We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kiaya Carmona a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Kiaya, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

In October of 2020 I was furloughed from my full time job of 5 years. With limited options of places to dine in I began hosting small dinners with friends at my home. While hosting I would take pictures and post them on my social media. Soon after that I received messages asking if I could create a charcuterie board for a bridal shower. I informed them that I was not selling my work, I was just posting for fun! The customer was persistent and adamant about placing the order, so I set a price and voila just like that the idea of Prepped by Pretty Plated was created!

Soon after my first order I continued posting and saw more orders coming in. I started to realize that there was a place for me in this market. I did not know of any other African American women in the Middle Tennessee area providing this service so I saw this as an opportunity to fill that void. At the start of 2021 I made a commitment to really go full force with this idea! I wrote down goals that I wanted to accomplish within my business. Becoming a vender for weddings, showers, and corporate events was at the top of my list. With in the year I achieved each goal that I set.

I truly enjoy making art of the grazing table and charcuterie boards that I create. With each event and each client I grow and become more in love with what was once a passion project turned into a full Entrepreneurial experience.

Kiaya, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Kiaya and I am the proud owner of Prepped by Pretty Plated. For 25 years I have called Nashville home and I am so thankful to this city for providing me with the clients necessary to expand and grow my business into the success it is today.

I got into the charcuterie business in the Fall of 2020, and something that once started as passion project soon emerged into a creative outlet for me and a transformative experience for my clients.

I love wowing clients during the moments that matter whether it be a proposal, baby shower, wedding, corporate event, or an intimate anniversary dinner. Overall I pride myself in offering personalized charcuterie cups, boards, and tables tailored to each client. Before each booking I discuss with my clients their taste preferences, dietary restrictions, and color schemes to get a mental vision of the kind charcuterie experience they would like to have. Through these conversations I can get to know my clients personally and expand their palates to new flavors and pairings. I often go above and beyond by adding a clients favorite flower to a board or little sweet treat which always leaves a lasting impression that their board was truly Prepped by Pretty Plated!

I am most proud of the peace, ease, and beautiful culinary creations I bring to clients big moments in life as well as their small ones!

As I always say, if food looks pretty it will taste pretty!

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Early on in 2021 Covid cases started to rise again. With that large gatherings were starting to slow down and sharing from a grazing table or a board was not ideal. Business began to slow down drastically for me! With that I started to think of other ways to ramp up my business and I came up with individual packaging for charcuterie minis! My first experience with this was for Valentine’s Day. I made mini charcuterie love boxes and started to make reels which was also becoming a new thing on social media. Within a week I had so many orders I could hardly keep up! That moment stands out to me. Instead of being discouraged or even thinking of taking months off untill Covid restrictions let up I got creative and approached the situation from a different angle which became a success.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

The best source of new clients has honestly been word of mouth. I pride myself on being professional and creating something unique and amazing for each client. With that I feel I have left a great impression on my clients. A lot of them are return customers and majority of my business comes from them spreading the word about my business. I appreciated every customer I have had the pleasure of serving. I have grown because of them and their reviews of my work.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @prettyplated_
• Other: All inquires [email protected]

Image Credits
Personalized picture Devin Wilson Jovonwilson.com Photos 1&2 Angel Asirvatham @angelpatriciaphoto Nashville Wedding Photographer Photos 3&4 Xavier Smith Xsvisuals.com