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

Hi Nicole, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
When faced with a business decision that requires taking a leap of faith, we typically spend a decent amount of time and energy weighing the risk v.s reward amongst each other. Although, there are times we have to make executive decisions to meet a deadline or due to time constraints, or encounter the occasional “now-or-never” scenario. That’s what makes this job equally exciting and terrifying. We are learning to shift our mindset from viewing these decisions as risks, and more as new opportunities, without which we would not be able to scale our company to the level of success we want to achieve.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Charcuterie probably isn’t the first thing most people think of when planning provisions for a gathering, party, or event. That’s not the case for us. Every time we get to design a table or large board for someone, we spend days reeling over what we’ve already done, what we could do, and what’s never been done before. Our goal is to create something so beautifully unique and cohesive with the event that people stop to observe the art, appreciate it, and experience the different flavors and textures together. Hopefully when they walk away from our table, we will have inspired them to try something they normally wouldn’t, or hadn’t before.

We did have what we consider to be a very successful first 90 days in business, and although it came naturally, it wasn’t easy. We spent a lot of our own money, a lot of time, and a lot of energy to bring this vision to fruition. We’ve learned not to underprice our products, not to bite off more than we can chew (unless is Brie), and that organization and time management will make or break you as a small business owner. These are all things that you would think would be 100% obvious, which they are, but we have truly learned the value of these principles through experience.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
One of our all time favorite places to go is the Dallas Farmer’s Market. We would grab a drink from Juice Babe, or maybe a Bloody Mary and some oysters from Rex’s and then hit the shed for some farm fresh produce, and wrap up the day with a trip to Ruibal’s Nursery.

Caves is a cool spot in Arlington with a dive bar vibe and a large dog friendly patio and outdoor projector for movie showings. It’s a great spot to try out a few beers from the local breweries.

Social House in Fort Worth is one of the best spots for brunch on the weekend! The Crab Cake Benedict and Mimosa Tower is the best way to start your Sunday Funday with friends.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My business partner, and fellow Co-owner, Chelsea Sanchez, and I truly do have the BEST circle of supporters on our side. Our immediate families and close friends were the first to trust in our abilities and place orders. After that our network very quickly spiderwebbed into what it is now, which continually brings us new and repeat clientele.

Our first 2 team members, Mitchell Broussard and Jessica Miller, also deserve a HUGE shout out. Mitchell believed in our vision so much that he made us an offer to invest in our company very early on in the development process, and actively joined the team as a co-owner. He handles the company’s finances on the back end, and we are super grateful to have him!

Jessica is a rockstar Stay At Home Mom, and still finds time to help us do research, make phone calls, attend meetings, deliver orders, make store runs, and assist in prep and design of our large tables and orders. Her kitchen knowledge and expertise has been invaluable to us, and her contribution is greatly appreciated.

Website: www.stargrazeboards.com

Instagram: www.Instagram.com/StarGrazeBoards

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/star-graze-boards

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/StarGrazeBoards

Other: Pinterest – www.Pinterest.com/stargrazeboards Tik Tok- www.TikTok.com/@stargrazeboards

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