We recently connected with Kelsey Ochaba and have shared our conversation below.

Kelsey, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.

In 2021, I became a mom for the first time. For many, becoming a mom isn’t a monumental idea, but for me this was something I never thought I’d experience. For starters, I always thought I lacked a certain motherly instinct, and then, when we finally made the decision to start trying for children I struggled with fertility issues for 1.5 years. Once my first was born, I had anticipated returning to the classroom after a leave of one semester. However, three months into my leave and I realized I was about to take a huge risk and leap of faith to stay home full time with my son. Becoming a stay at home mom has been both scary and fulfilling for me—each day I am trying to navigate the person that I am as a mother while also managing the reality of what staying at home means. I’ve always been a worker at my core, which is why I struggled internally with this decision for a long time. During my time at home I’ve found odd jobs to occupy my time and contribute in some way to my family, including working as a college essay counselor, a Fit4Mom fitness instructor, and continuing odd jobs at my old teaching position. In 2024, I realized I enjoyed the artistic outlet of creating through food preparation and presentation and after connecting with my mom, created Born + Grazed. Our business is the product of risks from start to finish, and while I continue to take risks by actively choosing to be in business for myself daily, I do so knowing that I own my own time. Now, I have two beautiful kids and I am blessed to be able to raise them while bringing in an income at home and working alongside my mom.

Kelsey, 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 background is in fiction writing and teaching high school, neither of which seems likely to lead to a career as a self employed cheese slinger. However, I spent a decade in the restaurant industry working as everything from a host, to bartender, to manager and am a self proclaimed foodie. As a millennial, I was at the boom of the food blogging and instagram beginnings, and excitedly tried and followed many recipes from the early influencers. Now, I am a level 1 Cheese Academy Associate who is interested in moving into a level 2. I greatly enjoy customer service and engaging with my clientele. My tenacity in business owning is from my partner, and mom, who has owned her own businesses since she was in her twenties. I enjoy creating aesthetically pleasing photo opportunities as much as a fun atmosphere, which is why everything from our graze boxes to Bottomless Bar embraces the boho chic aesthetic so popular for weddings and events. My mom and I are proud, female business owners and want to encourage other women, which is why we choose to source as much as we can locally from fellow women owned companies.

How’d you meet your business partner?

My mom, Joan, is my business partner and best friend. My mom has owned her own businesses from the time she was in her early twenties, which means that I grew up watching her work and work hard. As a kid, I knew that my mom worked for herself, but what I didn’t realize is what that really meant. As someone who is part of the generation that was fast tracked to college, I assumed that working for yourself meant you’d somehow done less: what I now realize is that it is the most you can do. My mom owned her time, she created opportunity to do the most critical thing she could: raise me and my younger brother. I never realized how present my mom was compared to other parents in my high school, but as an adult I now see how she made her time her own so that she could give her time to us. In creating this new business, I have the opportunity to learn from and in turn do the same for my two babies as they grow older.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Life isn’t guaranteed in the way you think it will be. You can do all of the right things and still, life may find a way to put you on the path that is meant for you and not necessarily the one you think you’ll be on. In 2019, I was a high school teacher who was in charge of ASB, and wanted to eventually become a Dean. Then in February 2019, my brother passed away from an accidental fentanyl overdose. Then, the pandemic happened. Then, I had two miscarriages and fertility issues, and then, I nearly died in childbirth. All of these things put me on a trajectory that forced me to recognize the value of life and what living really meant. While I once found so much value in my title at work, I began to see the bigger picture. I had spent my whole life functioning under the illusion that I was in control, but life had different plans for me and it wasn’t until I took that leap in 2021 and decided to stay home with my son that o realized I was always headed this way. Now, I try to prioritize my life differently and place value on my work knowing that I am able to give my kids opportunity to experience life and to live it. In short, I had to unlearn that you live to work, and instead find that you must work to live.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Born-and-grazed.com
• Instagram: @bornand_grazed
• Facebook: Born + Grazed

Image Credits

Cody and Kendall Haines