Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Torres.
Hi Jessica, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
CharCUTIE by Jess, LLC was started because of my unabashed affinity for food! I love food and have always had a passion for cooking in general. I have been extremely fortunate to travel around the world and experience all food, the good, the bad, and the ugly. And sometimes the ugly was the best stuff I ever tasted.
Right before Covid, I traveled to Portugal and Spain. I had the most delicious charcuterie imaginable. Witnessing how the nondescript ease in which dinner or lunch was transformed into an experience through pairing of cheeses, cured meats, olives and breads was pure genius. Oh, the artisanal bread!! It was the best thing that has ever happened to me. I loved everything about eating all the delectable bits, the drinking of the wine, and all the laughter with my friends. It was the best twenty days of my life! Then the trip was over, I came back to the U.S., and drifted back into the hustle and bustle of work. *sigh*
Next thing I know, I’m at a work meeting, and we’re waiting on a few people to arrive. I started talking to a coworker. She had asked how many years of service I had under me because she remembered me as an intern. I said 17 years. She said “Wow, I will be retiring in five years, and I started going to school to finish my degree in Information Technology”, then other coworkers chimed in. They opined about their small businesses that they already had, or were planning to start, or were seeking education to have a trade by the time they retired. They were talking about their futures.
And here I was, with no plan, no quickening of the imagination, and no internal rumblings to rock my boat. I honestly had never given any thought to what I would do after I retired. I had always thought of myself as only the proverbial “book worm”, and not the incense burning creative. I could teach, but what would I teach? I could consult with companies on organizational planning, but how would I get started? All these questions began keeping me up at night from such an innocuous conversation. Then Covid arrived.
During Covid, when everything was shut down, I did a lot of self-reflective churning about my life. I mulled over all the existential questions like, what have I accomplished, where have I traveled, what has defined me, and what do I really want to do. I have never given so much thought to these things, but Covid really made me have a “Come to Jesus” moment with myself. I wanted to do something creative, and pour in all that business education, and all that training. I felt it was finally time to put it all to good use and know that I could really do something creative and sustainable both now and into retirement.
But how? One night, I was reading an article about entrepreneurship. And it read something like “find out what you are good at, and make sure it will be a convenience for someone else, and you can start a business”. I giggled because nothing is ever that easy, right? Later that week, that message really hit me to my core.
See, my father, a retired mechanic, is a businessman. He found what he was good at, gave his clients convenience, and in return had a very successful side business. He worked his whole life for a motor company fixing cars, and after his 9-5, he would come home, eat, and go fix cars for his clients. It wasn’t until I grew up, that I realized how much he hustled fixing cars to provide for us but still managed to do something he absolutely loved. My father can talk about cars all day, he knows everything about them, and when he talks, you can hear his passion. He once told me a story about how he saved a cat that was stuck between a cabin filter and glove box, and by the end of that story, he and his foreman were heroes because they saved a cat and fixed a car. That story still resonates! My dad is my inspiration. I am incredibly fortunate to have seen my father run his business with such passion and respect for his clients. He manifested before manifesting was a thing.
Thinking about how my father managed his side business as a mechanic made me ask myself, “what are you passionate about”? and “what brings you joy?”. I always thought of myself as the opposite of a creative person, but it turns out I didn’t really know myself. I gave myself these fixed roles in life, and just postured myself accordingly. I couldn’t have been more wrong. I love to cook, for me and for others. Cooking is an art and an act of love and appreciation for being part of my life. Food is what I am exceptionally good at and very passionate about.
I had such a wonderful experience in Portugal and Spain, laughing and creating unforgettable memories over wine, olives, cheeses, and bread. I know that charcuterie is a perfect way for me to bring that same joy and love to others. By recreating a little of that culinary magic I experienced in Portugal and Spain for other people, I am manifesting like my dad. I am now the one working all day, then talking about CharCUTIE by Jess with the same passion as my dad. For me, charcuterie is an art. It is my meditation, it is my calling, and my joy. Whenever I am in the kitchen, I am in my sanctuary. I have creative freedom to dream up anything my clients would like to have. I get to serve them joy and earn their trust and loyalty. I truly hope to turn my small business into a catering company when I retire. CharCUTIE by Jess brings so much happiness to me, I only wish I would have started sooner.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My journey to start CharCUTIE by Jess has not been easy. I recently moved back to Texas. I lived in New Mexico for nearly seventeen years. And each year I lived there; I was trying to find a way to move back to San Antonio. Even though I have nothing but great things to say about New Mexico and have the most amazing friends in NM, it just isn’t home. I’m Texas born and raised! I say it loud and proud!
