Today we’d like to introduce you to Danielle Watkins.
Hello, my name is Danielle Watkins, I am a co-owner of Board+Bond and more importantly a woman who is on the pursuit to cultivate an anti-racist society.
My best friend, Allison Johnson, and I have always shared the love for making food look pretty and especially share the love for cheese! One day during the pandemic, we were on one of many many phone calls, and she said to me, “Dani, I am really thinking of starting a charcuterie business”. Naturally, I was in full support of this idea. However the idea just kind of sat around for a bit. Then on a different day, on another one of our many many phone calls, I said to her, “Allie, what do you think about us doing the business together, like I have a branch here in Houston and you have a branch there in Fort Wayne, Indiana?”. And of course, she was all in on this idea. The idea sat around for a bit and then finally when 2021 settled in, we got started with the brainstorming process. We set up weekly Zoom meetings, outside of many many phone calls, where we spent time crafting our “why”, our “mantras”, and our “vision” for the brand. We knew this was an essential step in building a strong foundation to this vision we held in our heads and hearts. After a couple of months of brainstorming and passionate conversations, we launched Board + Bond in late February of this year.
Crafting our story and brand is when the true magic happened in my opinion. So hear me out, I am a black female, and Allison is a white female. We have been in each others’ lives for close to 10 years now; the woman is in my rock. We took this opportunity to highlight a very relevant yet sensitive topic in society… racism! Our daily goal is to show a true example of the unity of different races through our friendship and business collaboration. We call it “the color of friendship,” if you will. Board + Bond stands for bringing each of our differences to the same table, not only bringing them to the same table but accepting them for what they are. We believe in highlighting our differences and celebrating the uniqueness in each of us. Food is simply our gathering tool!
So this brings me to our “mantras,” commonly known as “core values” in other businesses. However, Allison had the idea of calling them “mantras,” and we loved it!!! We wanted to think of three words that embodied our passion behind the cheese boards and event planning. Our three words are CRAVINGS, TOGETHERNESS, and MEMORIES. We strive to satisfy all cravings while bringing all different types of people together and creating memories that will last a lifetime.
I believe our “why” is what has led to our success in such a short amount of time. We have started to expand past making charcuterie boards. In the Houston market, I have crafted charcuterie boards and graze tables, planned cocktail hours, hosted dinner parties, and developed partnerships with realtors for open houses and client closing gifts. One of my favorite personal partnerships is with Jobeth Solis, who is a realtor at NextGen Real Estate. I am so excited to see where Board +Bond takes off to in the next coming years here in Houston, TX. I will continue to make a presence and stand behind the goal of bringing unity to the surface in our community.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Starting a small business is so empowering. It gives me this sense of belonging in such a big city. I have lived in Houston for two years now, and I would say Board + Bond has been a huge catapult for me connecting to people in the city. This city is full of young entrepreneurs and people from different backgrounds, which are two things I love about Houston. I also think that is what contributes to making the road to starting up my business a rather smooth one.
With that said, there has been a personal struggle for me. I truly struggled with the fear of being a black woman who was launching a business that deals with racial topics in the manner in which we chose to mention the topic. I was afraid of being perceived as insensitive toward my own black community or going against the grain, especially because my business partner (and best friend) is white. I had thoughts like, “will people think I am not pro-black?”, “will people think this means I do not acknowledge the true oppression of my black community?”, “will this make my black community think I am not sticking with them during a time when social justice is at the forefront?”. While these thoughts and fears might seem silly to some, these were the true struggles I was facing. I shed tears thinking about these things.
Allison and I have had many tough conversations around racial topics in society! I even shared these fears with her before we launched the business, and we talked it out. But the one thing that keeps us grounded is our unwavering belief in our individual roles to end racial injustice. We believe each person plays an important role and her and I share the same role. Our role is being an example of understanding our differences and being the light that gives others permission and courage to do the same thing. We want to help bridge the space between races.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I currently work for HISD as a manager in Wraparound Services. My day-to-day role is to support and coach specialists who identify students’ non-academic needs and then connect the student with a service or resource that addresses their need. I am a former teacher of five years, where I strived to help children understand how identity impacts their lives. I love that my new role allows me to serve children and make an impact in uplifting them.
As a TFA alumni, my mission is to be on an ongoing pursuit to obtaining equitable access to education and resources for our youth and I am so proud to be doing this on a larger scale. I oversee 8 campuses in the HISD district and I get the privilege of connecting with principals, students. families, and community members of Houston. My long term goal on this pursuit is to serve as a community organizer in order to uplift the voices of those who are impacted by unjust policies.
How do you think about luck?
I am not too sure that I believe in luck. I more so believe in divine intervention… this idea that all things, each person in my life, and all life experiences are there because that is the way God planned it. That by divine intervention I am exactly where I should be in life. I believe that all things work together for my good, that even the worst times in my life happened in order to refine me into the woman I am today. Everything happens for a reason, so rather that reason be by “luck” or simply because it was God’s will, it happened for my good. This is how I choose to walk through life.
Contact Info:
- Email: boardandbond@gmail.com
- Instagram: @boardandbond
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/board.bond.9
Image Credits
Photography: Ilona Jade Photography, Merissa D Photography
