We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Abi Schlesinger. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Abi below.

Abi, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

Charcuterie has been a tradition in my family for the past few years, and it was something that we all enjoyed doing together, since we all live in different states and only see each other a few times a year! As we continued to build more boards for family trips, I had friends suggest turning it into a business after seeing the boards we had made on my own personal Instagram account! At the time, I was 16 years old and a junior in high school! I had a passion for community and surrounding yourself with good people, and charcuterie is a great way to do that! So, in November of 2020, I decided to turn our family hobby into a business! Since then, I have been so blessed by the endless support of friends and family as this business has continued to grow and expand!

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

We are a Phoenix based charcuterie business that specializes in charcuterie boxes, grazing tables, and classes! We started in 2o20 with the hopes of fostering community for our clients by creating a stress-free way to provide food for their next event! Charcuterie started out as a family tradition and after suggestions from friends to turn it into a business, I decided to go for it! I started the business at 16 years old, while I was a junior in high school. Community was always very important in me in my life, and I had a passion for cultivating a way for people to gather with their loved ones – and charcuterie is a great way to do that! So, in November of 2020, I officially opened the business to accept orders and since then, I have been so blessed by the endless support of friends and family as this business has continued to grow and expand! Through the support of my family, we now serve areas all around Arizona, as well as parts of Utah! Through owning the business, I was still able to participate in sports and student council in my high school, while also pursuing my goals as a business owner! Our approach was to focus on a community oriented business that created a space for people to be able to gather together and build community. I have been so blessed by some amazing relationships in my life, and I wanted to create an opportunity for people to come together and enjoy some good food without the stress of hosting and preparing an elaborate meal. We now offer charcuterie boxes and grazing tables for various events from baby showers to weddings, as well as online and in-person charcuterie building classes! Our team is so honored to be able to come into homes and event spaces, and be a small part of the event that is being hosted – it truly is an honor! We love seeing the excitement and celebration surrounding each of our clients milestone events! I am now a freshman in college at Grand Canyon University, and get to continue to pursue my dreams of expanding my business and cultivating community in Phoenix and Salt Lake City, while learning from some amazing individuals in the College of Business, and participating in various social events on campus! I am so proud and grateful of just how far we have gotten in the last two and a half years, and we have had the honor of providing boards for people who have been influential in my life and I am excited to continue to provide charcuterie for people in my community!

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

It is so important to find ways to get involved in the local small business community – online and in-person! By connecting with fellow small business owners, I have been able to grow and expand! The power of word of mouth marketing is crucial in business, and by building good relationships with other individuals in a similar field, you have the potential to reach more clients! We have had the opportunity to befriend lots of small business owners local to our area, and it is so great to get to support them in the amazing things that they are doing, and it is so special to be able to support other people working so hard to grow a business! Surrounding yourself with other small business owners is also important, because all of these people are experiencing the same things that you as a small business owner are experiencing! It is very hard and exhausting to own a business, but the love and support of people who know exactly what you are feeling and can encourage you through it help you to continue pushing through!

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

Social media is such a positive tool that most definitely should be utilized when trying to grow a business and find new clients! Social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook are great opportunities to represent your brand and show potential clients what services you offer! By sharing various photos and videos, clients can see your content regularly, learn more about your brand, and it keeps your business in the back of their minds for when they are planning their next event! Tools like Instagram Reels and hashtags are wonderful for presenting your content to clients who do not already follow your business! We have also grown through word of mouth marketing from preexisting clients and other small business owners that we have worked with!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://charcuteriecollective.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/charcuteriecollective/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/charcuteriecollective/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/charcuteriecollective?trk=public_profile_experience-item_profile-section-card_subtitle-click

Image Credits
Good Vibe Media Girl Squad Media