If you are anything like me, "charcuterie" is a word that brings about instant pronunciation paralysis. I see the word on paper, or I see a board on the counter and I immediately open the dollar store thesaurus that lives in my brain. Cheese platter? Meat and cheese plate? Fruit, meat, and cheese dish? Eh, just give it to me so I can enjoy the flavors while I wallow in the shame of my linguistic laziness. My 7-year-old daughter told me to be brave, so I reached out to Hayley Heckethorn, the founder of Primrose Board Co. to face my oratory fears. What I learned was that there are few in the world of small business who match her enthusiasm, determination, and ability to hyper-focus on producing an unforgettable experience for her clients.

For so many of us, the pandemic of 2020 was a time of uncertainty in our lives. Simultaneously, social media algorithms hit their stride, resulting in a massive spike in humans mindlessly scrolling their various feeds while wondering if the world is coming to an end. Not so for Hayley. While the pandemic raged and people began to upload the minutiae details of their lives to social media, Hayley was taking notes and letting her inner voice be her guide.

“The concept of charcuterie became familiar to me during the pandemic, as I saw many trending videos about it on Instagram, Pinterest, and Tik Tok. I became obsessed with the idea of a charcuterie presentation as edible artwork.”

To succeed as an entrepreneur, more often than not, obsession is the level of effort to which one must rise. To quote Connor McGregor, one of the greatest mixed martial arts fighters of all time, "To do anything at a high level, it has to be total obsession." And so Hayley let her obsession guide her research. After consuming hours of content and hundreds of charcuterie ideas, she was left with one recurring thought progression. "I can do this myself" quickly became "I can do this myself, better."

Attention to detail is one of the defining characteristics of a small business owner. As an entrepreneur, Hayley is very process-driven. Her process, in large part, is to prioritize the details that need the most attention. This is a trait most business owners would rank as one of the best predictors of success.

"One aspect of owning a small business I truly enjoy is focusing on all the little details and getting everything just right."

While attention to detail is a defining characteristic, her process is a dual-faceted approach to the product and the business. Foremost, the process focuses on creating the best product by picking seasonal ingredients, conducting rigorous taste testing (the part of the process that brings the most joy), spending hours upon hours researching pairings and flavors, and being aware of what other charcuterie artists are doing.

"Anyone can put meat, cheese, and crackers on a plate." "My goal is to make a board that also serves the purpose of being an elegant centerpiece."

The second facet of her process is the business of the business, so to speak. As I learned more about Primrose Board Co., I realized Hayley’s business is almost 100% optimized for efficiency. She runs her business off of one platform, Instagram, with a link tree nestled inside for access to outside media and order forms. She has outsourced everything except what she needs to focus on. This model allows her to run at near-perfect levels of productivity.

"I love being able to meet every single person who orders from us." "As our business grows, I thought that hand-delivering all of our orders so we can meet and interact with all of our new and recurrent clients would set us apart and make the experience much more personable."

That is a master class on how to market your small business to first-time and long-time customers alike. That being said, Hayley does look forward to the time when Primrose Board Co. has a storefront that people can stop by and order direct. However, she thinks the personal touch of the deliveries will always be there for the clients who request it.

So I have come to a place where the word "charcuterie" is no longer phonetically paralyzing. I have learned that "charcuterie" actually means commitment, dedication, and perseverance towards a goal. Nowadays, consumers would rather buy into the person than the product. Hayley is determined to create the best product. She is motivated to continually refine the process, and she has employed an uber-personable sales strategy. The sky is the limit for how big Primrose Board Co. can get.

I’ve had quite a few clients come to me and express how they admire my drive for this business. They let me know they would support me in any way they could. For Primrose, that doesn’t just mean buying into our product. You can support us by following our socials, liking our posts, and just spreading the word about our business of cheese! Knowing that I have people cheering me on motivates me a million times more!

Look out, world! If Hayley becomes one million times more motivated than she is now, she may just end up as the supreme leader of planet Earth. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing I suppose if you enjoy a good charcuterie board! So the next time you need a good centerpiece for your party, keep Primrose Board Co. in mind, and let’s continue to celebrate and support our local small businesses!