Today we’d like to introduce you to Kaci Nunez.
Kaci, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
So this is truly the wildest story! First and foremost, I am a mom to two little boys. I have gotten to stay home with them for the past (almost six years) and have loved every minute of it, but end of last year I was craving something new; something that would allow me to have a creative outlet and do something that brought a little bit of “girlyness” if you will, into my home. (surrounded by all boys I don’t see much of that… if any at all!)
So I started praying that something would come to me! I tried painting rooms and redoing tile in my house in hopes I was a DIY girl… but was TERRIBLE. I dreamt of becoming a spin instructor and even trained to run marathons thinking maybe that was my “thing” other than “just being a mom” (which let me make myself clear has always been more than enough for me) but I kept searching and praying I would find my I outlet. Some way I could shine some light into sometimes a very dark world.
Hospitality has always been one of my strengths. I love having a house full. It was only normal to have a house full for a neighborhood party this past fall in 2019. It was then that I quickly put together a charcuterie board based on what I had. As the night went on the girls kept telling me, “you should totally sell these” … I honestly laughed. I thought no one will buy my boards. I mean really, who would want to buy “my boards” For about two weeks, it was heavy on my heart to just “do it.” I mean why not right? With Christmas around the corner, my goal was to sell five boards in order to buy what my oldest had asked for since being a SAHM full time I never got to do that. I had such a yearning in my heart to do it this past Christmas and now I know why. I honestly remember the feeling I had moments before I posted in Frisco Area Business Moms on Facebook my idea. It was a feeling to just go for it. And that’s exactly what I did.
That post that day honestly BLEW UP. It was one of those that I’m sure people had to turn the notifications off of because it was getting annoying! Ha! But that day I was shown more love and more support from women I didnt even know that believed in me. I was shown more support that day from women than I have ever been shown in my entire life. I was blown away. About a week later, I finished my Facebook page in hopes I would sell five by Christmas and a little over 1 and 1/2 months in I had sold 100 boards. I honestly went from 0 mph-150 in weeks.
I am now only about four months in and just hit 2 THOUSAND followers on my FB page (and let’s be honest, I know nothing on algorithms or did any type of Marketing, hence I don’t even have an Instagram yet, these 2k followers were simply word of mouth.) I now have weddings booked, proms booked, corporate parties over 200+ people booked. I have charity events and speaking engagements booked and my calendar has bookings all the way into December 2020. I share these things because I truly feel that when you feel God calling you to trust him. Trust his plan and Go. As my husband told me about two weeks into this whole gig ….”you have to learn to get out of your own way,” If it weren’t for those words… I don’t know if I ever would have but my goodness Am I glad I did!
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I think looking back over the past 4 1/2 months and realizing I honestly did not plan for this to take off the way it did has definitely brought some major adjustments into our day today. I sometimes would wonder if God was calling me to do this why on some days is it so dang hard? Why can I not find balance? Is there even such a thing as balance anyways? How do people work from home and be a full time stay at home mom to a five and two-year-old? is it even possible? And how do I catch my breath?
I can tell you I surely don’t have the answers or am I even close to having them but one thing I know for sure is there is NO SUCH THING AS BALANCE. So cut yourself some slack and give yourself a break. What there is however, is a little thing called Grace. Grace allows us to try again tomorrow on those hard days, it allows us to remember that “tomorrow is a new day” I say those words every night to my two young boys so why was it so hard to say it to myself? Once I learned that I deserve grace too was when I feel I was really able to grab this bull by its horns.
As someone who has always stayed home full time, it was a big adjustment to our family on just daily household chores. Thank you Jesus for giving me honestly the best man out there. Because If I’m being totally transparent, if it weren’t for him, I would have already tossed in the towel. But he keeps pushing me. He keeps telling me I can and WE will. He keeps reminding me on those hard days where I still think I can find a balance to just get out of my own way!!!
As far as smooth… it has been smooth in so many areas. I have truly met some of the most amazing people on this journey. Ones whom I now call friends. Ones who keep coming back and are already booking their Christmas boards for 2020! I honestly believe that their kindness, their words of affirmations (from complete strangers) is another thing that has kept me afloat. Their constant reminders that they believe in me and that they love what I do and who I am has been one of the biggest blessings this far.
I remember talking to my husband one on of those days where I just didn’t think I could keep up and he reminded me that if it were easy everyone would do it. Struggles are all a part of growth. They are lessons to be learned and its truly up to us how to respond. It’s up to us to forget the people who tell you “you can’t or you won’t” and to keep our eyes focused on the ones who tell you “you can and you will” because friends… let me tell you… there are SO many more of those kinds of people. Focus on the good and learn from the rest.
Please tell us more about your work. What do you do? What do you specialize in? What sets you apart from competition?
Graze by Design was started because I firmly believe that when people gather around a table relationship are formed and love is shown. I know what it’s like to do life with and without community and know what an impact gatherings can have on one’s life. When I started this whole gig, that was my prayer. It was simply that my boards would bring people together.
