Today we’d like to introduce you to Vivian Smith.
Hi Vivian, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am a “creative” at heart, so I have always had a love for all things unique, innovative, and just downright different. My love for charcuterie was first cultivated while serving on the hospitality team in my local church in my teenage years. I was always tasked to create fruit and breakfast trays for all the people who served that Sunday. I would always feel like the fruit and pastries needed some extra pizzazz and would cut the fruit up in different shapes or designs or arrange the pastries in a charcuterie-style layout for a little more umph; always wanting my trays to look “different”. Fast forward through college, marriage, motherhood, and divorce, I found that the creative side of me that I loved so much had gone dormant for some time, and was now itching to return. I began to try and find new outlets to fuel that creative bug and in doing so, stumbled upon charcuterie.
I began to make charcuterie boards for different events for my close friends and family until one day someone asked me “How much do you charge for your boards”? I was at a loss because I never fathomed that this hobby I enjoyed doing could actually make money?! After that moment, I began to put pen to paper and write out my charcuterie board ideas; from the products, I’d use all the way down to sketching the designs of my layouts for my grazing tables. From that young girl making fruit trays in church to me launching my small business; my passion for all things charcuterie and charcuterie-style had come full circle.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There have definitely been challenges, to say the least. As a single mother of a beautiful daughter, there aren’t enough hours in the day most days. Balancing time between motherhood, work and trying to have somewhat of a personal life has been a struggle, but I’ve always been up for a challenge. My faith in God has most certainly been my anchor in all of the life changes I have experienced and every day I simply THANK GOD. I’ve also been extremely blessed to have a very supportive family who continuously helps me to manage the multiple hats that I wear. In addition to that, I make sure to surround myself with other entrepreneurs and go-getter woman and men who inspire me to keep using this God-given talent that I have.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am what I call a self-taught charcuterie stylist. For me, it’s all about presentation when I style my boards and grazing tables. I’m looking for fruits with the brightest colors and new artisan cheeses that will set my boards apart. I pride myself in customizing my client’s grazing tables and charcuterie boards with themes, colors, and even cheese letters to match the occasion. As a black-owned business, I wanted to provide this style of grazing tables and charcuterie to people like myself to show them that charcuterie is not just some ostentatious form of serving food that was inaccessible to us. Ultimately, I wanted to bring Charkuteri into my culture with a “have it your way” spin.
What sets me apart from most charcuterie artists is my willingness to think outside of the box. Whatever my clients want to be served charcuterie-style, I source and we make it happen. In my world, everything is charcuterie!
Outside of raising my child, I’m most proud of being able to start my small business after all the adversities that were meant to hold me back. It’s never too late to start again and get back to the things you are passionate about. I am living proof that your God-given gifts will in fact make room for you.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
I attribute the success of my business first to my creator and secondly to my commitment to trying new things while thinking outside the box. My clients love to give me a theme and then give me the creative freedom to interpret that theme onto my grazing tables and boards. The success I have experienced a newer small business has been nothing short of favor mixed with my creativity and presentation.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: charkuteri_by_vi
- Facebook: charkuteri_by_vi
Image Credits
Antonio Weaver Photography Fredrick Bailey Photography
