Meet LAUREN SONZA | Mom, Police wife, & Charcutier

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

Hi LAUREN, what do you attribute your success to?
Making charcuterie boards is a way for me to relax and to get creative. The most important factor behind the success of my business is making sure my customers are more than satisfied with the product and that creating a board is a labor of love and passion, and not creating stress. For me it was never about the financial gain, it is about the happiness my boards bring to my customer. I aim to make sure my customers are getting exactly what they envisioned, and I always welcome any feedback. The memories built around enjoying a delicious charcuterie board is what is most important to me.

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.
What sets me apart from others is that this is not about the financial gain, but all that I do is a labor of love and passion. To create a board that gives great satisfaction to my clients, the first thing that I take into account is their wishes and requests. I would not be truthful if I do not say that I get my inspiration from my customers. When I receive orders, I have a short conversation with a client and ask them what they want. From the short conversation, I start to get a feel of what my customer is trying to achieve. I then start envisioning the type of board and the creative juice just starts flowing. I love when customers provide me with their own personal board to create on. It always challenges me to create on a different canvas than what I’m used to and I feel like some of my best charcuterie boards are on customer’s personal boards. Another important thing for me is not to skimp on the cost when creating.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
a. I love this question! Being a transplant myself, I really enjoy taking all my friends who come to visit out to show them how much the DFW area has to offer. The one must see tourist thing I do with all my friends is go to Dealey Plaza and take them on the JFK tour. I love history so I it’s always fun to take them back into time and really soak in the tragic event that happened almost 60 years ago here in Dallas. I am such a foodie so vacations always center around good food and good drinks. For breakfast I love to go to Celebration near Dallas Love Field. They have one of the best chicken fried steaks I have ever had, and I have to share that with everyone. What’s a trip to Texas without some BBQ? I would of course take them to my favorite bbq place called Hurtado BBQ in Arlington. Their food is so delicious especially the brisket, pulled pork and Mac N cheese! You must get there early because they run out QUICK! For drinks I’d take my friends to Apothecary in Lower Greenville for some unique cocktails or Paradiso in Bishop Arts. We would end the night at The Vault in Mansfield for some delicious food and cocktails. The Vault has a unique concept of private wine and liquor lockers. My husband and I have recently become locker holders and have been able to acquire some rare wines and bourbons. It is a great place for the “locals to wine down” and enjoy some delicious food, libations, and some decadent desserts. My favorite dish is the Chilean Sea Bass and the Shrimp and Grits! They always have live music playing to set the ambience and WOW are the musicians talented!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
The first group of people I’d like to shoutout is my family, most especially my husband and parents. Without their love, support, and encouragement I would not be able to pursue my passion of making charcuterie boards for others. My husband and parents always take extra good care of the kids while I’m in my creative space so that I can always give my best to my customers. My cousin Samantha was also a huge help when I first decided I wanted to pursue making charcuterie boards. She always sent me Pinterest boards for inspiration, would help me get large orders ready, and was great at making sure my social media posts was presentable. I always had Samantha take a last look at my boards to see if there were any last-minute changes I should make. I really value her opinion when making my boards.

I also want to give a shoutout to Felicia Flores, an old friend from high school, who inspired me through her own charcuterie creations ( @Lefromagelove) and gave me some great advice when starting my own charcuterie business.

Lastly, I want to give a big shout out to one of my best friends, Kateri Hollingsworth. She was my very first customer. During the pandemic, she ordered 25 individual boards from me which was challenging but so enjoyable. Her large order helped push me to start this business after realizing how much I enjoyed creating a board and realizing I can do it. She also asked for feedback from those who received a board on what they liked and what I could’ve done differently which has helped immensely with all my boards.

A special thank you to my fellow Law Enforcement Officers wives that have supported my small business by ordering charcuterie boards and telling all their friends. They are constantly recommending me to new customers, most of who have become regulars. The LEO community is always so supportive, encouraging, and uplifting.

Instagram: @BoardandBlessed

Facebook: @BoardandBlessed

Image Credits
Ashley Michelle Photography