When it comes to entertaining, the humble charcuterie board is a clear crowd pleaser. Who can resist the delectable cheese spread arranged so perfectly with nuts, fruit, crudités, and honey? It’s impossible. Twin sisters, Sarah and Boo Simms knew the power of the cheese platter, so, after a particularly exhausting day catering an event in the Hollywood Hills, they devised a plan to bring this delightful snack to the masses.
“We packed up our cars and stood in the street and looked at each other exhausted,” recalls Sarah. “We knew there had to be an easier way to do this. A better way. We knew there was a market for what we were offering, we just had to use our energy more efficiently.” So, they got in their separate cars and on the drive home talked about how they could create some sort of delivery or pick-up service. A few months later on Christmas Eve they polished up their idea on a napkin in a bar and made it their 2016 goal to launch Lady & Larder.
“We were going to keep our day jobs and then launch a cheese board company online, starting with local delivery in the LA area and go from there,” she adds. The rest, as they say, is history. Read on to discover how they took their idea from a bar napkin to a national success story and why taking risks is scary “but the good kind of scary” and how you can do it too.
Now, your business has a huge following and you’ve made charcuterie boards a hot kitchen accessory. Why do you think your charcuterie style resonated so much with foodies?
At the heart of it, it’s really about human connection and cheese boards are magnets for that. Yes, they are beautiful and “instagram-able” but more importantly they are totally nourishing and bring people together. Our secret really isn’t a secret. We find the very best ingredients we can get our hands on and let them speak for themselves. We make a point to celebrate the farmers and makers who create those ingredients and share their stories—we believe it creates a deeper connection to the food.
Entrepreneurship is all about taking calculated risks—What’s the most pivotal risk you’ve taken, and how did it change your path?
When we jumped from an ecommerce model to our brick and mortar it was really big. We had to sign a lease on a space that we could barely afford in order to be able to take on more business, hire help, and grow—it was scary but the good kind of scary. It was a pivotal moment in that our business grew substantially that first year and we learned more about running a business then we had in the three years prior. Having a storefront has also allowed us to create a tangible space for our brand to develop and has led to all sorts of new revenue streams. But the best part is that our shop has become this tiny hub of happiness in our neighborhood, where we can connect with customers and interact with the community face to face.
2020 presented everybody around the globe with new, unprecedented challenges. How did you #FindNewRoads + switch gears towards your new version of success?
It feels like we’ve lived 100 lives since March of this year! We lost all of our event and wedding business for 2020 and 2021 back in March and immediately sat down to come up with a plan. Our strategy for 2020 has really been about helping get people what they need right now. Having our shop was a godsend during this pandemic, because it also allowed us to be able to distribute CSA produce boxes from our farmers and offer essential groceries for locals. Something we wouldn’t have been able to do without making the jump to brick and mortar a few years ago.
We started offering sandwiches and salads as well as grocery and smaller cheese board options for one or two people. And we are still switching gears and pivoting daily. We are so grateful to still be in business and finding new ways to continue serving while keeping our staff employed. It’s really a survival mindset, we are staying as fluid as possible and constantly trying new things in an effort to keep evolving as we figure out what this new normal looks like and what people need next.
Going after what you deserve in life takes confidence and guts. Does confidence come naturally to you or did you have to learn it? What advice can you share for women on cultivating confidence and going after their dreams?
Confidence is definitely something we’ve learned and continue to learn. Growing up with an identical twin sister was helpful, you kind of have this built in hype-girl to remind you of what you are capable of, to give you that little push. We have always been each other’s sounding boards and champions—it’s important to surround yourself with people who truly support you, but who are also brutally honest with you and who challenge you.
One thing we always ask ourselves when we need a little boost of confidence is “What’s the worst thing that could happen?” and we make the other person answer with as many things as they can come up with. Most of the time once you acknowledge the worst that can happen, the fear goes away, and is replaced by a major boost of confidence.
What is the biggest challenge to achieving success in life?
Finding your ideal work/life balance. But it doesn’t need to be difficult. Decide how you define success and then prioritize your life accordingly.
For those who haven’t started a business in the food industry (or are about to) what advice do you have? What is the #1 financial tip you’d share?
It is 100% possible to self-fund. Keep your overhead as minimal as possible for as long as possible. Numbers don’t lie. Know your numbers and understand your margins so that you can build something that’s profitable.
It’s easy to celebrate the wins, but how do you handle failure or when something hasn’t worked out for you?
Failure is exciting because it’s a lesson learned and something concrete you can take and use to improve. When something goes haywire at the shop, we spend time having solution-based conversation. We never focus on who was to blame but instead discuss ways in which we can prevent a similar issue from happening again and create a better system or solution. The goal is always to turn our failures into opportunities for growth.
With success comes opportunity, but that also means you have your hands full. What keeps you inspired and motivated to keep going even on your most challenging days?
Supporting other small businesses and continuing to rally behind other brands and makers during this challenging year has kept us filled with motivation and purpose. We have a plaque on the wall that reads, “What good can I do this day?” It’s our mantra and keeps us motivated. We feel most inspired when we are serving others, whether that be in the shop or in our community. Doing good, feels good. And when you realize you can make a positive difference in someone else’s day, no matter how small, that keeps us going, on even the most challenging days.
If you could go back to the beginning of your career journey—with the knowledge you have now—what advice would you give yourself?
Don’t be afraid to pursue what you love. What you love, is your calling. The opportunities will follow. Trust that. Also, get eight hours of sleep and drink more water.
Fill in the blanks:
The best career advice we always give is…
Start with YES and then figure the rest out later.
We turn bad days around by…
Cracking open a good wheel of cheese.
Three qualities that got us to where we are today are…
Kindness, humor, and resilience.
The change we’d like to see in our industry is…
Equal pay for women AND for front and back of house.
The craziest thing we’ve done for work is…
Taking the red-eye from LA to New York with a suitcase full of cheese and cured meats for a party for Oprah. We were there 12 hours and back on the next red-eye to LA to make it back in time for work.
