We were lucky to catch up with Tiana Austin-Gardner recently and have shared our conversation below.
Tiana, thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?
Being creative is no challenge for me. As a crafter and professional DIY’er, I have always been a very creative person. With charcuterie companies on the rise and becoming more popular, trends and certain things get old pretty fast. You have to be creative and be able to stand out in order to get customers. I try not to let what is trending or what others are doing influence me and my creative process. I stay true to my style and techniques and always come up with a finished product that I am proud of. Of course, there are trends that I’ve followed, but it’s important that I always add my own special touch to it.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I am on a mission to provide luxury charcuterie catering. I fell in love with the art of Food Styling and I show that love with each and every charcuterie arrangement I’ve ever created! I am the Pro Food Stylist and Grazing Artist, and I make food you can eat! No Graze Off is a Detroit Area charcuterie catering company. We offer charcuterie arrangements, grazing tables, charcuterie workshops, and other cheesy events to our grazers. We will upgrade the look of any event, party, or place with one of out beautiful grazes.
We are proud to announce a new Grazing Table option, the Instant Graze (Grazing Table to Go) — a new, easier way to #getgrazed! You will receive a grazing table without the set up time.
Upcoming Public Workshops:
Costumes and Charcuterie – Workshop is scheduled for Oct 29! This is a kid-friendly workshop and we are super excited to create some spooky memories with you all!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
There are some things that just need to happen when it’s time to crack down and get to business! First, patience! I needed to learn patience. Although things can change overnight for you and your journey, things don’t happen overnight! It’s important to never lose faith because you think it’s taking too long. Good things take time and even better things take patience. Second, it takes a team! In order to build an empire, you can’t do it alone! In the beginning phases, you may be a one-person team, and that’s ok. When it is time to outsource — do it! Support other local business while getting a load off of your plate! Third, stay consistent! You cannot expect people to know about your business or brand without putting in the work! You won’t be able to take a picture of a finished product until you do it first! People are willing to work with newbies, just find your audience. Stay consistent, track your progress, and you will see the results!
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
There are so many organizations and people I have on my Must-Collab-With list — including local chefs, venues, and influencers. No Graze Off is always looking for ways to showcase additional services to our clients and most clients ask for our referrals for certain products and services. Any local chefs or caterers, venues, or vendors looking to collaborate are encouraged to email [email protected]. My dream collaboration is to work with Kash Doll and Governor Whitmer — two Michigan Women Leaders!
In an effort to highlight other local vendors, we’ve created The Perfect Event Directory, which can be found on our site, with a list of local vendors and services. Submit to become apart of it!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://nograzeoff.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nograzeoff/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nograzeoff
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tianaag/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/no-graze-off-southfield-3?osq=no+graze+off
Image Credits
Veronica Nicole Photography Rachel Martinez Photography
