📷 Rachael Ginter
Behind the beautifully delicious @dreamboardsco Instagram account’s “Unconventional charcuterie in New Jersey,” is Medford’s Rachael Ginter. With more than 19K followers, the account may look like a cheese board fever dream, but behind the scenes, being a small business owner and mom of 2 isn’t as effortless as her glamorously put-together photos make it seem.
If “Charcuterie Board Influencer” is #1 on your Dream Job’s list, we’ve got a peek into a day in the life.
6:20 am: My approximate wake up time every day. Some days earlier thanks to my daughters who are 5 and 3. Today they’re still sleeping. I wish I could tell you I started my day with 20 minutes of meditation… but I can’t. I pick up my phone and check my social media accounts and emails.
6:54 am: Coffee. Much needed morning coffee as I get both girls ready for school – Lunches, backpacks, water bottles, masks and spirit week shirts.
9:13 am: Return from school drop off for my little one. Today is the only day of the week my daughters’ school schedules overlap for a significant amount of time. It’s my time to batch content for my social media pages, handle administrative work and maybe even squeeze in some “me time.” By batching my work, I can test, create and film several recipes or boards I planned on my content calendar. And while I would love to focus on the creative side of my business, invoices, emails and negotiations need attention, too.
9:16 am: Receive text from PreSchool Teacher. It appears as though I didn’t put my daughter’s lunch in her backpack after I made it. How did I miss a hot pink lunch box with a holographic unicorn on it? Back in the car and to school for me.
9:38 am: I try to work out 3 times a week for all the physical and mental health benefits. The thing is, I don’t really like working out…unless it’s spin. Thankful to have a spin bike in our spare room, and I start my warm up ride. I keep my legs moving but I multitask during this time answering direct messages on Instagram, replying to comments on my posts, commenting positively on others’ work. I’ve always seen social media as a way to network with others in my industry. It’s like an everlasting mobile networking event. It can be overwhelming at times, but mostly it’s an amazing tool to build your business. It has opened countless doors for me. I interact as much as I can.
9:48 am: Warm up over. Phone down. Time to focus on exercise.
10:45 am: It’s nearly mid-day and it’s finally time to get to work…which means I start pulling creamy cheeses and all the accoutrements out of my fridge. I’ve always had a creative outlet in my life (writing, painting, cake decorating) but food styling is the first time I’ve been able to make money doing something so creative. I absolutely love it and find the work calming.
Today, I’m making one short How To video, a classic charcuterie and a seasonal board for Valentine’s Day. The video will pull in new followers since it’s what major social media platforms are pushing these days. The classic charcuterie is always a fan favorite and following trends and holidays is the best shot at being featured by large media outlets.
After styling each recipe or board, I set up the shot. I style and shoot in my house, so I need to transform our dining room table/back porch/upstairs spare bedroom/whichever room has the best lighting at the moment into a believable setting. I utilize seasonal props, fabrics, backdrops and utensils to set the mood. I don’t have a lot of time left to edit photos in the moment, so I take lots of photos and will edit later.
2:37 pm: Somehow, I pulled off the work I needed to get done, but I didn’t quite get the cleaning up part completed. The stack of dishes in my sink will have to wait because it’s PreSchool pick up time and then immediately following, it’s school bus drop off for my older daughter. Then it’s a whirlwind of snacks, homework and first dinner (yes, just the first one) for the next few hours.
5:27 pm: My daughters just started swim lessons. I edit photos and interact on Instagram while they swim. I also check in with a client whose product shipment hasn’t arrived yet and respond to an inquiry email requiring rates.
6:41 pm: Return home from swim lessons and feed the girls a second dinner. Classic peanut butter sandwiches. We relax as a family for a bit and then start bedtime routine.
7:58 pm: The girls are in bed for the night but it’s time for me to put on a full face of makeup and do my hair. I’ve had much success going LIVE on Instagram once a month with an industry counterpart in California. Sometimes it’s for fun, sometimes we share tips and tricks for food styling, and sometimes it’s a sponsored event, AKA work. Our Lives have been sponsored by Ruby Frost Apples, Cheese Lovers Shop and Hiawatha Woodworks in the past.
8:30 pm: The LIVE event begins.
9:39 pm: Event is over. I let the dog out one last time. Turn off all the lights. Head upstairs and take my makeup off while I recap the event with my husband. We chat for a while and then he drifts off to sleep. I stay up and read for a little bit.
10:25 pm: I lay in bed and think about my day. Some days I go to sleep filled with regret that I wasn’t present enough for my children. Some days I go to sleep making a mental to-do list of all the things I have to get done for Dream Boards tomorrow that I couldn’t quite cram into today. Some days, like today, I’m thankful I was able to pull it all off. Being a mom, a wife, a small business owner where everything from negotiating to creative work is your sole responsibility can be overwhelming and exhilarating. I’m always striving for balance and always wondering if I can do it better tomorrow.
Stay up to date with Rachael Ginter by following @dreamboardsco on Instagram.
