We were lucky to catch up with Debra Petties recently and have shared our conversation below.
Debra, appreciate you joining us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?
I started Lil’ Brie and Charcuterie during the pandemic out of curiosity and my love for art. I was somewhat familiar with charcuterie only by way of pictures. One day a close friend shared what another friend of a friend had created and sold as charcuterie boxes. Upon seeing the items she created, I felt this could be something I can do considering food is art and I loooove art. In March of 2021, I had a total knee replacement and during my recovery I had plenty of downtime to research more about Charcuterie and decided I wanted to give it a try. I remember to this day when I announced to my best friend that I was going to start my business. I was a novice and had no idea where to start but I forged ahead. As I look back at my beginning, I am in awe at where I started and what Lil’ Brie and Charcuterie has blossomed into. I have a contract with a top local Spa in Birmingham Michigan and countless repeat customers. The industry can be competitive however I have created a style that people have come to love and I’m excited to see what the future holds for my small business.
Debra, 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?
My name is Debra Petties, and I am an entrepreneur. I am the founder of Lil’ Brie & Charcuterie. I create unique, aesthetically appealing charcuterie boards and grazing tables for customers who want to WOW their guest at baby showers, birthday parties, inaugural events etc. In the last few years, charcuterie boards have literally blown up ten fold. I knew that I could marry my love for art with food. I pride myself in the little details that makes the food, in my customer’s words”, “too pretty to eat”. I am most proud for staying the course and bringing my vision to fruition. I want potential customers to know that there’s a charcuterie style that can appeal to any occasion and everyone deserves to try a charcuterie board at least once in their lifetime.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
Initially I shared a few pics of my charcuterie boards on my social media accounts however, I learned that I needed to create business pages solely for my company. I have learned to take advantage of “free marketing” via social media. At first, I would just post pics of my boards and always wondered why I would only get a few likes. I had to learn about proper lighting when shooting my content, having the right background for my pics and learning how to create “reels” with popular catching musics. Once I implemented these strategies, my social media presence grew which has exposed me to more customers.
What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?
I will say the best source of obtaining new clients is keeping my business relevant and current on various social media platforms. When I first got my business on social media, creating POST with multiple has tags was the most popular way to get yourself noticed however sometime during 2022, Instagram introduced REELS to their platform and it has exploded among users who have effectively used it to grow their businesses exposure ten fold.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Lil’ Brie and Charcuterie
- Facebook: Lil’ Brie and Charcuterie
- Other: Linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/Lilbrieandcharcuterie
Image Credits
Lil’ Brie & Charcuterie