November 17, 2024 • 54 mins
Chef Richard Cooper, the creative force behind O Eddie's Finishing Sauce, joins us to share his exhilarating journey in the culinary world. Imagine pitching a unique product on Shark Tank and then bouncing back from setbacks with unstoppable optimism—that's Richard's story. From a successful showcase at the Anoka County Fair to a thrilling attempt to impress Shark Tank producers, Richard talks candidly about the highs and lows of pursuing his dream and the passion that fuels him to keep going.
Richard offers a fascinating glimpse into the intricate dance of small business success, with a special focus on the art of branding and storytelling. His journey from personal sauce production to strategic partnerships with co-packing companies reveals the challenges and triumphs of scaling a business. With riveting stories about securing distribution deals through Ron Mar Distribution, landing his products in major stores like Hy-Vee and Kowalski's, and his rapid expansion into Von Hansen's locations, Richard underscores the power of strong relationships and a robust distribution network.
The flavorful world of competitive barbecue serves as a vibrant backdrop in this episode. Richard shares his passion for barbecue competitions, recounting victories, setbacks, and the lessons learned along the way. Whether he's contemplating the logistics of starting a food truck or dreaming up his own rib smoking contest, Richard's dedication to expanding his sauce's reach into larger markets is palpable. Listeners will gain insights into the complexities of retail dynamics, the nuances of competition politics, and the relentless pursuit of culinary excellence. Tune in for a taste of Richard's flavorful journey and the savory secrets behind O Eddie's Finishing Sauce.
Oh Eddies Sweet Whiskey Bourbon Sauce is guaranteed to step up your next barbeque. Made in Minnesota
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
2, 3, 4.
2, 3, 4.
Secretly recorded from deepinside the bowels of a
decommissioned missile silo, webring you the man, one single
man, who wants to bring light tothe darkness and dark to the
lightness.
Although he's not always right,he is always certain.
So now, with security protocolsin place, the protesters have
(00:28):
been forced back behind thebarricades and the blast doors
are now sealed.
Without further delay, let meintroduce you to the host of
HuttCast, mr Tim Huttner.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
Thank you, sergeant-at-arms.
You can now take your post.
The views and opinionsexpressed in this program are
solely those of the individualand participants.
These views and opinionsexpressed do not represent those
of the host or the show.
The opinions in this broadcastare not to replace your legal,
medical or spiritualprofessionals.
(01:04):
Welcome to Podcast Sundaymedical or spiritual
professionals.
Welcome to the HuttCast Sunday11-17-2024.
We have a special guest in ourstudio, one of our gold sponsors
, richard Cooper, chef RichardCooper of O Eddy's Finishing
Sauce.
He's been on a number of worldthings going on and we're going
to catch up with him today andsay hey, eddie, what's going on?
(01:25):
So for Headcast Standby, we'regoing to have a conversation
with O Eddie's Finishing Sauce.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
This grilling season, take your taste buds to the
next level.
The sauce that'll change yourbarbecue forever.
O Eddie's Whiskey Bourbon Sauceis going to be at the Anoka
County Fair.
O Eddie's Whiskey Bourbon Sauceis going to be at the Anoka
County Fair.
O Eddie's Whiskey Bourbon Sauceis all about that split second
when the tender meat anddelectable sauce touches your
taste buds.
Don't believe me.
Chef Richard Cooper is bringingO Eddie's Whiskey Bourbon Sauce
(01:55):
to the Anoka County Fair so youcan taste it and become a
believer yourself.
O Eddie's Whiskey Bourbon Saucethe sauce that's worth the wait
.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
Welcome back to the podcast.
Richard Cooper Chef RichardCooper is in our studios.
Can you hear me, okay?
Yes, I can.
Thanks for coming out andsetting this up and let's have a
conversation, because the lasttime we spoke you were on.
I'll have to check my episodeschedule, but you had a lot of
things going on and since thenI've heard and I've been kind of
(02:25):
following that you were tryingto get on Shark Tank.
Is that correct?
Speaker 4 (02:29):
Yes, I actually, after the six days of selling
sauce at Noca County Fair beforethat, I saw that they had five
live call castings that they doevery year and the last one
happened to be in Indianapolis,and so I booked a flight for
that Sunday afternoon hotel andshipped some of my product down
(02:53):
there marketing materials.
But there was no guarantee toget on this show.
But it was basically just getin front of the producers and
hopefully show your business.
