Today we’d like to introduce you to Hannah Whisonant and Norma Salter.
Hi Hannah and Norma, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
We had been friends for a few years and one day during quarantine, we started to discuss our shared a love of planning events, vintage items and sharing unique adventures with friends and how we could turn that into a potential business. Since big events were not an option, we thought that picnics would be a great way to get outside and interact in small groups while still being safe. We knew that we wanted to be as sustainable as possible, so we began to upcycle and repurpose our own picnic tables and decor as well as working with other sustainably-minded and diverse local businesses. Discovering hidden gems and curating our inventory from local vintage stores and small businesses has been just as fulfilling as creating the actual picnic setups! It has been such a joy to create meaningful private events for our clients and as well as being able to partner up with and support other local businesses and creators.
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?
Having never owned a business before, we did not know much about navigating through the intricacies of starting and managing a small business, so in the early stages, we had to rely on friends who had been through the process before to help guide us. We have also been very fortunate to have extremely creative and gifted friends who have helped us anywhere from website and logo creation, photography, social media and being a sounding board for our ideas and constant cheerleaders. It has definitely been a learning process on how to juggle full time jobs as well as our picnic schedules but we would not have it any other way!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We are a small, woman owned business providing picnic setups for date nights, birthdays, engagements, anniversaries, rehearsal dinners or any other intimate event. We work closely with our clients to create unique and unforgettable events. We take pride in our vintage aesthetic and the fact we repurpose, refinish and upcycle the majority of our items to reduce waste and be as sustainable as possible. Our passion for creating one-of-a-kind picnic adventures all while being sustainable and supporting local businesses sets us apart from our competition.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
We leaned more on our friends and family for advice and their expertise. We are so thankful to have so many creative people in our corner to help us along the way with business advice, logos, our website and life advice. We do however, love to read books and listen to podcasts as a way to escape the day to day. Self-care is important!
Pricing:
- Acorn Package – $65
- Dogwood Package – $125
- Oak Package – $175
- Did Somebody Say Brunch – $210
- Backyard Film Fest – $265
Contact Info:
- Email: saltandsagepicniccompany@gmail.com
- Website: saltandsagepicniccompany.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/saltandsagepicniccompany
