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

Kristy , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

I believe Success is in the eye of the beholder. It can look a bit different for each and every unique story and varies depending on where each person is in their journey. I contribute success to hard work, determination, setting examples for your children and overcoming difficult obstacles to get to where you want to be. I don’t measure success solely on how much revenue you are collecting or how many employees you have, but how I got my small business to become something that I am so proud of and can call my own. I started HoneyBerry as a stay at home mom trying to find a way to supplement our income while still being able to be home with my babies at a critical time in their lives. Little did I know I was unleashing a passion and a drive I didn’t know existed. I worked tirelessly finding my niche and then getting ahead of the trends. There were several things that didn’t work, lots of money wasted on new concepts and hours of research and trial & errors. There were several times when it would’ve been easier to give up, but perseverance and a “No Fail” attitude proved to win in the end. I think along this incredible journey as a small business owner, I have made my family proud, I have grown and cultivated the most amazing following and clientele, I have grown this little concept I had into a profitable business and I have taught my children that you can do anything you set your mind to. To me, that is what success feels like.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I have owned my small business for about 10 years, although it has changed and evolved over time. The main concept has always remained important… beautifully presented food that is captivating and is visually a piece of edible art. My demographic is…well EVERYONE! All types of people love to eat and love food. I like to elevate that experience and encourage you to eat with your eyes first. I primarily do all sorts of curated Charcuterie, although full service catering, delivered gifts, baskets, private dinners and meal preps are still widely available! Grazing Tables are an incredible way to show personality through food. Large table scapes filled entirely with cured meats, artisanal cheeses, fresh fruits, locally made baguettes, jams, local honey and other accompaniments. These are edible centerpieces and make for gorgeous pictures. I pride myself on being personable and really getting a feel of what the clients vision is and then seamlessly making it come to life without much effort on their end. They show up and are presented with a gorgeous array of curated food. We have a wonderful social media presents and love to share pictures, videos, seasonal specials and interact with our followers!

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

The primary source of all of my business in the beginning, was word-of-mouth. That trend definitely still continues to this day, although we have made social media a big presence. I believe in integrity and honesty within your market and that will show through your following. Clients talk, they tell their friends and their friends tell their friends… Have a reputable amazing client relationship from the beginning, all the way until the end, even after they have paid. Follow up with them after the event, and reach out again. Going out of your way and showing incredible customer service and punctuality, I feel goes a long way and people remember it. I also have really tried to stand out and offer unique services that other businesses in my area just aren’t doing. Make these experiences for your clients unforgettable, and they will become repeat clients.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

About two years into my business journey, and right after I had my son, I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. Anyone that is unfamiliar with this disease, it can be intensely debilitating and almost impossible to operate on a day-to-day basis, much less having two babies and a business to tend to. This was probably the most difficult time in my life, not only was I trying to keep these two young children happy, safe and involved in a normal social life, but also continue on an upward journey of growing this business and trying to succeed. There was a time when I just knew I couldn’t do it any longer, and not leaving the house and becoming a recluse seem to be the only option at the time. Something changed mentally at one point and I just knew that I had to keep moving forward. My husband has been my biggest cheerleader through this entire journey and he never gave up on me, I knew that I wanted to make him proud. Resilience is fighting and following through even though you don’t think you can.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @honeyberrycatering
• Facebook: Honeyberry&co Catering
• Other: Email: [email protected]