episode 0072- sauce wars: the family feud no one saw coming with jeesauce co-founders ryan and porter smith
What happens when your own sister locks you out of the business you built together? For the founders of JeeSauce, it meant starting over from scratch. After the bitter family feud that split apart the original Bitchin' Sauce brand, they tried twice more to get back on their feet, only to face crushing setback, from a manufacturer stealing their recipe to the pandemic derailing their shot at big-box success. Each time, they were flat on their face. But instead of giving up, they kept pushing.
Out of what they describe as divine inspiration, JeeSauce was born. A better, shelf-stable alternative to hummus that's now thriving on store shelves and online. In this episode, we dig into the betrayal, the heartbreak, and the relentless resilience that turned total loss into the comeback story of a lifetime.
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Show Highlights:
1- We discuss the origin story of the first sauce company. (8:45)
2- We discuss Porter’s entry into the company, and the falling out with their sister. (25:15)
3- What was the inspiration to keep going with a new company despite the previous hardships? (33:05)
4- We discuss the rise and fall of Good Lovin’ Foods. (36:00)
5- The marketing advice that changed everything and led to the creation of JeeSauce. (48:00)
6- Ryan describes the divine inspiration for the initial creation of JeeSauce. (50:50)
7- How did Porter and Ryan get the sauce to be shelf stable? (57:50)
8- How is business going today? (1:01:50)
9- Listener question: What is your advice regarding being an open book vs. private in marketing? (1:04:10)
10- Where can we learn more or purchase JeeSauce for ourselves? (1:10:05)
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