Five years ago, Cherie Metcalfe started a business selling salts, laid out on a duvet cover at a local market. Her goal was simply to contribute to the family income, without having to return to the late night life of cooking in a hospitality business.

"I never had any money to put into the business. Every dollar I've put in started from money I earned from selling salts off a duvet cover at a market stall."

It’s been a fully packed five years, with Cherie building an engaged community online, with thousands tuning into her Instagram stories every day (where she cooks using her products), or pouring over her mouth-watering photo, showing how you can use her rubs, salts, sauces and butters.

From that humble beginning at the markets, Pepper and Me has grown into four businesses, operating from their own building, and operating with a team of twelve. Cherie has managed to build a business focused around her love of cooking, food and people. Along with Pepper and Me, she runs the Pepper and Me club, a recipe sharing membership site, KitCo which sells ovenware, and Cain and Abel Knives, her newest business venture. 

"Everything I do is part of a greater aim to connect people with food. I love people, and I love food. So that's what I do. "

Cherie has always invested time and energy into her organic marketing, building a community of people who love her, and her brand. In sharing about her life and her business, she’s been able to grow beyond the market stalls, selling directly and into stores. 

User-generated content has always been important to Cherie, and her desire to help pay people who developed recipes using her product led to the launch of the Pepper and Me club. 

As an avid user of her products, I can say they are seriously good. I haven’t cooked a bad meal with any of them. That definitely has contributed to the success of the business, as it’s easier to get people to buy again when the products are good! 

However, it’s Cherie’s time and effort into showing people what she does, sharing moments of the day providing content and connecting with her community that has truly built her business.

"I put the time and effort into showing people what I do, sharing moments of my day, I show up, I provide content and my community then connect and support me when I share our products."

In this podcast we talk about how the business has changed, what’s changed since the early days, how she now prioritises her marketing, and whether this was all part of a big, organised plan.  Cherie is real, inspiring and so motivating to anyone wanting to build a business out of a passion.

Today we’re covering
How Pepper and Me started
What drives Cherie
Whether her growth was down to setting specific goals
The lucky save she had when it came to pricing her products
How Cherie built a community around her business
Her advice for business owners wanting to do the same thing
How the influencer changes has impacted her business
Why she started a subscription recipe service

 

Important Links

Pepper and Me

Pepper and Me Club

Cain and Abel Knives

KitCo by Pepper and Me

 

