagram: @Milk_Made_Catering
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/milkmadecatering
• TikTok: milkmadecatering

Image Credits
Gabriel and Carissa Photography, Fargo, ND