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

Chesley, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Owning a business isn’t always glamorous and so most business owners we’ve connected with have shared that on tough days they sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have just had a regular job instead of all the responsibility of running a business. Have you ever felt that way?

I’d like to start by saying that I am thrilled to be a small business owner. I always thought that there was something out there for me to make my own, but I never knew exactly what that was. With that being said, being your own boss and running a business comes with its own highs and lows.

As if running my business wasn’t enough, I am also a mother to an almost 5 year old, and I’m getting married in June of 2023. Yes… you heard that right. A mother, running a business, planning a wedding, while also managing a household AND making time to focus on my partner. With that comes a lot of late nights, early mornings, and juggling. I do not get to “clock out”… ever. If it isn’t one thing, it’s the next. Now you might be asking “then why don’t you get a regular job”? Sometimes I catch myself asking the same question, but the flexibility and reward that comes with running a business is unmatched. While I do not get to “clock out”, I decide when I want to work, and when I don’t. PTO? Never heard of it. That vacation that I’ve always wanted to take? I took it, and I booked another.

The driving force that brought me to step away from corporate America to start my own business was to stay home with my daughter. This is time that I will never get back, and I was sick of paying someone else to raise my daughter, while also making memories with her that I should be making.

So yes, sometimes when the going gets tough and I feel like I’m struggling to keep my head above water, I think about what life would be like if I worked a “normal job”. However, I’ve been there, and I prefer to live my life and run my business on my own terms, not somebody else’s.

Chesley, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

For those of you who don’t know me, hi! My name is Chesley, and I am the owner/founder of a charcuterie business located in Grand Rapids, MI called Say Cheese GR.

I was previously working a sales job in corporate America, and was suddenly furloughed in March of 2020 when the world shut down. Much like everyone else, I was terrified, and worried about what I would do next to provide for my family. With that, a new thought process was sparked in my mind. I knew that what I was doing was not my lifelong goal, and quite frankly did not fill my bucket. I started making cheeseboards for friends/family whenever we celebrated a special event or holiday. Easter of 2020 was no different (well… you know what I mean). My family came over and we did an easter egg hunt for our daughter in the backyard, and I put together a cheeseboard for my family to snack on. Later that night it hit me. I had the idea to create a business making, selling, and delivering cheeseboards around Grand Rapids. I mentioned it to my fiancé, and at first he thought I lost it. Then being my biggest supporter, he told me to “go for it”. So I did.

I launched my instagram (@saycheesegr) on April 18th, 2020. A few short weeks later for mothers day weekend I had over 30 orders. I had no Idea what I just started. Fast-forward 2+ years and almost 12,000 followers later, Say Cheese GR is bigger than I ever imagined. I now make/deliver boards, create huge grazing tables, host workshops, sell merchandise, I have done several news segments, and I’ve had the opportunity to partner with several amazing businesses in the Grand Rapids area.

My business blew up and was busy when the world was shut down and people weren’t supposed to be entertaining. Now that everything is getting back to normal again, I am so happy to say that my business idea wasn’t just a fluke success when people were bored and hungry.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Social media truly is a beast of its own! I often get asked how I built a social media presence, and my answer still remains the same. First, don’t be phony. Post what feels good/right to you, not what others are telling you to do. If you don’t feel like posting for a day, don’t! I found that when I was forcing myself to post to keep up with the algorithm, my audience seemed less interested and less engaged. I would be too if the content that I was seeing had no spark or meaning to it. The burnout is real with social media, and I can speak on that from experience. Change things up to keep yourself and your audience interested. Think of new ideas/trends, and just be yourself.

My second piece of advice would be to stay consistent. Tag the brands/inspired creators in your post and use the hashtags. I know it can get overwhelming, but there’s a method behind the madness, trust me.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

As mentioned previously, social media is a beast of its own. However, it is one of the best ways to grow your business and your clientele. I started posting on Instagram and my posts spoke for themselves, and then word of mouth came in to play. Once I had my first customer, they told a friend, then they told their friend, and it went from there.

Utilize social media and the tools that are available to you, but also be personable and engage with your clients. At the end of the day they are the ones who are supporting you.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.saycheesegr.com
• Instagram: @saycheesegr
• Facebook: @saycheesegr

Image Credits
Headshot holding board (black floral dress)- credit to Arianna Zimmerman Photography