We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Robyn Daigle. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Robyn below.
Robyn, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
What’s that saying, “There is a light at the end of every tunnel”? Well, they were right! After a life-altering event, owner & founder, Robyn Daigle, stepped away from a successful career in account management in the corporate world to pursue her passion for curating & styling charcuterie boards. Within months, this incredible endeavor was a reality, and Boards for Days was born!
Life can change in the blink of an eye, and at the age of 29, I experienced just that. From being a normal 29-year-old to being rushed to the Emergency Room with a completely purple left arm with no sensation to it and cold as ice….. Not knowing what was happening, would I get to keep my arm? So many thoughts were swirling around in my head. This was also a peak of COVID where no one was allowed in the hospital with me. Scared, alone, crying, what was going to happen? Within 24 hours I was diagnosed with a rare condition called Thoracic Outlet Syndrome and was told I would be undergoing three surgeries over the next two months, one of which was to remove my first rib! The TOS was causing all of my veins to be clotted, causing the purple discoloration on my arm.
I never knew how to sit still, I was always on the go or working my corporate job. My life came to a halt, after my rib was removed they encountered severe nerve damage during surgery, which was when life took a turn. My recovery was longer than expected, I was told “We don’t know if you will ever regain full sensation with your nerves, it will be a waiting game” 29 years old. Being told that I may never have the full sensation of my arm again, being in a recliner for 2 months to eat, sleep, stay, basically live in drove me into a very dark depression but allowed me to reflect since what did I have to do – watch Netflix?! (let me tell you, there is only so much TV one can watch over a 3-4 month span)
I came to a point in recovery, do I continue down this path or do I figure out what makes ME HAPPY? I just went through this trauma, where everything was told to me, I didn’t have choices, I needed these three surgeries to help me survive, but you know what I did have a choice over? What the next chapter of my life looked like.
After trying to get back into corporate life, I realized this was not for me. Mentally or physically it no longer sparked joy. I just went through hell and back so why would I want to continue going through life “MEH”
I took a horrible situation and turned it into the best thing that has ever happened to me. I needed mental and physical therapy to bring my arm up to par again (I had lost all muscle and had to re-teach my hand and arm how to do everything) I turned to food… I LOVE helping people, and though, I can create a business where I can help people host events, and give my hands therapy by creating stunning masterpieces! and thus, Boards for Days was born.
I can still say over two years later, I still struggle daily with my arm and numbing sensations.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
Who knew Charcuterie had a world of its own – I sure didn’t when I started my business. I can’t tell you the amazing outpour of support from other charcuterie companies and those family and friends around me. It takes a village to keep going and I am so thankful for mine. I am determined to bring something new, fun, and exciting to the North Shore of Mass through food. We offer individual charcuterie offerings to grazing tables and every size in between. BUT we are more than charcuterie! This was something I knew early on I wanted to expand the business into a “one-stop shop” Ontop of classic charcuterie, we also offer, Crudité, brunch Boards, Dessert Boards, Fruit Boards, S’mores Boards, skewers and light fare catering!
I knew when starting a business I wanted to keep as much “me” involved as I could. I only produce items that I myself would eat or want to order if I were hosting! A few amazing things I have incorporated into the business is my gluten allergy. In our opinion, there is never a need for crackers to EVER be on a charcuterie board – that takes up room where we can add in more cheese! Crackers will always be served on the side at Boards for Days for quite a few reasons, no one likes soggy crackers, everyone has gluten allergies these days it feels like, stay fresher on the side! This is one of the many ways we cater to allergies to ensure our boards are accessible to everyone!
As if we weren’t doing enough! We also offer workshops – public & private which are such a fun way to learn a new skill with your besties over some drinks and lots of laughs! I love to share my passion with others and this is the perfect way to accomplish that!
We are always adding new offerings and items to our selections like our Charcuterie Cart that allows everything to be 100% customizable – again for those allergies 😀
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Dedication, Resilience, patience
Starting a business is HARD. I always say “If starting a business was easy, everyone would do it”. It’s going to test you mentally and physically. Comparing yourself to other local businesses, STOP just focus on you GIRL! I promise the earlier you block out the noise, the better off you will be. People will push your buttons, you wear every single hat, you are CEO, CFO, Customer Service, Marketing, Sales, what did I miss? But you HAVE to stay your ground, be lenient with yourself, you are DOING IT, also give yourself that massage appointment or a weekend away to decompress- I promise you your business will still be there if you go quiet on social media for two days. Patience…….. This may be the biggest. Every single hoop you need to jump through with the state & government takes FOREVER but that’s ok – be cause it will get done eventually & THAT is what matters.
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
Feeling overwhelmed while running is business goes hand in hand, it’s how you handle those feelings and emotions that makes or breaks you. I live by to-do lists and organize those from “quick easy wins” to “daunting tasks” while balancing out the workload over the week. My biggest advice for the overwhelming feeling is….. WALK AWAY… get outside, play with your pet, take a bath, do something for YOU. Your work will be there. Even for 5 minutes, you need something to distract you for a bit, bring the joy back or “fill your cup back up” then you can dive back into creating your monthly email funnels. Don’t forget why you started this business in the first place. You started because you wanted to help people? how can you help people if you are a wreck… We need to take care of ourselves first before anything can be productive.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.boardsfordays.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boardsfordays_/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100088366166721
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/boards-for-days/?viewAsMember=true
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