Due to Covid, the government agency I work for decided that my job could be done remotely. At that moment when I got the approval to move back to Texas, I bubbled over with so much excitement that I hastily relocated before finding a proper home in Texas. I have been back in Texas now since August 2021, and it has been insanely difficult to find a house to purchase. The housing market is not what it used to be before I left. It is still hard to wrap my thoughts around paying almost 100k more for a property. I thank my realtor for being such an honest person with me. She has a heart of gold! I have had moments where I ugly cry because all I want to do is focus on this little gem of mine (CharCUTIE by Jess) that I have created. I want to do more marketing, yummy pop-ups, and curate different theme boards. BUT it is extremely difficult to give more energy to my business when my time, resources, and creative space is limited.
In hindsight, the reason why CharCUTIE by Jess has been successful is because of the amazing support I have received from my family and friends (even my friends in NM support me from 750 miles away – love them), and of course all my returning customers. I am grateful for these minor struggles though – they teach me how to be better. I know I will find a house with a dream kitchen, and I know I will be able to bring CharCUTIE by Jess to fruition and make it everything I want it to be.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
CharCUTIE by Jess, LLC specializes in custom charcuterie (even though I do offer a standard menu). I also love and welcome vegetarians! I have not had many requests for a vegetarian board, but I am here for all of it! I have clients who want special cheeses or something special because of an anniversary, a birthday, or a comedic flare, and I always tell them, “I will dream up something perfect for you”, and that I will do! I love the creative freedom CharCUTIE by Jess brings into my life. I am so appreciative of my clients; they give me the opportunity to access my creativity. I am constantly reflecting on what I can do better, and how I can make someone’s important day even more special. It is not just charcuterie for me, it is creating an experience and a moment for someone that is special. A winsome gift for my clients to enjoy. Most recently I had a customer request a board for her and her husband’s anniversary. I asked her what her bridal flowers were just in conversation. As a surprise, I made sure to include a hydrangea in her delivery and as a decoration to her board. When I delivered her order, her face said it all, it was pure happiness. And it brought me so much joy to experience that. These are the moments that I live for! To help my clients rid the noise, and just hold onto that precious moment of love and yummy goodness.
If you asked my friends what I am known for, they would say that I am adventurous, creative, ambitious, goal-oriented, generous, courageous, trustworthy, diligent, and obsessed with the ancient art of “eating a lot of snacks”! And to be honest, that is exactly me, I do eat a lot of snacks! (Insert giddy laugh here) These are all words people have lovingly said to me. I cherish them all because they rejuvenate me and inspire me to keep pushing and growing.
The majority who possess the above character traits usually get from point A to Z in a straight line. When I get there, my lines are jagged, my route has detours and potholes, and I forget to wear those copper infused socks. Did I mention, I have no sense of direction? But I must go through routes A, B, G, S, Q, … to get to Z. I happen to think and work differently than most people. This funny chaos is what makes me uniquely me, and it is completely okay! I have managed to accomplish and be successful with so much in my lifetime using that quintessential squiggly trail.
What sets me apart is my ability to look at situations wholeheartedly and mindfully. People are people, and we all are different in our own regard. We all have different backgrounds, experiences, cultures, etc. I really feel I have a knack for being able to truly understand a person’s perspective the more it is different from mine. I crave cognitive dissonance. Challenging your world view is how you learn and grow.
One of my favorite books is The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. The Alchemist has many worthy gems of inspiration and life lessons throughout the story, but one of the most important lessons for me, is that failure is inevitable, it is part of the process, BUT you cannot give up in the process when failure happens. It is important to be aware of where you want to be, what you want, and to rid yourself of negativity and doubt. This is what I am most proud of. I have faith in my journey towards self-actualizing and becoming more aspirational and I will always get to where I want to be. If failure finds me, I simply change the language in my mind, I dust myself off, and I mentally prance around in a charcuterie crown. You just warrior through those trials and tribulations. You find your center, and you fix it, and you move forward.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
I love San Antonio! I spent 17 years trying to move back. I love our food, our culture, and the variety of fun things to do that our city offers. And do not get me started on all the fabulous Fiesta food! Aye Dios Mio! And you know what I missed the most besides my family while I was gone? Of all things, H.E.B. – there is no other grocery store like it in the nation!
This isn’t really a dislike, but more of a time capsule inspired concern of my earlier years. In my youth, the opportunities for me seemed less robust. I had to leave San Antonio to find a career opportunity. Now, I see that there is so much more growth in our beautiful city that really affords recent college graduates, and tradesmen more career opportunities than what me, my brother or my sister had. This change is ushering in more career opportunities, new residents, changing demographics, and more land development, but we are also seeing more housing issues that need to be addressed. It’s a work in progress. My hope is that our city continues to grow and evolve into a place that offers a quality of life that our community can celebrate for everyone who calls San Antonio home.
Thank you for this wonderful opportunity to share my journey. I am truly humbled by this gesture of interest in me and my life pursuits. I hope to continue to bring joy to others with CharCUTIE by Jess.
Contact Info:
- Email: charcutieboardssa@gmail.com
- Instagram: charcutiebyjess
- Facebook: charcutiebyjess
Image Credits
Jessica Torres
