Charcuterie Boards Cure Couple’s Pandemic Woes

This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.

[Music]

Thank you for tuning in today. My name is Chris Guillebeau. Hope you enjoy this story that's coming up. In this story, a Midwestern couple makes cash out of catastrophe, reinventing themselves during the 2020 lockdown. How do they go from idea to offer and then from offer to income?

That's what we're gonna look at in this story. And by the way, welcome to Side Hustle School. Every single day since January 1, 2017, I've been making a different episode all about real people out there who are doing exactly like what you're gonna hear about, making extra money without quitting their job. Often doing so in a way that is a bit creative or different, in a way that builds security for themselves, not just extra income, but often a retirement or a way to make very significant income, perhaps even replace their day job income. All sorts of different reasons, motivations and pathways, but all leading to that same result of having more freedom 'cause ultimately that's what it's all about.

So the story today is called charcuterie boards cure couples pandemic woes. And I'm somewhat impressed that I was able to say that properly the first time. I won't try to do it again, but the story is coming up for you in just 30 seconds. Stay tuned. [Music]

The pandemic brought about changes for many of us.

Most of us perhaps. In the United States, a lot of city dwellers left for rural settings. Executives accustomed to 12 hour days in the office found themselves at home in their pajamas with more time on their hands. Meanwhile, healthcare workers became busier than they had ever imagined. For Harry and Sandra DeBoer, three significant changes converged during this time.

Quarantine, a knee injury, and the reality that they were now empty nesters. This trifecta of change didn't bring them down. Instead, the couple saw this moment as an opportunity for transformation, and they decided to begin their long dream of side hustle. And before that year, Harry and Sandra lived with their family in Plymouth, Michigan, located just west of Detroit. And even as a suburb, Plymouth has all the trappings of a small Midwestern town.

It's known for its ice sculpture festival, art markets, and outdoor summer concerts. The DeBoer property is picturesque and idyllic in many ways, surrounded by maple, oak, walnut, and Bradford pear trees. They also had a two-car garage, which was converted into Harry's wood shop, the heart of the DeBoer side hustle. Now, the new circumstances were a stark contrast to their previous busy lifestyle. Both Sandra and Harry worked full-time jobs.

Harry is the VP of Finance, and Sandra is the local newspaper editor. At first, they did what many people did. They sat back and watched TV, hoping to wait it all out. But sitting by and watching wasn't their style. They pined for more action.

So the crafty couple decided to use this abrupt change to shake things up a bit. They would pursue that long-time dream to turn Harry's woodworking hobby into a family-run business. They called it Protea and Thistle Woodshop, a name as quaint as their surroundings. The first thing they did to make this shift was give up television. This freed up both the couple's time and creativity.

Next, they bought something called a CNC and added it to the workshop. If you're wondering, CNC stands for Computer Numerical Control. It's a machine you program to make precise cuts, engravings, and more. Then it was time to decide on a specific product. Sandra's love of arranging charcuterie on boards influenced that decision.

It seemed like a good match for both their interests. The couple created their first batch of boards from a piece of local walnut. They titled these boards the Plymouth Collection after their hometown. Each one-of-a-kind piece is named after a street in Plymouth. It wasn't long before friends and family snapped those up.

But as happens to every charcuterie board maker, they soon ran out of friends and family who needed one. So then they started thinking more about marketing. They didn't have a website, at least at first, so instead they made their Instagram page into a storefront and enlisted the help of their daughter Pretoria. She shows their followers how to craft creative boards for various holidays, and they film tutorials that demonstrate the board's versatility. Another way they spread the word is through in-person markets and art fairs.

And those yielded some critical intelligence. Many people in their community didn't actually know which charcuterie was. So they added a cutting board to their wheelhouse. Finally, they saw a market for flight boards for wine and beer and sold those online to regional wineries and breweries. Despite this minimal approach to marketing, Pretoria and Thistle Woodshop brings in up to $2,000 each month, and the den boards have continued to grow their business by adding new products.

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Congratulations to Harry and Sandra. Got some advice here from Sandra. She says, if you're a busy person looking to be successful, isn't that you? Isn't that all of us? I know everybody who listens to this podcast is very busy.

So if you are a busy person and you wanna be successful or improve or change in some way, look at your schedule and carve out chunks of time that you will commit to building your business around. It is a discipline that will take away from other pursuits. You really do have to give something up. And remember for them, they gave up watching TV. It could be something totally different for you.

And you also don't have to give it up forever, right? It might just be for a season, for a time, that you choose to work on something that will hopefully bring you many returns in the future and allow you to do more of what's important to you in the first place. 'Cause that's what it's all about. And that's why I make this program. And I'm so glad that you're out there listening to it.

Inspiration is good, but inspiration with action is so much better. Today's show notes, including links to everything mentioned, will be at sidehustleschool.com/19701970. You can also leave a comment or question for the show there. I hope you will subscribe or follow and come back tomorrow. Much more is coming up.

My name is Chris Guillebeau. You're listening to Side Hustle School. [Music]

from the Onward Project.