Miriam is the founder of San Diego Picnics, the sold-out Instagram-worthy pop-up picnics all over the city. She is sharing her insights on best picnic practices, her secret to the best picnic food, and her life as an entrepreneur.
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Alice: Cool, we are recording. Okay. So, Miriam is the founder of San Diego Picnics, the sold-out Instagram-worthy pop-up picnics all over the city. She is sharing her insights on best picnic practices, her secret to the best picnic food, and her life as an entrepreneur. Welcome, Miriam.
Miriam: Thank you. Hi!
Alice: Yes, we are so excited to have you on. So, can you first tell me, what is your favorite charcuterie?
Miriam: My favorite charcuterie item is definitely cheese. You can experiment with different cheeses. There are lots of options with infused flavors on them. So, it can definitely spice up the cheese board a lot.
Alice: Oh, wow, infused flavors on them, what does that mean?
Miriam: There are some, like for example, I was using some in August that had papaya in them or merlot tones, like the wine, and berries. I think there are some fall ones that we are going to be using pretty soon as well.
Alice: Oh, my gosh.
Miriam: Yes.
Alice: That sounds amazing, wow. Okay, what is your go-to cocktail?
Miriam: My go-to cocktail, there is always an option. I always remember this one cocktail that I had in a restaurant, at a winery. It was, like, infused with espresso. I do not remember the name of it but it was so good and it had a lot of flavor to it. It has pretty strong notes on it but it was really, really good. And, of course, you can never go wrong with just like a margarita with mezcal, mixed on it.
Alice: Incredible, yes. And so, you are from San Diego, have you always lived there?
Miriam: Yes, I was born here and have always lived here. So, I am pretty familiar with the city as well.
Alice: Oh, awesome. What is your favorite part of San Diego?
Miriam: My favorite part of San Diego, I think, are the parks.
Alice: Okay.
Miriam: Also, within driving distance, you can go to the mountains, the beach, the desert as well. So, you have lots of options too. It is a very versatile city, definitely.
Alice: So, all the different places that you can picnic too.
Miriam: Yes, definitely.
Alice: You have been to every park. What is your favorite place for a picnic?
Miriam: My favorite one, it is either Balboa park or Mount Soledad. Mount Soledad has stunning views of La Jolla. You can see the beach and the city down below. Balboa Park is just a pretty iconic place to visit when you are here.
Alice: Oh, wow. So, how did you end up starting your picnic business? Can you talk a little bit about it?
Miriam: Yes so, I started in– I was furlough from my job and I was home for a couple of months like everyone else.
Alice: Yes.
Miriam: And I was looking– photography was kind of non-existent at that point. Everybody was staying at home. I had done a couple of proposals last year and the year before where I will help the guys to kind of set up, do a little cute setup based on Pinterest photographs to propose to his girlfriend. Every time I would do those, people will always ask me at the location I was doing them if I only did them for pictures, or if I could offer them just for regular people trying to have a date night. I always just kind of like say, “No, not yet, I do not really do that. I just do photography,” but while I was at home, I just thought like I had a lot of friends that were telling me their anniversary dates or their trips got canceled. So, they were just like, “Oh, we cannot do anything. Restaurants are not being open.” So, that is kind of how something clicked there. I am like, “Oh, well, you guys can have a picnic but we will make it nice and romantic.” I started telling some friends, I am like, “Hey, do you guys want to model for me? Or I will give you guys one.” I did have some pictures from the proposals which are the ones that I posted at first but-
Alice: Oh, awesome.
Miriam: Yes, so, I posted those. If you see my Instagram you will probably see those at the beginning but I did offer it to friends and then slowly just went from there and yes.
Alice: Wow, and now you have been so sold out, you are all over the city. What has been your favorite picnic that you have planned so far?
Miriam: Well, I just do the most recent one that I just did this weekend. The couple was really, really grateful. I did my most elaborate one, the boho at the wind and sea. It was a really nice day, a big stunning sunset, and it was a surprise for him for their anniversary date
Alice: Oh, wow.
Miriam: Yes, it was a really, really a nice day. She was so grateful and she sent me a cute little video that she made from her date.
Alice: That is cool.
Miriam: Yes, so it is kind of nice when you see that end result of how they enjoyed it and you see their pictures and their videos.
Alice: What do you think makes the perfect picnic?
