Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Stanley Chase, owner of Louisville Vegan Jerky Co., located in Louisville, KY, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

We make a completely plant-based jerky, but it's not just for vegans! We have messages from people all the time saying they love our jerky but are not vegans themselves. Some people are eating less meat, and we want to support people wherever they're at in the decisions they make around food.

We're also family-owned and run; being independent is super important to us. It allows us to stick to our values and make decisions that are in line with our beliefs.

Tell us about yourself

I started the company in 2012 after opening a vegan food truck & starting a vegan catering company. Since I was in my early 20s, I wanted to have a business that revolved around vegan food. I moved to Philadelphia in 2010 to work at a vegan restaurant with (at the time) the most famous vegan chef, Richard Landau. He inspired me to open my own vegan business. At my core, I love fun brands that do cool things! Even though we're just making a vegan snack, in my head, it's bigger than that because it's an extension of myself in so many ways at this point.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I believe entirely that the people you surround yourself with define not just your accomplishments but also the spirit of who you are. I suppose my greatest accomplishment is that I'm surrounded by incredibly talented people, and I'll never take that for granted.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

I think the hardest thing for me has been to learn how to be a business owner by trial and error. I didn't go to school for business, and I also didn't really know any other small business owners. So there are times I've had to rely on pure instincts, which haven't always had the best results. But I also do believe that what I've learned over the last decade is priceless information that you can't pay to learn...you just have to do it.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. I know people always say this, but you have to block people out if you truly feel in your heart that you are onto something. I had so many people, well-intentioned, telling me running a vegan business would be a bad idea. I started small and tried not to bite off more than I could chew.
  2. I think a lot of business owners, when faced with a struggle, think that adding more products is going to help solve their financial problems. But, I've learned that spreading yourself out actually can affect the quality of your work. So instead of doing one or two things really well, you end up doing ten things not that well, spreading yourself too thin.
  3. Growing a business always comes with challenges. Every time we've scaled in any way, there have been a host of new issues (some you see coming, others you don't). The timing of growth is important as well; move too quickly, and you can find yourself with too much product/overhead, too slow. You can lose customers if the production starts to suffer. Having a clear plan for scaling should be your priority when looking to grow.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Owning your own business is exciting, challenging, and not for everyone. I think it's best to make sure you're clear as to why you're starting a business and also how you plan to give back. Before starting my business, I always had a list of things I would do differently than the owners I had worked for in the past. Too many businesses just think about the way of extraction or what's best for the business. Flipping that around, thinking about how I can support the people and our neighbors and what's best for them is a great starting point.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.lvjco.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Louisvilleveganjerkycompany/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/louveganjerky/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/louisville-vegan-jerky-co.-l.l.c./

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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