We specialize in Charcuterie boards of all sizes. Not one of my boards is the same. I think that’s what makes this fun is that no two boards are identical. I specialize in food artistry and tablescape settings. I make boards that feed two called my mini boards or have done large events that will feed 500+. Remember, when I started this, I hoped to make five. With that being said, my husband (who happens to be a jack of all trades) decided to custom make each board and literally burn, letter by letter, Graze by Design into the corner. It set us apart. It gives my clients a simple and delicate board to keep or toss or paint or do what you will with it but not to have to return them. Because of this, lots of customers use my boards as gifts. I do lots of boards for baby showers and new moms or for corporate gifts and teacher gifts. You name it and I can do it.
My Grazing tables are by far my favorite. These are fully customized by me and the direct client to bring you exactly what you want. I legally can not and do not make anything on my boards so everything is sourced. This however is actually a win for me. It allows me to get creative and bring you a new type of catering to your events. If we can dream it up, I can do it and turn it into a beautiful spread that for sure will be a shock factor at any party.
I will be with my husband for ten years this month and know the importance of date nights. I also know how hard it can be to get a sitter! Because of this, I wanted to bring date nights to my customers. I offer mini date night boards on the 1st and 3rd Friday of the month. These have sold out each time and continue to be a huge hit!
When I started this, I knew I wanted to do a thing called Blessing Boards. This is without a doubt the MOST rewarding part of all of this. Each month I bless a family. I came up with categories each month and all you have to do is send me a paragraph on a family or person you want to bless and on the 15th of each month, I announce one person to receive aboard. We have blessed single parents, people in need, first responders, and will bless teachers, special needs families, and more.
I also offer classes or what I like to call “Girls Nights Out” It’s simple really. I bring everything you need. You gather a group, bring your favorite beverage and I come to you. Everyone goes home with a mini-board they make individually and I share the ways I make mine and some of my favorite places to get my foods! These have been a HUGE hit and are booked solid for the next two months.
Over the past four months, I have been asked to speak at numerous events. You want to talk about getting out of your own way?! This has stretched me and pushed me in ways I didn’t know existed. I have had the priviledge to speak to so many women and will have the opportunity to do so in the upcoming months on believing in yourself. On priorities and why it’s important, we open our homes and allow others in. On the simple belief that there is no such thing as balance and that we have to learn Grace instead. This part of it… makes my heart so happy.
Over the past four months, I have been so proud of so many things. I have been proud that we are who we say we are. I have been fully transparent on my FB page on who I am as a person and the things I believe in. I have let others into a little bit of my life and shown my heart through raising money for friends who have lost children, getting people to take angels off the Angel tree at Christmas, my blessing boards and simply just being me. I don’t do fake. I don’t do people who pretend to be someone they aren’t. Who has time for that anyway? I’ve always been a firm believer that I would rather people hate me for who I am than love me for who I’m not.
I feel we live in a world that its hard to get a straight answer from anyone. You turn your back and wonder what was said about you so instead, so many people pretend to be who they aren’t. That has to be exhausting! So when given this opportunity, that legit fell in my lap, I made a promise to myself I would stay true to me and people would either love it or not and I’m so thankful that so many have loved it. After all, it is just a cheese board, right?
What were you like growing up?
I grew up in a small West Texas town called Odessa, known to house Friday night lights. I actually met my husband when I was in the 6th grade who was friends with my older brother. I cheered he played football. (total small town right?) I was simple. I was easy-going, maybe due to the small town or maybe due to being the little sister to what sometimes seemed like 20 older brothers. But one thing I was and to this day pride myself on is I was genuine. I’ve always had a very tender heart that looked to help others. I worked with special needs individuals my entire life starting in 6th grade and went on to be the director of Special Olympics after graduating from TCU prior to having kids.
I never met a stranger and was friends with everyone, and I liked it that way. I was even voted most Friendly and class favorite, I was a Varsity cheerleader and danced on the dance team, played soccer since I was four and on every prom and homecoming court out there. And for too many years, I felt those were the things where my worth came from. Boy, was I wrong. Growing up in a small town people’s opinions matter (or atleast as a teenage girl, I thought they did). Because of this, I sort of lost sight of who I was for a little bit till reconnecting with my husband when I was a senior in college at TCU. He reminded me I was so much more than those silly things.
It was then I realized I was a bit of a perfectionist and OCD which can be my greatest strength or weakness (hence the straight lines and detailed boards!) I realized that when I want something I’m going to go for it and nothing anyone says or any opinion of someone will change my mind and that’s because the older I got the more, I learned our worth doesn’t come from people. Our worth doesn’t come from the opinions of others. It comes from who we are in our hearts and our mind. And only we know that. But my true worth comes from Jesus.
Looking back on who I was growing up, I’m thankful for her but so glad I found me, because I know without a doubt if I wouldn’t have no way would I have started Graze by Design. I would have been too scared of what others thought. I would have let the opinions of others get in the way. I would have stopped before I ever started and what a shame that would have been. I feel so blessed and honored that it has taken off the way it has and cant wait to see where it leads. We have big goals for Graze and I can’t wait to cross them off one by one.
My hope and prayer is if you have a dream or a calling to just go for it. Stop being afraid and surely don’t let the opinions of others and if you ever need a cheerleader, call me. I’ll cheer you on every step of the way.
Contact Info:
- Website: grazebydesign.com
- Phone: 8177339282
- Email: kaci@grazebydesign.com
- Facebook: /grazebydesign
Image Credit:
Personal Photo by Gilian Oler Photography, board photos by Kaci Nunez
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