We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Chelsea O’Leary a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

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

My grandmother, Grandma Trudy, first exemplified the value and beauty of home food preservation. She canned, pickled, and preserved the fruits and vegetables she grew and sourced throughout the spring, summer, and autumn seasons. She then turned those canned, pickled, and preserved fruits and vegetables into delicious, nourishing, and comforting dishes. I loved everything about her canned goods: the flavorful way they tasted, the colorful way they looked, and the sweet, wholesome way they completed her kitchen.

Grandma Trudy’s love language was cooking her family homemade food. She constantly gathered us around her old, wooden table—one set with quilted napkins, simple serve ware, and chili made from canned tomatoes. I recognize and savor how rare it was to be raised in the presence of someone like Grandma Trudy—someone who kept her life simple and prioritized. She treasured great food and time with family, and she consistently created space for both of those things.

Canning, pickling, and preserving now bring great meaning to my life. Through Wiley Canning Company, named after my grandmother, I now create and teach canning, pickling, and preserving recipes and workshops. In doing so, I honor my grandmother and the long, beautiful life she lived. I also carry forward something I deeply value about my family’s past.

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

I’m a Nashville-based artist, entrepreneur, and home food preserver. I am the founder and owner of Wiley Canning Company, a company dedicated to canning, pickling, and preserving local and seasonal fruits and vegetables. Through Wiley, I create recipes and host workshops to teach others to can, pickle, and preserve as well. My first cookbook, “The Wiley Canning Company Cookbook”, arrives this March.

I also explore photography through both a film and digital format, and I am especially drawn to photographing fruits and vegetables. I have always loved photography, but recently, I’ve narrowed the focus of my subjects. This feels more disciplined and meaningful to me in practice.

When I’m not canning, pickling, preserving, or creating photographs, I value and seek meaningful, curiosity-driven dialogue. I love to write and run, and I cherish time spent with my husband, Jared, and son, Sullivan.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Three things, I believe, that have helped establish and build my reputation are: consistency, honesty, and continued education. Since Wiley began, I’ve reliably sent a newsletter every Friday that includes a review of our week, what’s to come the following week, company announcements, and a short essay about any topic on my mind—a topic that has recently influenced the way I think, live, and work. I also feel very committed to the truth, quality, and limitations of my personal knowledge and skillset. For example, I do not attempt to teach every aspect of home food preservation; I only attempt to teach what I myself deeply, widely, and scientifically understand and practice. Finally, I myself identify as a student of home food preservation, and I am consistently seeking new knowledge and classwork myself.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

I believe it is best to identify, focus on, and grow the natural strengths of your team members. In other words, it is best to strengthen strengths. This is much better—much more productive—than identifying, focusing on, and attempting to change the natural deficits of your team members. In other words, the health and success of a team increases when we invest in growing natural strengths, not changing natural deficits. I believe this is true for team members and in partnerships, friendships, and familial relationships.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.wileycanningcompany.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wileycanningcompany/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Wiley-Canning-Company-111425127296162
• Other: My personal website: https://www.chelseajoleary.com My personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chelseajoleary/

Image Credits
My portrait was taken by Zachary Gray. His Instagram handle is: @zacharygray.