Behind the Business: How Justina Briguglio Turned a Creative Side Hustle Into a Seat at the Table

For Justina Briguglio, a beautifully arranged charcuterie board has never been only about what is on it.

It is about the people gathered around it.

Long before Boujee Boards by Justina became a business, food and gathering were already closely connected in Justina’s life. Growing up in a large Italian family, antipasto was a familiar part of family get-togethers. Years later, while she was a stay-at-home mom looking for a creative way to help support her family, that appreciation for food, presentation and bringing people together began turning into something more.

What started with creating boards from home grew into Boujee Boards by Justina, a business now creating custom charcuterie experiences, grazing tables and event displays for weddings, celebrations, community events and gatherings throughout the Mount Dora area and Central Florida.

And Justina is still growing.

“I create beautiful, custom grazing tables and charcuterie experiences that bring people together and make life’s special moments feel even more memorable,” she says.

Making the Food Part of the Experience

When Justina began building Boujee Boards, she saw an opportunity to approach event food differently.

Hosts were already spending time worrying about menus, presentation and making sure everything looked right before guests arrived. Justina wanted to create something that could take some of that responsibility off their shoulders while becoming part of the celebration itself.

“I saw a need for food that was more than just something to serve — it could also be part of the experience,” she says. “I wanted to offer something beautiful, personalized and memorable that allowed hosts to enjoy their own events instead of worrying about the food and presentation.”

That personalization remains an important part of the business.

Rather than producing identical setups from event to event, Justina builds her grazing tables and boards around the people, occasion and atmosphere. The result can range from an intimate charcuterie board to an elaborate grazing display designed to become a visual centerpiece at a wedding or large celebration.

As Boujee Boards has grown, so has the scale of the opportunities.

Justina has increasingly found herself working with weddings, larger events, venues and other local businesses — a long way from the small home-based idea she originally envisioned.

Building a Business Around Family

Boujee Boards also grew from a very practical goal.

Justina was a stay-at-home mom, and remaining present for her children was important to her. At the same time, she wanted to find a way to contribute financially to her household.

“I didn’t start with a big business plan or expect it to become what it is today,” she says. “I simply found something I loved, worked hard at it, and continued saying yes to opportunities as they came.”

That willingness to say yes became an important part of her entrepreneurial journey.

One of the biggest lessons Justina says she has learned is that business owners do not necessarily have to feel completely prepared before taking their next step.

“So much of owning a business is learning as you go, being willing to pivot, and trusting yourself enough to say yes to opportunities that may feel a little outside your comfort zone,” she says. “Some of the best growth in my business has come from taking a chance on myself before I felt completely ready.”

Learning to Trust the Business — and Herself

Growth has brought its own challenges.

As opportunities became larger, Justina had to learn how to expand Boujee Boards without losing the personal approach that made the business successful in the first place.

That meant learning when to accept an opportunity and when to decline one, setting boundaries around her time and becoming more confident about pricing her work.

It has also meant confronting something many entrepreneurs experience but may not always discuss openly: imposter syndrome.

“There are still moments when I question whether I’m experienced enough, talented enough, or really belong in some of the rooms and opportunities I find myself in,” Justina says. “I’ve had to learn to trust my work, recognize how far I’ve come, and remind myself that I’ve earned my place there.”

Some of the people who have helped her work through those moments are other small business owners — including people in her own industry from around the country.

Instead of treating everyone doing similar work as competition, Justina found mentors, sounding boards and fellow entrepreneurs willing to answer questions and share what they had learned.

That experience helped shape one of the principles she now brings to her own local business community: there is room to grow together.

Boujee & Local

Supporting other small businesses has become an increasingly visible part of the Boujee Boards brand.

Through her Boujee & Local series, Justina uses her own social media presence to introduce followers to other area businesses and the people behind them.

It is an idea that closely reflects how she approaches entrepreneurship.

“I truly believe that when small businesses support one another, the entire community benefits,” she says.

Justina also supports local organizations, schools, churches, community events and causes when opportunities arise. Sometimes that means donating or participating in an event. Other times it may be collaborating with another business or simply using her platform to help someone else get noticed.

For Justina, those relationships are especially meaningful because community support has played such a large role in building Boujee Boards.

Growing in the Mount Dora Community

Although Boujee Boards serves customers throughout the surrounding area, Justina says the Mount Dora community has been particularly important to the company’s growth.

“Mount Dora has such a strong sense of community, and I love how much people here genuinely support small and local businesses,” she says. “It’s a place where relationships matter, and so much of my business has grown through word of mouth, connections, and people trusting me to be part of their special moments.”

Joining the Mount Dora Area Chamber of Commerce has created another avenue for those relationships.

Justina says Chamber membership has introduced her to business owners she might not otherwise have met while providing additional visibility and opportunities to participate in local events.

For an entrepreneur whose business has grown largely through trust and personal connections, that network has become a natural extension of how she operates.

What Comes Next for Boujee Boards?

Justina is now looking toward the next evolution of the business.

She plans to continue expanding Boujee Boards’ presence at weddings, larger events and partner venues while also developing additional offerings designed to make event planning easier for clients.

One concept she is particularly excited about is customizable “party bundles.”

The idea would allow customers to begin with one of Boujee Boards’ grazing options and add complementary foods, bites and extras depending on the celebration.

“My goal has always been to take some of the stress off the host while creating something beautiful and memorable for their guests,” Justina says.

There is another milestone approaching, too.

In April 2027, Boujee Boards by Justina will celebrate five years in business.

For a company that began as a way for a stay-at-home mom to earn additional income while remaining present for her family, five years represents more than simply staying in business.

It represents hundreds of decisions to keep going, keep learning and keep trusting where the next opportunity might lead.

Redefining Success

Justina admits that her definition of success has changed considerably since she started.

Early on, it was easy to measure progress through bookings, growth and whether customers liked what she was making.

Today, she looks at success differently.

It is the returning client. The referral. The relationship with another local business owner. The family that trusts her to provide part of an important celebration.

And it is being able to grow a company she is proud of without losing sight of the reason she started it.

“For me, success is less about how ‘big’ Boujee Boards becomes and more about building something sustainable, meaningful, and rooted in community — while still loving what I do,” she says.

Five years after an idea began taking shape around a kitchen table, Justina is finding there is plenty of room left at that table.

And she is bringing other people along with her.

Quick Insights

Why Mount Dora?
The relationships. Justina says the area’s support for small businesses, strong word-of-mouth culture and genuine connections have been an important part of Boujee Boards’ growth.

Biggest lesson learned:
You do not have to have everything figured out before taking the next step. Sometimes growth starts with saying yes before you feel completely ready.

Definition of success:
Building something sustainable and meaningful while maintaining relationships, being present for family and continuing to love the work.

Something people may not know:
Boujee Boards began as a way for Justina, then a stay-at-home mom, to help support her family while continuing to be present for her children.

Advice for other business owners:
“Build relationships, not just a business.” Show up, support other businesses, ask questions, collaborate and do not let comparison convince you that you do not belong.