We recently connected with Mari Siman and have shared our conversation below.
Mari , appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?
Creating the company name Spread Joy, meant something very personal to me. My late grandparents carried the last name Joy and they embodied everything that comes with that name. Everyone who ever came in contact with them, knew how infectious their personalities were and the joy that filled their hearts. All the girls in our family, and granddaughters have Joy as their middle name. This last April we welcomed our first child, Ellie Joy and her personality spreads so much Joy. So when dabbling with various name ideas I knew I wanted it to speak to my values and my character. I love what I do, and if I can add a special touch to someone’s event, and Spread Joy throughout it, then my job is complete and my heart is full!
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
For as long as I can remember I have felt the desire to be artistic in my life in any way possible. I have another business where I create handmade greeting cards and offer calligraphy for weddings and special events. After I uprooted my whole life and my husband and I moved to North Carolina from California, I lost interest in that and it took the back seat, however I’ll always leave that door open because it’s something I know I am good at. For years my family has volunteered me to do the charcuterie for any family gathering or holiday, and has always encouraged me to start a business doing this. I’ve always loved to create charcuterie boards, not because it’s a trendy thing to do, but because I get to have full creative control and create such beautiful things. I honestly surprise myself a lot of the times, not knowing I was capable of more. I take pride in sourcing out the freshest ingredients and making sure every board is perfect, at least in my eyes. I try to think of new ideas, and get inspired by the latest trends in this industry to always push myself to do more & be better. What may take someone 30 minutes to create, I spend hours. It may not be the most time effective route, but to me attention to detail is everything. I want every customer to be wowed by their purchase, and leave people talking about it. I often get feedback that they are too pretty to eat, but I promise you they taste even better than they look! After many words of encouragement from family to start a business doing what I love, I finally decided to make the jump when my daughter was 5 months old. Being a mother is the ultimate dream for me, something I’ve always wanted and knew that no career could ever top that. But I also knew I wanted a purpose outside of being Ellie’s mama, to create something that she could be proud of within me. I put the idea out of creating this business in a local Facebook group, expecting absolutely nothing and got so much support and encouragement from complete strangers. It was in that moment I knew I had what it takes, and if I wanted to create this and make it a reality, I could. I guess the biggest thing I would like customers and followers to know is that, this is more than just a business, it’s a passion. I put the same amount of effort into every single board I create, I never want anyone to feel like they were thrown together, I take my time and ensure that what I’m producing is something I am proud of and something I am confident in serving. I am still trying to figure out what sets me apart from other businesses like mine, but what I do know is I will always be learning, I will always be trying my best, and I will always be willing to learn from mistakes that are bound to come with creating a business.
How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?
Each time I create a charcuterie board for a customer wether it be a returning customer or a new one I am always sure to ask a certain set of questions to show that I care and want to create something uniquely tailored to them, and their preferences. I ask about any allergies or dietary restrictions beforehand and offer substitutions to cater to their needs. I ask about any preferences or dislikes because I want them to know that I can truly create whatever your heart desires, within reason of course. And most importantly, I check in the following day to see how the product was enjoyed and if there were any suggestions or feedback. Feedback is so important when starting a business, and constructive criticism may be hard to hear initially but it is most beneficial to help you learn and grow as you succeed more.
Can you open up about how you funded your business?
Funding a small business from the jump can be so intimidating. With a new baby, and us becoming a one income household since our daughter arrived, I really didn’t know how this could be possible. I knew a loan was not in the question for the time being, and I didn’t think we could swing the out of pocket costs. One of the many things I love and adore about my husband is that he is my biggest fan. He encourages me to be the best version of myself, to follow my dreams, and to never give up. He encourages me to take risks, and go after things, and most of all he believes in me. Without him, this wouldn’t be possible. My husband has supported me every step of the way, and it wasn’t even a question for him, he knew he wanted to invest in my business and invest in my dreams, and he did just that. When money was tight, he still made sure that I could keep this business going, and I strive every day to make him and our daughter proud. I am such a small business that the costs haven’t been huge, but it does initially take a lot to begin acquiring all your products.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Spreadjoy.charcuterie