Muscogee citizen opens new business during pandemic

Written By: Morgan Taylor

(MUSCOGEE NATION) Muscogee (Creek) citizen Jackie Schmidt and her mother Tammy Bohannon consider themselves the divas of charcuterie.

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Charcuterie is the French word for deli, but it has become a popular form of eating prepared meat, cheese, fruits and vegetables.

The mother and daughter pair launched their business together in late January after being separated from each other for nearly a year.

Schmidt previously worked for the tribe for 12 years before becoming a stay-at-home mom.

Bohannon operated an in-home daycare for 11 years and stayed in operation through the pandemic until she became sick with COVID-19.

Schmidt’s son has an asthma and autoimmune disorder, so even before her mother became sick, she was weary of being exposed.

Over the year, the mother and daughter, and even grandson, communicated via Face Time, phone calling and staying social distanced.

Schmidt and her son ended up contracting the virus through another source and were sick around the same time as Bohannon.

“We couldn’t protect ourselves,” Schmidt said. “We couldn’t see each other and we were both scared.”

Schmidt and her son recovered quickly but Bohannon’s sickness lingered for over two months.

It was during that period of their lives when Schmidt came up with the idea of preparing and selling charcuterie boards.

“I kept thinking, ‘what can we do to get her (Bohannon) out of daycare that will help her make money and we get to spend time together,” Schmidt said.

After discovering the idea, Schmidt said there was not much in her area that offered the service.

“I thought we could do that,” Schmidt said.

Once Bohannon recovered, she quit her daycare business and jumped on board with the business venture.

The pandemic continued to cause the women trouble when searching for a kitchen but they eventually found a space in Coweta where they could make their creations.

The Charcuterie Divas cater weddings, parties and make gifts with customized platters.

The smallest platter starts at $50 worth of items including meat choices, fruit, vegetables, cheese, cookies and even a dip of one’s choice.

The Charcuterie Divas’ latest creations can be found on their Facebook page @thecharcuteriedivas. To get quotes on platters for upcoming holiday get togethers, contact: 918-609-3809.