Today we met with Tierra Thorne at a park to consume her beautiful charcuterie board display. The lunch itself was delicious, offering a range of fruits, vegetables and chesses, but the main thing that resonated with me was Tierra’s experiences in starting her own business. She is a very busy woman as she operates her own Blanket and Board charcuterie business but also works as a Pitt Business EIR and social worker. EIR refers to the environmental impact report, which is a detailed analysis that analyzes environmental resources that have the potential to significantly alter someone’s life for the better. In her case, she worked with kids in foster care and helped them learn skills that they would otherwise be unaware of. I loved listening to her talk about this career path and how satisfying it was for her to help other people. I also enjoyed listening to how she transitioned that part of her life and explained how it tied in with her charcuterie business. She shared that her love language is food, and she likes to be intricate and create a special experience for others.

The main take away I had from that lunch was her story about how she bought a $10 Instagram ad that ended up launching her business. Ads on social media is a very common trait that you see in modern businesses, but it was inspiring to see how one ad can change the trajectory of your life. Since I’m on the marketing team for our project in Ireland, I also found it interesting to listen to what she had to say about the marketing aspect of her business. She talked about how you should focus on what website designs are optimal for small businesses and make sure that your website can be easily navigated. I will definitely keep her advice and story in mind while looking at potential careers and how you can find a career that you truly deeply care about.