On your side you have about atwo-minute pitch.
So after six days of selling atthe Noca County Fair, I jumped
on that flight on Sundayafternoon and got to my hotel in
(03:16):
Indianapolis and stayed up allnight trying to get my
two-minute pitch down.
You only have one shot at thisand there was no guarantee that
I was going to get in front ofthem.
They only hand out 500wristbands.
They got to stand in line andfight all these other
entrepreneurs that are trying toget in front of them as well.
So about 6 o'clock in themorning we rolled over there to
the stadium.
It was Indianapolis Speedwayactually.
(03:38):
I got there early enough so Imade sure I got in line.
You know it was a fight to geton that line, I'll tell you, and
it was about 7 o'clock in themorning, but they went through
the whole thing and I ended upsort of handing out wristbands
and I ended up getting one andthe number I had was 265.
And I'm like 265 entrepreneursbefore me.
(04:00):
There ain't no way I'm gettingmy flight out of here and I was
just like wow what the?
heck.
And I mean there ain't no wayI'm getting my flight out of
here.
And I was just like wow, whatthe heck?
And all of a sudden we get inthere and they disclose
everything and how it's allgoing to work.
But it was so funny.
We're not going to start onwristband number one, we're
going to pull it out of the hatReally.
Yeah, it was 201.
So I only had 64 entrepreneursin front of me.
(04:24):
So I'm like, wow, great, I'mgoing to be able to make my
flight out of here and I won'thave to change it or anything
like that.
So I was very blessed to getthat happen.
So again here we go.
The Lord works in mysteriousways, you know.
So it was a 40-hour turnaroundup all night trying to get this
pitch.
But I got in front of them, andusually only there for a couple
(04:47):
minutes in that, in front ofthe table, in front of the
producer, but I asked producer.
I go hey, can you uh open thisup and smell this and taste it?
I want to see the expression onyour face.
And she goes well, is itgluten-free?
And I go, uh, nope, she goes,well, I can't try that.
Then I'm like, well, rightthere, I'm like that's not a
very good sign, but anyway.
So I was up there for quite awhile.
(05:07):
It seemed like a long time, butthey said if you get a call
within two weeks from an areacode number, that was us calling
you, so make sure you answer it.
We want to invite you to get infront of the Sharks actually in
LA and try to pitch a productand get a deal done.
Well, I wore that wristband fora whole month, never got the
call.
But anyway, there's a reasonfor everything.
(05:30):
Maybe the timing wasn't right,so I took that as that.
We're going to give it anothertry again in January, coming up
when they do the live callcasting schedule again.
But this year I wasn't able toget out there.
They had five of them with theeast coast and west coast and it
was just way too much traveland to try it again.
But so we're waiting for thisyear.
(05:51):
Now we've got a lot of thingsgoing on and we've seen where
OLEs is going and hopefullythey'll get my applications I
keep sending in to them.
I did three of them just sent in, but they got so many of them,
tim, and you just never knowwhen it's going to happen, so
maybe it wasn't ready for lasttime, but we're going to give it
(06:11):
another shot.
So it was a great experience.
It was a lot of fun and it wasvery exciting for me.
So again, I'm very blessed byhaving that opportunity.
So it was a good time.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
Not many people get an invitation to the target?
Speaker 4 (06:27):
No, again.
That's why the producers, theylook at all the applicants and
applications that come in andthen they'll take the ones that
they did at the live callcasting.
They're the ones that pick andchoose who gets in front of them
to get the deal, and even whenyou do get the call and go out
there and get in front of them,you might not even get that.
(06:48):
They videotape them all, so youmight not even get on the show.
But you might still get a dealor not a deal, but you're not
guaranteed to be on the show.
They're looking for charismaticpeople to make it exciting, so
we'll see We'll give it anothershot though.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
Hmm, looking to sell the drama behind it too.
I suppose it's a show.
I mean, it's what they do.
Speaker 4 (07:12):
Yeah, and they can take you everywhere.
And that's my goal, is my exitstrategy and hopefully find an
investor or them and get infront of them and create a deal
and get this thing worldwide, ifnot nationwide.
Speaker 1 (07:26):
And they're the ones that can help you.
Speaker 4 (07:29):
So even if you don't get a deal, a lot of
entrepreneurs went on and movedon forward and became successful
without them, but it gets youthe exposure and that's what's
really exciting about it.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
I can only imagine that kind of exposure.
