We had the good fortune of connecting with Emily and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Emily, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Since I was a kid, I have loved charcuterie, although growing up my parents referred to it as “cold cuts.” It was a very simple platter of fruit, cheese, meat and a baguette or crackers. It was my favorite meal and we would only have it on very specific special occasions, like New Years Eve. Earlier this year I was co-hosting a baby shower and was responsible for the charcuterie boards. I had so much fun making them and they were very well received. I thought, “hey, what if I did this all the time and started to sell them?” So, I created an Instagram and an email address on a whim. All of a sudden I was getting orders before I had even ironed out a pricelist or supplies. It was overwhelming in the best way.

I really like to think of this project more as a fun hobby that brings in extra cash than a “business.” For me, calling it a business makes it feel like “work” and I already have enough of that 🙂


Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

Honestly, The Cutting Board DFW is only a few months into hopefully a long tenure in the charcuterie world. I am still learning and I am confident there will be both a lot of mistakes made and learning happening in the near future. Ultimately, I am just happy to have a creative outlet in addition to my full-time job. I recently created a board for a Ouija party! Did you know that was a thing, because I definitely did not.

I’m really just excited to share my love of meats and cheeses and jams and crackers and dips (I could go on and on) with others.


If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
This is a great question because whenever I have a friend come to town, there are three places I have to take them:

1) Armoury D.E.
2) Dallas Farmer’s Market
3) Peticolas Brewing Company Taproom (honestly, you could probably find me here most weekends)

Aside from these staples other great locations for visitors are:

1) Dallas Arboretum
2) Bishop Arts – love to just walk around and browse the shops. We Are 1976 is probably my favorite.
3) Don’t be weirded out, but we spend a lot of time driving through neighbors and picking out our ideal houses. My friends and I are easily pleased.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The support of friends and family have really been the driving factor in this small “start-up.” From purchasing boards, to general words of encouragement, they have been motivating. If when I presented them with this possibility they had said, “Emily, this is such a dumb idea” I absolutely would not have jumped into this endeavor haha! Their opinions really matter to me, so I’m thankful that was not their response.

Instagram: @thecuttingboarddfw

Other: thecuttingboarddfw@gmail.com

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutDFW is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.