We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Carol Malloy a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Carol, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
This is an easy yet very difficult question to answer.
I believe that life has a way of creating moments where you need resilience to get through certain situations, whether you think you have it or not.
Knowing that we all travel on the roads God puts us on, this is only my story and not one that everyone will relate to.
I am the middle child of 5 siblings. Things were sometimes difficult because the age gap is 18 years in my family. That said, I tried to be the people pleaser. I got good grades and didn’t cause trouble. Because of this, I felt I grew up with no real connection. And I resented it when my parents had twins because they got attention back in 1969.
I married quicky at age 19 and soon after had my first son. My ex-husband left before his first birthday and there I was, a single mom. I met husband number two who gave me two beautiful additional children but then decided he liked alcohol better than family life. This is where I learned all about spousal abuse.
I divorced him after staying much too long and married my now husband. He is a wonderful man that adored my three kids from the start. Together we traveled a rough journey of job layoffs, losing a house and many financial fights but we also discovered God. The kicker came in the form of health when my daughter at age 16 was diagnosed with Ewings Sarcoma Bone Cancer. Talk about resilience. For 9 months we, as a team, took care of her -though I have to tell you all, she is one bad ass young woman. She taught me so much during that time. During this time, I also had quite the rebellious teen that added to the already high stress level.
She went into remission, and we regretted each time the new scans came around but we all persevered as a family. My teen also grew into a fine young man and it seemed like all was well with the world. In fact my daughter gave birth to not one but two miracle babies -15 mos apart- after being told she would not be able to have children due to all the chemotherapy drugs. Both are healthy and beautiful.
At age 28, my daughter was hit with cancer once again, this time it was Thyroid Cancer. Thankfully we were there to help her as was her fabulous husband, My boys also helped out when they could but it was another scary time. Once again we relied on God and our faith to get though this as a family. And once again, God came through. My kids are now 42, 36 and 33 and each has a family of their own and are a huge part of my life.
Where do I get my resilience from? God. He has picked me up so many times as I look back on my life even though I often could not see it at the time.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Coming up with CharBeauterie was developed during an online vendor event back in 2020. During the pandemic, a friend and I had decided to host an online sales forum for small businesses to highlight their goods, whether handmade or not. It fed a passion of mine to help others at a time when we all were not able to attend our normal craft fairs or other events.
One gal that wanted to participate lived in Colorado Springs and she was in the charcuterie business. As some of you may recall, having food delivered was a plus during that time and who does not love meats and cheeses! I found that she had many orders from people in the north part of Denver, and her delivery time was over an hour. Since I have always either had a side gig or run home businesses, I wondered if this was an opportunity to capitalize on.
I have always been creative at heart and with my background in Interior Decorating, I thought this might be a way to do something different. So, I consumed myself with all things’ charcuterie: tutorials, books, and internet searches. This included state guidelines for safe food handling and what the State of Colorado required of me to safely sell my boards.
My first client was a friend who needed a board for a baby shower she was supplying some food for. And not only did she love it, but the guests did as well! I got all my certifications, followed state regulations, obtained insurance and that was the beginning. It was never in my plan to be a charcuterie artisan but sometimes God nudges you to a place and you just go along for the ride.
My method of advertising was word of mouth, Facebook food posts (because don’t we all stop and look at photos of yumminess?) and supplying a few free boards here and there so that I built up somewhat of a clientele.
I would consider myself a charcuterie artisan. Most of my boards are originals, meaning many contain the same ingredients but are often arranged differently. I also listen to what the occasion is and try to tailor the boards and decor on them to tie into the decor they are using. For instance, I recently had two large boards ordered for a Paw Patrol Party. I made sure to use some figurines, incorporate colorful picks and made sure I had the right feel. The client loved the extra thought and detail added.
I am also hypersensitive by asking questions like: are there nut or gluten allergies to be aware of? Do we have any vegetarians, or vegan guests? These are important to inquire about, so all party guests feel valued and heard.
One thing I rarely add to my boards based on feedback are breads or crackers. They tend to get soggy quickly based on condensation and help our friends that are gluten free to not have those items touching other foods. My crackers and breads are offered on the side as an add on.
I have also recently offered a board that is more catered to office networking events that contain more pickup and go items, such as more picks on the board that are one bite, meat, cheese, and fruit. This makes for less mess and easier grab and get the most of your time at a connection meeting. That said, I have also started with individual lunches so that employers can treat their staff to a thank you treat on occasion.
The last thing I introduced are workshops! These are great for gals’ night in, office team building, birthday parties, bachelorette parties and more. I bring everything to the hostess’s homes and they in turn invite family, friends, coworkers, and neighbors. It is truly a fun time, and everyone takes home a small board they have created.
Has this been easy? No, but most things in life take time and there will always be ebbs and flow periods, no matter what small business someone is in. I can tell you that it is worth the tears (both happy and sad) and at this point, I am so glad I decided to take this challenge on.
I feel constantly supported by my friends and family, and of course the Polka Dot Powerhouse Community. All these people are my largest sources for referrals and my largest cheerleading squad. I feel blessed to have all these people in my life.
As far as expansion, I am pretty happy being where I am. My priorities in life have shifted greatly over the years to Faith, Family and then the rest. For those interested. my friends certainly fall into the Family category. They have been instrumental in helping me in so many ways.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Reflecting back, I think having a mentor at one of my full-time jobs that showed me that we don’t always have to work for someone else. Within each of us is the ability to follow our dreams. It is just being able to take that leap of faith.
Since I was a single mom at one point, I understand the need for a steady paycheck, but we live in uncertain times. I encourage everyone to have something on the side that brings in additional income by doing something that brings them joy.
For those doing that right now, reach out to others. Find a mentor, or friend to bounce ideas off of. I am blessed to still be able to send photos of boards to friends and ask for feedback or run ideas past them for new products or services.
As far as skills, they can be learned. Follow your heart and find your passion. Anything you do going forward won’t seem like work, it will instead feel like fun.
What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?
Everyone gets to choose their closing question here. I specifically chose an area of growth or improvement for this reason: Once you stop growing, or stop learning or stop having ambitions and hopes and dreams, then what is left?
I continually read, socialize, vocalize and yes, toot my own horn. What sometimes comes across as arrogance or self-absorption is really confidence. Many people lack confidence in their abilities and skills and therefore like to judge. I have worked extremely hard at what I do and am proud of my accomplishments. It’s ok to share those amazing feelings with the people around you.
Each person grows up differently. Some grew up with little to no praise. That self-praise and praise from others is what drives me. It’s not money, or power but the good feelings, and warm fuzzies I get when someone appreciates their purchases. For me, it is about random acts of kindness that make others feel good, especially if they are going through a tough time.
My faith has brought me to new people, new growth opportunities and renewed thanks and gratefulness to God.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.charbeauterie.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/charbeauteries
- Facebook: facebook.com/charbeauterie
- Linkedin: https://www.carolmalloy.com