Yeah it's amazing, yeah,especially if you're one chosen
to get that kind of exposure.
Speaker 4 (07:45):
Yeah, it's amazing.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
Yeah, especially if you're one chosen to get to that
end point.
Yeah Right, it's hard though.
Wow, so you flew down there.
Is that what you did toIndianapolis?
Speaker 4 (07:55):
Yeah yeah.
I took a late afternoon flightand got in there in the evening
and got to the hotel and grabbedmy six case.
I shipped down there.
I sold a half a case.
I sold what?
Six jars?
Just in the outside doing mypitch and in front of my mirrors
and selling it to the staff andsome of the residents that were
(08:16):
there for the evening.
But it was pretty fun.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
Interesting Exhausting, though I can imagine
it's a switch you turn it onand you hang on until you're
done.
Speaker 4 (08:26):
Yeah, yeah yeah, it was pretty crazy, but you only
have two minutes and you have tohave that pitch.
You've got one shot at it, soyou've got to make sure it's
right, but it was a 40-hourturnaround.
I was pretty beat up but it wasso much fun.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
And I look forward to doing it again.
So you sold a bunch at theanoka county fair.
Speaker 4 (08:51):
How did that go?
Well, let me tell you, it's athe setting up these fairs and
events I've done erx, racetrackand uh, three years in a row and
a lot of other events.
Never did one farmer's market,but that is um, it's kind of a
uh got bad karma or some.
I sold a lot of cases and got alot of exposure.
(09:11):
But uh, last two years, well, ayear ago, the storm came
through and wiped out my wholecanopy and tent and on a friday
and it was hot and humid, therewasn't much traffic but we still
did.
We still did really good sales.
But I had to have, uh, I had tohave my wife run out to Walmart
and get a whole new canopy andget it set up again for the
(09:33):
weekend, and so the cost wasthere.
The sales weren't there for thefirst four days.
It was just way too hot andhumid, but we, we survived it
and we got up and going and wemade up for it over the weekend.
You know, but all these events,um, it's the setup and
everything.
It's just by yourself.
It's it's a lot of work butit's so rewarding and it's so
(09:56):
much fun now your moniker, your,your company image is the
camaro.
Speaker 2 (10:02):
Did you have that at the fair?
Speaker 4 (10:04):
No, they would not let me.
I'd like to have that therenext to my booth but for some
reason they wouldn't let me haveit Because that would drive a
lot of people will come by andsee the car and then want to
know what the deal and the storyis.
They wouldn't let me do that,probably for security and
(10:25):
insurance reasons whatever, Ihave no idea.
But the car shows do real well.
I can just go to car shows andbasically sell more than a case
every time.
I'm there giving samples,interacting with all the car
gurus and all the people atthese events, so that's fun.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
Yeah, I would think the car gurus and all the people
at these events.
So that's fun.
Speaker 4 (10:47):
Yeah, I would think the car would draw.
Yeah, well, you know, I'll tellyou, tim, there's so many
people that will taste the sauceand look at it and go well,
what's the deal with the car?
I'm not going to buy your saucejust because of the car.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
I don't even know what it is right.
Speaker 4 (11:01):
I'm like well, you want to know the story.
The story is I bought it afterbeating, cancer and da-da-da-da,
but I wouldn't buy it justbecause of the car.
I don't know what it is.
So that's why you have to getthe brand out and get everybody
to sample it and actually enjoyit and know what the story is
behind the car and on the labeland on the branding.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
Mm-hmm, mm-hmm is behind the car and on the label
and on the branding.
Now, what is your?
What do you expect the ramp-uprate to get the next level of?
Speaker 4 (11:33):
production, well, production, well before we had
our last podcast here, that wasin November of 2023.
So April of 2023 was the firstproduction of, uh, uh, the
co-packing company, yeah, yeah,making a thousand jars, and
that's uh.
So we finally got it to thatpoint and I was saying, god, I'm
(11:54):
so glad they're doing this nowand I have more time for myself
to really, um, get the exposureand do what I need to do.
But you know, what it never had, never panned out yeah, I'm not
making it anymore.
I'm not, I'm not, I'm not buyingall the products, jarring it,
labeling it and all that stuff.
Right, they're doing it andit's still.
My time is so consumed with.
(12:16):
Now it's finding distribution,and that's a whole new level in
itself and a challenge and I'mexperiencing all that now.
But that was 1,000, what 100?
It was over 1,000 jars.