IMPORTANT LINKS MENTIONED DURING MAP IT MARKETING EPISODES

MAP IT Marketing Facebook group

Identify’s Free Events and Webinars

Identify Marketing Instagram

Identify Marketing Facebook Page

Rachel Klaver Website

Identify Marketing NZ Website

Identify Marketing Australian Website

Rachel Klaver - Linkedin

Rachel Klaver - Youtube

Five years ago, Cherie Metcalfe started a business selling salts, laid out on a duvet cover at a local market. Her goal was simply to contribute to the family income, without having to return to the late night life of cooking in a hospitality business.
"I never had any money to put into the business. Every dollar I've put in started from money I earned from selling salts off a duvet cover at a market stall."
It&rsquo;s been a fully packed five years, with Cherie building an engaged community online, with thousands tuning into her Instagram stories every day (where she cooks using her products), or pouring over her mouth-watering photo, showing how you can use her rubs, salts, sauces and butters.
From that humble beginning at the markets, Pepper and Me has grown into four businesses, operating from their own building, and operating with a team of twelve. Cherie has managed to build a business focused around her love of cooking, food and people. Along with Pepper and Me, she runs the Pepper and Me club, a recipe sharing membership site, KitCo which sells ovenware, and Cain and Abel Knives, her newest business venture.&nbsp;
"Everything I do is part of a greater aim to connect people with food. I love people, and I love food. So that's what I do. "
Cherie has always invested time and energy into her organic marketing, building a community of people who love her, and her brand. In sharing about her life and her business, she&rsquo;s been able to grow beyond the market stalls, selling directly and into stores.&nbsp;
User-generated content has always been important to Cherie, and her desire to help pay people who developed recipes using her product led to the launch of the Pepper and Me club.&nbsp;
As an avid user of her products, I can say they are seriously good. I haven&rsquo;t cooked a bad meal with any of them. That definitely has contributed to the success of the business, as it&rsquo;s easier to get people to buy again when the products are good!&nbsp;
However, it&rsquo;s Cherie&rsquo;s time and effort into showing people what she does, sharing moments of the day providing content and connecting with her community that has truly built her business.
"I put the time and effort into showing people what I do, sharing moments of my day, I show up, I provide content and my community then connect and support me when I share our products."
In this podcast we talk about how the business has changed, what&rsquo;s changed since the early days, how she now prioritises her marketing, and whether this was all part of a big, organised plan.&nbsp; Cherie is real, inspiring and so motivating to anyone wanting to build a business out of a passion.
Today we&rsquo;re covering
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">How Pepper and Me started</li>
<li aria-level="1">What drives Cherie</li>
<li aria-level="1">Whether her growth was down to setting specific goals</li>
<li aria-level="1">The lucky save she had when it came to pricing her products</li>
<li aria-level="1">How Cherie built a community around her business</li>
<li aria-level="1">Her advice for business owners wanting to do the same thing</li>
<li aria-level="1">How the influencer changes has impacted her business</li>
<li aria-level="1">Why she started a subscription recipe service</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
Important Links
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/pepperandme/">Pepper and Me</a>
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/pepperandme.club/">Pepper and Me Club</a>
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/cainandabelknives/">Cain and Abel Knives</a>
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/kitco.bypepperandme/">KitCo by Pepper and Me</a>
&nbsp;
IMPORTANT LINKS MENTIONED DURING MAP IT MARKETING EPISODES
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/MAPITwithRachelKlaver/">MAP IT Marketing Facebook group</a>
<a href="https://www.eventbrite.co.nz/o/identify-marketing-17656025044">Identify&rsquo;s Free Events and Webinars</a>
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/identifymarketing/">Identify Marketing Instagram</a>
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/Identifymarketing">Identify Marketing Facebook Page</a>
<a href="https://www.rachelklaver.com/">Rachel Klaver Website</a>
<a href="https://www.identifymarketing.co.nz/">Identify Marketing NZ Website</a>
<a href="https://identifymarketing.com.au/">Identify Marketing Australian Website</a>
<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelklaver/">Rachel Klaver - Linkedin</a>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN7nFfcWJkDe8nLzs2UELNQ">Rachel Klaver - Youtube</a>

Trying to work out how all your marketing fits together is tricky, especially when you're trying to juggle everything else you need to do while running a small business.  MAP IT Marketing steps you through how to create your own marketing map, building out a marketing strategy that is practical, and will help you take action after every episode.

Listen and learn with your host, marketing strategist and coach Rachel Klaver, as she breaks down the steps of building out a marketing action plan specifically for the small business owner. (because we are different than a big company! We have smaller budgets, less resource and far less time!)

Join Rachel as she shares her own business lessons and learning, or enjoy her expert guests talking tactics to help you become more confident in your own marketing. As we walk through all the different steps you need to take to build out your marketing activity, you'll be able to note what you need to do to implement the marketing advice and tactics. Think of it as your own marketing coach, helping you sift through all the small business marketing information, and working out what you need to do next.  

Want a clear direction in your marketing? Let's come make a map. 

Trying to work out how all your marketing fits together is tricky, especially when you're trying to juggle everything else you need to do while running a small business. &nbsp;MAP IT Marketing steps you through how to create your own marketing map, building out a marketing strategy that is practical, and will help you take action after every episode.
Listen and learn with your host, marketing strategist and coach Rachel Klaver, as she breaks down the steps of building out a marketing action plan specifically for the small business owner. (because we are different than a big company! We have smaller budgets, less resource and far less time!)
Join Rachel as she shares her own business lessons and learning, or enjoy her expert guests talking tactics to help you become more confident in your own marketing. As we walk through all the different steps you need to take to build out your marketing activity, you'll be able to note what you need to do to implement the marketing advice and tactics. Think of it as your own marketing coach, helping you sift through all the small business marketing information, and working out what you need to do next. &nbsp;
Want a clear direction in your marketing? Let's come make a map.&nbsp;

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