Miriam: I think what makes the perfect picnic is definitely having a good location that has a good sunset and also a good cheese board that has really good options, trying to eat something that is like finger foods and enjoy your view and being with your significant other.
Alice: Do you have secret food tips that we should all be trying? What should we put on that cheese board?
Miriam: I would say, definitely, go with the seasonal cheeses that there is at the stores, local stores, I am obsessed with the ones that Trader Joe’s offer. They have really, really good items on there. So, if you just go to the cheese section and check those out, you can definitely find some really good options there.
Alice: Oh, that is awesome. What is the most difficult part about starting a new business?
Miriam: I think the most difficult part was– it did take off really well, so, right now, I did manage to find a team to help me. So, that was the most difficult part, finding people that kind of were interested in offering those services and helping me because I realized I could not do that by myself.
Alice: Oh, that is awesome.
Miriam: Yes, just realizing that I cannot handle everything and I need help, and just asking for help and finding other people that have those qualities that can bring in those qualities to the business.
Alice: Oh, amazing. Do you still offer the photography with the picnic as well? So, you are doing both of your passions?
Miriam: Yes, yes, I do offer them. I have done a few of them as well, like as a photography option. So, I enjoy that a lot. It is a little bit more tiring to do both but if you see the end result it is very satisfying. I really enjoy setting up and taking their pictures and that I not only do them on the picnic, I also showcase the landscape and the scenery as well.
Alice: Oh, lovely, and you said you have had some proposals that you have helped arrange. Can you talk a little bit about those? Tell us like the most romantic one.
Miriam: The most romantic one? Well, they are all pretty romantic because we have done it with [inaudible] and we would wait to like the perfect lighting, the time sunset time. I think the most interesting that I just photographed was a couple of months ago, I think in June, right when COVID was still, you know we were still a stay-at-home shelter, it was interesting trying to plan that one because they wanted the family to see-
Alice: Oh, wow.
Miriam: -to see the proposal but we were not really allowed to have a lot of people there. So, I had to choose a location, I think I chose a downtown one where everybody could stay looking at a safe distance, but still kind of celebrate with them from far away. So, it was a really interesting way and then trying to have those masks on while we photograph and they proposed. So, it was definitely interesting. It is one I will remember for sure because it was during these weird times.
Alice: It is definitely a weird time but it sounds like you have been making the most of it, just starting a new business and it is really taking off, that is wonderful.
Miriam: Thank you.
Alice: Yes. So, something we always ask on this podcast is, what is your definition of womanhood?
Miriam: Definition of womanhood? I think it is mostly having a community that supports you, definitely having friends, your family, the women that represent your family and how they look at you, and obviously not being in a competition with everyone. So, I just really am a firm believer in community. So, uplifting other women, not bringing them down, and supporting them in their entrepreneurs. So, I have always looked for those women that are starting businesses or they believe in something, I want to support them. So, definitely community over competition and not getting into those traits that can definitely make you home the long way.
Alice: That is awesome. If you had any advice for a woman just like walking down the street, what would you say to them?
Miriam: I would tell them to definitely be confident and if you have an idea or just kind of something in your heart that you really want to do but you are doubting yourself, definitely go for it. There will be people that will support you and it is just taking that first step that is going to be the hardest, but once you do, you will see that it is definitely worth it.
Alice: That is awesome, Miriam. Yes, that is definitely what you did, just take that first step with this new business and it has really paid off. It is amazing.
Miriam: Thank you, I am so happy.
Alice: Yes. How can people find out about your business? Where should they go and how can they contact you about setting up a picnic?
Miriam: You can go to our website sandiegopicnics.com. We are also on social media, on Facebook, and Instagram, and of course, TikTok.
Alice: Awesome. Is there anything else you would like to add, Miriam?
Miriam: Yes, we are launching soon our fall picnics and we are about to release all of our videos and photographs for those. So, hopefully, we will get people interested in those along with the beach picnics because those are pretty sold out for the next few months.
Alice: Wow.
Miriam: So, I am offering something else, just like a good experience with also iconic San Diego views.
Alice: That is awesome. Wow. The fall picnic, that sounds so lovely.
Miriam: That is my favorite season.
Alice: Perfect. Well, thank you so much for being on Miriam. It was so nice to get to talk to you.
Miriam: Well, thank you. Thank you.