Okay, then we had our secondproduction run of 1,440 jars in
(12:38):
July.
So it was only three monthslater that we were able to get
another run.
That's how the sales were going.
Wow, yeah, it was really reallygood.
Three months later that we wereable to get another run.
That's how the sales were going.
Wow, yeah, it was really reallygood.
And since then, well, now I gotdistribution.
It started this year.
At the end of April I found alocal company, ron Mar
Distribution, in Minnetonka andthey're going to help me get
(13:01):
into Hy-Vees and Kowalskis andsome high major retail stores,
and so I was really excited andlooking forward to that.
But that was a challenge initself.
You know they cut into yourmargins and I was ready for that
, but so far they've done areally good job.
They got me into 10 Hy-Vees, 5Kowalskis and during that year
(13:24):
of 2023, von Hansen's I finallygot a hold of the right person
there and Von Hansen's theydelivered two cases to
Chanhassen.
Okay, well, they sold in threedays the two cases and then they
said, well, let's try anotherdemographic area.
So we did one down in AppleValley apple valley, okay, yeah
(13:46):
that went really well twocases in two days.
So I get a call on a friday timand they said uh well, we, we'd
love to have your product inall our stores.
I'd like you to deliver twocases to every single location
in minnesota.
Here there's 23 of them.
They got one in Arizona,Chandler.
So I said I will never takethis for granted.
(14:09):
So that night I loaded up mycar with all these cases and I
drove 350 miles that Saturdaymorning throughout the whole day
and delivered two cases toevery single bond hand.
And they're doing real well,very well, and I'm very blessed.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
That's kind of like two peas in a pod.
There right the finishing sauceand it's a well-established,
great place to buy steaks andall the meat products, right
right.
Speaker 4 (14:36):
But I kid you not, I remember every manager's names
at their locations.
I visit them frequently and soas they kept selling it and it
was going really fast, I had tokeep driving around.
So that's where I needed kindof distribution.
So distribution came in.
But I made them an offer theycouldn't refuse.
(14:59):
I gave them a better margin, abetter price on the jars.
I gave them a better margin, abetter price on the jars and I
basically said I'll drop ship itto your distribution center in
Circle Pines, the sausage house,and they basically will deliver
the product themselves to allthose locations.
So that was a good relief tooand that's still going real well
(15:24):
.
Speaker 2 (15:26):
Now what are the chances of the Hy-Vee gig?
Speaker 4 (15:29):
Well, the Hy-Vee that was kind of crazy.
We started out doing aboutseven different locations
throughout the metro area andjust trying to bring a package
in with a sell sheet and visitthe managers.
That day, spring Lake Park, hyPark IV ordered five cases right
away.
The meat manager you know,that's a family, that's an
(15:52):
employee-owned company reallybut they can make their own
decisions.
You don't have to find the bigwig to get them to decide
whether they want to carry it ornot.
They can make their owndecisions.
So that was really reallywonderful and it got me very
excited.
So then we got into the otherones.
So now we're in, like I said,we're in nine or ten of those
(16:15):
locations and my commitment todoing demo setups and sampling
the sauce to have the tractionand the movement and the sales
to hopefully keep going in there.
And you never want to have yourproduct on the shelves and all
of a sudden it's empty or it'snot moving.
Then you kind of lose thatshelf space and it's very
(16:39):
important to make sure that yourproduct is moving and it's
always stocked.
So next thing, you know, weended up getting in 10 of them
and so I'm running around doingthat and then the only way I can
get into Kowalski's was to finda distribution company, and
Ronmar was one of them that theywould use.
And so we're in five of theKowalski's locations and I'm
(17:03):
looking to hopefully get intomore.
So that was exciting too.
But all the setup and demos foryou know, really Thursday,
friday, saturday I don't doSundays, I need to relax.
So I'm doing these demo samplesand it's so great to interact
with all these customers andmanagers and employees at IVs
and these big retail grocerystores to watch the traction and
(17:28):
movement of the sales and havefun with their customers.
It's really a lot of fun.
It really is.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
I suppose.
I mean, it's kind of like whenyou go out and if you run for
office you get to walk up toeverybody's house and you have a
piece of paper in your hand andyou want to talk about their
city or the government orwhatever you're running for.
But you're running for, butyou're right in front of them
all the time.
Speaker 4 (17:47):
So you're literally.
Speaker 2 (17:49):
I mean that's a pretty good gig.
