From Creativity to Charcuterie: Staphanie Ortiz’s Journey of Betting on Herself

Staphanie Ortiz has always been drawn to beautiful things. Long before she became an entrepreneur and the founder of Peony+Brie, she was a creative kid fascinated by fashion, art, music, and anything that allowed her to think a little outside the box. Today, that same creativity has become the foundation of a business built around beautifully designed graze boards, meaningful celebrations, and the freedom to create something of her own.

“I've been creative for as long as I can remember,” Staphanie says. “That love of design in all its forms, fashion, art, music, has stuck with me my whole life and shaped everything I do.”

Her path to entrepreneurship, however, was anything but linear. Before Peony+Brie, Staphanie worked across several industries, including hair design, makeup artistry, the dental industry, tech, and User Experience Design. She also spent several years as a stay-at-home mom. Each chapter brought a different experience, skill set, and perspective that eventually led her toward the work she feels most connected to today.

Much of Staphanie’s entrepreneurial spirit can be traced back to her grandmother, Leandra, an entrepreneur in a small rural town in southwest Texas. Long before mobile businesses became trendy, Leandra created her own mobile boutique out of a huge yellow 1980s station wagon, traveling throughout the surrounding areas with clothing, plants, home goods, and handmade baked goods.

“She saw a need and met it with pure heart and imagination,” Staphanie says. “She showed me early what true grit and resourcefulness look like.”

That influence became especially important after Staphanie became a mother. She describes motherhood as the moment when something in her shifted, pushing her to look more closely at what she wanted from her own life. “I finally opened my eyes to what I really wanted and felt that pull to build something of my own,” she says. “I knew I was destined for more, and it was time to make a move.”

At the time, Staphanie was working at a corporate tech company where she felt stuck and disconnected from her creative side. “I wasn't growing or thriving within the company. I had hit the glass ceiling, and I was miserable,” she says. “I was craving something creative and hungry to finally follow my passion.”

Around the same time, charcuterie accounts started appearing on her social media feed. The concept immediately caught her attention. She had always loved creating beautiful things, and combining design with food felt like the perfect intersection.

She began making boards for girls’ nights and other events, and the response encouraged her to keep going. But one moment in particular gave her the push she needed. Her neighbor, Amanda, ordered a board for a friend’s birthday and gave Staphanie a card of encouragement along with her very first dollar.

“She saw something in me I hadn't seen in myself,” Staphanie says. “That was all the spark I needed.”

With her family cheering her on, Staphanie began building Peony+Brie before the business even had a name.

She quickly discovered, however, that entrepreneurship required much more than making beautiful boards. Her biggest challenge began with finding the confidence to believe she could build a successful business.

“I was tired of being scared, tired of letting self-doubt hold me back in so many ways for so long,” she says.

Once she pushed through that fear, she faced the reality of running every part of a business herself. She became the accountant, marketer, social media manager, purchasing manager, customer service representative, and delivery driver—all while continuing to create the products her clients came to her for.

One unexpected resource became especially important along the way: AI. Staphanie started her business as AI tools were becoming more widely available and says they have helped her manage and grow Peony+Brie tremendously.

“It's honestly become my business partner!” she says.

Rather than seeing her varied career history as a weakness, Staphanie now views it as one of her biggest strengths.

“I’m a true jack of all trades!” she says. “Some might say I should've stuck with one thing, but I see it as a superpower.”

For Staphanie, her biggest accomplishment isn't simply building a business. It's earning the trust of clients who invite her into some of their most meaningful celebrations.

“I walked away from a career where I felt unseen to chase something creative, and now people trust me to be part of their most meaningful moments,” she says.

Stephanie says she wouldn’t be where she is without the people who have supported her along the way. Her friend Kate has been there from the beginning, and she’s grateful for the Austin businesses that continue to champion women and local talent. At home, her husband, Edwin, has been in her corner since day one. And now, her children are a huge part of what keeps her going, especially her daughter Vivian, who thinks what her mom does is the coolest thing in the world.

“Knowing I'm showing them what it looks like to chase a dream, bet on yourself, and never give up is everything,” Staphanie says.

The decision that changed everything was leaving her job to pursue Peony+Brie full-time. That leap allowed her to fully invest in learning the business and building it intentionally. Her advice to other women considering a similar leap is simple. “Just. Do. It!” she says. “Do it scared, do it messy, do it somewhat prepared, just START.”

She encourages aspiring entrepreneurs to find mentors, ask questions, and accept that failure is part of the process. To Staphanie, mistakes aren't proof that someone isn't capable; they're opportunities to learn and keep moving.

“You must know that you will fail, sometimes big, sometimes small, but every single one of those moments is a learning lesson and an opportunity to grow,” she says.

Building a business while raising a family has also taught Staphanie the importance of balance. She protects her family time, batches her preparation, and gives herself grace when everything doesn't get done.

“It's also very important to take care of yourself,” she says. “You can't pour into others when you're running on empty.”

For Staphanie, self-care doesn't have to be complicated. She loves roller skating and tries to make it to an adult skate night at least once a month. She also makes time for concerts, date nights, and even the occasional kid-free Target trip.

“At the end of the day, being present for my family and passionate about my business aren't at odds,” she says. “I just try to give each its moment.”

Looking ahead, Staphanie has plenty of ideas for Peony+Brie. She hopes to collaborate with more local businesses and brands, host pop-ups, and expand the sweet side of the business with good-for-you candy boards. She also plans to make Peony+Brie more tech-forward. After seeing firsthand how AI can support a small business, she hopes to help other entrepreneurs feel less intimidated by the technology.

“I'd love to educate people who are intimidated by it and show them all the ways it can empower them too,” she says.

For Staphanie, the next chapter is another opportunity to combine the things she has always loved: creativity, technology, entrepreneurship, and helping others.

Through every career change, new beginning, and moment of uncertainty, Staphanie has continued to follow the instinct that first pushed her to create. She lives by the belief that “what's meant to be, will be,” using it as a reminder to trust the journey, listen to her intuition, and release what she cannot control.

And when a little more discipline is required, she has another mindset to fall back on: “do or die.”

“There are moments in life that call you to silence every excuse, rise to the occasion, and give it absolutely everything you have,” she says.

From a childhood surrounded by creativity to a career filled with unexpected pivots, Staphanie Ortiz has built Peony+Brie by trusting herself, taking the leap, and giving her creativity room to become something bigger.

Her story is a reminder that there isn't one correct path to entrepreneurship. Sometimes, finding the right one means being willing to leave the path that no longer feels right.

And sometimes, all it takes is someone believing in you long enough for you to start believing in yourself.

Check out Staphanie's work at https://peonyandbrie.com/