Speaker 4 (17:50):
Yeah, it is, and it's hard.
To someone said, well, you needto pass the torch and I'm like,
well, I got to find people orsomebody that can sell the.
You know, sell my product withthe passion and my mission,
vision and story that I have.
And some of those people arekind of hard to find but they're
out there and I have found acouple of them.
But you know, what's reallygreat is that when you're there
(18:14):
and you, hey, can I interest youto try my sweet and savory
whiskey, bourbon sauce,specialty sauce.
Well, sure, and some peoplewill walk by and go Richard, I
already got it and I keep buyingit and I buy it here and there.
I love it.
I can't stop buying it, I justlove it.
I love your product and that'sreally great to hear as well.
Speaker 2 (18:33):
Right Now.
If you were to start expandingthis, let's talk the business
side of this.
Mm-hmm.
There's really so much marginin a product.
I don't care if it's X, y and Zyou have to build it, get it,
create it, mass produce it.
Now you have to distribute it.
So if this distribution is sucha thing, you really have to
(18:54):
have a company to do it.
Or can you like Do it myself?
Yeah well, hire couriers.
How would you get to eachstation without giving away the
farm?
You've still got profit to make.
Speaker 4 (19:07):
Well, that's why all the education and putting it all
together makes sure that youhave the right margins for
everybody to make your productsuccessful, and so you have to
build that in in the earlystages, which we did.
And because it's a specialtysauce, people, um, you know,
(19:29):
when you're you're paying 10 or11 for a jar of sauce and I'm
shipping it plus five dollarshipping charge.
So they're paying 18 bucks ajar.
But that margin for the retail.
You know copac company chargesme this price and then then
you've got to have thedistribution, so you've got to
fit that margin in there too andthen they sell it to the retail
(19:50):
stores at, hopefully, a 30% to45% margin is what they're
looking at.
But the margins are still thereand everybody can make money
and increase their new organicgrowth sales.
So it's there.
And everybody can make moneyand increase their new organic
growth sales.
So it's there.
And there's also movement.
There's also room to if theproducts are selling.
(20:12):
You can do specials and bringthe price down just to get it
moving.
But people are buying it andit's moving.
And I can't believe how my mindworks.
You know, everywhere I go,every store, I look at shelf
space, I look at this and that Isee what sauce are moving and
(20:34):
all these different brands thatare on the shelves and they're
just sitting there.
You know they move them.
But how did they?
You know it's so hard to get inthere, tim, but how did they?
You know it's so hard to get inthere, tim, that you've got to
make sure that you are actuallymoving the product and making
sure the customers are knowingwhere to find your product.
(20:54):
It doesn't matter thedemographics, your race,
religion it doesn't matter, oryour financial.
If people like a product oryour service, doesn't matter
what it is, they're going tospend the money on it, no matter
how hard the times are oranything they will.
(21:15):
That's why people go to thefresh meat markets.
They'll spend quality.
You'll spend good money forquality product and then they'll
buy the high-end sauces or rubsor whatever.
So it was really good, sure.
Speaker 2 (21:33):
Now what's your MSRP on the bottle?
Speaker 4 (21:37):
Well, manufacturer's sale price about $9.99 to $10.99
.
Speaker 2 (21:43):
Okay, so about $10 a bottle.
Speaker 4 (21:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:45):
And your last gross shipment, 1,000 bottles.
Speaker 4 (21:49):
You said the first production was 1,000 jars and
then the second production.
Obviously, your margins getbetter the more product, yeah,
you order, and so the price goesdown.
The Copac company, that's howthey work, the bigger volume
yeah.
So the bigger volume you can getordered and pallets on hand.
(22:12):
Well, my margins are better andthat makes distribution's
margins better and the retailstores have a better margin as
well.
But the price is there.
The price is set for prettymuch everybody.
All my locations.
It's anywhere from $9.99 to$11.99.
(22:33):
So people are paying for it.
They're tired of the same oldsauce.
They're tired of the same oldproduct.
We're creatures of habit, tim.
We buy the same food products.
We cook the same food over andover and over.
We're boring, we're creaturesof habit.
So O Eddy's is trying toeducate and teach people.
(22:54):
Give people the opportunity touse my recipes that's one on
every label that we've createdand try something different and
experience it and have funcooking and eating food again.
We got to, as more people arebarbecuing and smoking and
grilling and baking at home, buta lot of people aren't educated
(23:14):
.
They don't know how to do this.
So we are going to help them,educate them and have fun
cooking again and eating.
Fun cooking again and eating.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
I suppose the special recipes that you put together
and you put them on certainbottles gives you a meniscus of
what bottles went out when.
What's your ROI returninvestment, who's using what?
Does that kind of help you atthe shelf level?
Speaker 4 (23:40):
Yeah, well, I started with my top ten recipes and
there's one on every label.
Now they're also listed on mywebsite where they can go in and
retrieve them.
I thought about just puttingthem on the labels, but then,
and not on a website.
That way, when they run out ofsauce and they need another
recipe, they'll go and getanother jar.
Well, it could be hindsight,2020, but look at this, if you
(24:06):
put it on the website, too, andthey got your sauce, well,
they're only using a coupleounces at a time, so they'll go
on and get another recipe andthen keep using the bar until
it's done and up.
And we continue to create more,get more recipes.
Matter of fact, I just finallygot into the wild game A couple
of my neighbors.
(24:27):
They're hunters, so I just dida recipe of a bacon wrap,
rosemary duck and grouse.
Speaker 1 (24:34):
Nice.
Speaker 4 (24:35):
I'm not a hunter, tim , and your name's Hunt Isn't
that funny, I'm just kidding.
So I got them on there.
So I'd like to do more of thebear and the venison will be
coming up, and elk moosewhatever you have, I have
recipes for them.
So I want the game hunters andthe hunters to get excited about
(24:58):
using O Eddie's product ontheir wild game, and a lot of
them just use the same, cook itthe same way.
So hopefully, we get themexcited as well.
Well, let's shift the gear here.
Speaker 2 (25:12):
Now, I know this is a finishing sauce for meats.
Yep, what if you're thenon-meat-eating type?
Can you use it into that typeof venue?
Speaker 4 (25:20):
Yeah, yeah.
So you know, like my salmon andasparagus recipe.
I mean, if somebody's not ameat eater but they're a fish
eater, it's so easy to use myrecipes and no mess, no fuss, no
cleanup and it.
but you can use it on salads andsandwiches and egg rolls.
So it really salads andsandwiches and egg rolls.
(25:42):
So really they're using it oneverything.
And I just had somebody post onFacebook from Colorado they use
the sauce on an omelet, ontheir breakfast omelet.
No kidding, I never, I mean, Ididn't even think about that.
But see, so people are tryingdifferent things with the sauce
and they're getting excitedabout it.
(26:03):
So it's pretty cool.
Wow.
Well, let's pretty cool, wow.
Speaker 2 (26:05):
Well, let's plug the website here.
Where can we find this?
Speaker 4 (26:09):
It's oedyswhiskeybourbonsaucecom and
that website has been changedand updated several times and it
actually was down for abouteight weeks.
I kept trying to find.
You know, people talk to talkand don't walk the walk, but
this all the rhythm and stuff.
When you see you're looking forsomething, all these different
(26:32):
companies come up.
We can help you do this and dothat and make you successful,
make your product grow andwebsite design, but they so it
was down for eight weeks, weeksand I lost a lot of online sales
.
But we battled through that andI found the right person after
you know people taking advantageof me.
(26:52):
But now we got.
I got somebody that's very goodand, uh, he's taking care of my
website, redesigned it and, um,taking care of all my social
media my YouTube and Facebookand Instagram and making the
necessary changes and trying toget the search in the SEOs and
all the reasons.
(27:13):
So we get OITs up there on thempages when people are looking
for recipes or different typesor whatever comes up.
So that's challenging thesocial media website webs.
All that is so challenging andone person can't do all that.
So you need help and everybodyhas their very everybody's got
(27:34):
their expertise in certain areas.
Yep, doesn't matter what youare a mechanic, if you're a chef
, doesn't matter absolutely.
And so you have to reach out tothese people to really help you
get to where you want to go.
Speaker 2 (27:49):
How about the guys in the professional smoking
contests, the Burt Youngs, allthose?
Speaker 4 (28:00):
guys.
Yeah Well, you look on.
I was got to do is type inbarbecue rib contest.
Speaker 2 (28:06):
Yeah right.
Speaker 4 (28:06):
It just pops up Everything all over the United
States and it's amazing thatthese, how good people can be
doing these rib fest andcontests.
And, oh, Eddie's, we did one inJuly of 2023.
I don't know if we mentionedthat on the podcast when yeah,
(28:29):
when we were here last time.
No, that was in July.
Speaker 1 (28:32):
No, we did yeah.
Speaker 4 (28:33):
Yeah, I won my first barbecue for Rib Fest yeah, we
did talk about that.
And the second one.
I remember my smoker went down,but this year I tried it again.
uh, somehow I forgot my my ownspice and I'll tell you, I got
there and I didn't win and I'mlike, why didn't I win this?
(28:53):
I mean, expectations are highfor me, but the sauce was there,
the sales were there, but I hadto buy someone else's spices
that were there anothercompetitor.
So I I think, uh, the mix of myspice and their spice didn't
hit the palate of these peoplethat were coming in and judging
and all that.
(29:14):
But hey, there's a reason foreverything.
Right, you learn from it.
It was a mistake, but hey,we're going to try it again.
Speaker 2 (29:21):
We will try it again.
Well, they say, losing buildscharacter.
Speaker 4 (29:25):
Yeah, right Because in today's world.
Speaker 2 (29:26):
That's the problem.
Everybody gets a participationtrophy.
Speaker 4 (29:31):
Well, it's not just about trophies.
I mean, for me it's exposure,and just getting everybody to
enjoy my sauce.
But yeah again, failure is notan option.
And whatever you do, and if youdo fail, remember last time.
You learn by your failures.
Here's what not to do.
Yeah, yeah, right, right andmake the changes.
Well, how about if?
Speaker 2 (29:49):
Eddie's was to hold a rib smoking contest.
Speaker 4 (29:55):
Well, that sounds like a really good suggestion
and an opportunity, probably,but I don't know.
There's no way I could put ittogether.
I don't know.
I would need help.
I just don't have enough time.
The time is so precious.
Speaker 2 (30:10):
Well, you have a spot at the New York County Fair, so
, instead of having a boothtable, why don't you have a
smoke?
Smoke off.
Speaker 4 (30:19):
Well, there again, you have to get it approved by
certain vendors and a location.
But a lot of people say, youknow, if you've got all these
recipes in your sauce, why don'tyou start a food truck?
I'm like, yeah, I could and Icould probably be very
successful, but that is so muchwork.
People don't realize how muchwork it is.
Speaker 2 (30:40):
Oh, food trucks are work.
Speaker 4 (30:41):
Absolutely A lot of work.
And I don't need that because Ihave the recipes and I have the
sauce and I can focus and do alot better.
But now that ain't.
I thought about that too, butthe cost is very, very expensive
and you got to be everywhereyou know to set up and sell that
product.
(31:02):
And if you make all thatproduct and you ain't selling it
, well then it goes.
You know the pig farms for thepigs?
I don't know.
I just that's not where Ireally wanted to go, but I could
if things change.
What's about exposure?
Speaker 2 (31:17):
It is a lot of exposure If you hold it.
Think about it.
You have the setup.
You're going to do racks orribs or whatever the contest is.
You have a trophy I meantrophies are cheap and you get
these local guys who are jumpingon this because there's a lot
of smoking teams.
Speaker 4 (31:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (31:34):
And you say you got to use Eddie's sauce.
Knock yourself out on yourspices.
Here's the racks or ribs you go.
Speaker 4 (31:40):
Yeah, Well, they have that big one down in mystic
lake uh casino and it's a huge,huge one and they have big semis
that come in with their bigbanners and then these are some
serious smoking competitionpeople and they've got a lot of
money invested and they havetheir own spices and their sauce
too.
But what's really cool aboutgoogle or when you look up stuff
(32:04):
like that and the SEOs and theall the rhythm now I've been
seeing a lot of because O'Eddy'sis getting out there right.
So I'm seeing these barbecuerib fest competitions throughout
the United States that havebeen going on and people are
saying, oh, our company, wefinished second or third and
this, and that, Well, sometimesI'll just go, hey, I'll tap on
(32:26):
there and I'll comment.
Well, if you're looking to tryto get first place, maybe you
should try to order a jar ofO'Eddy's and it could possibly
give you that jump to that nextlevel to win first place.
Speaker 2 (32:38):
A pity sale.
Speaker 4 (32:38):
Yeah Huh, the pity sale.
A pity sale, is that what youcall?
Speaker 2 (32:42):
it.
Speaker 4 (32:42):
Yeah, I never thought about it that way, but no, I'm
just like hey, it can help youwin if you're a good rib fest
competitor or chicken orwhatever you're doing now, right
, and just buy a jar.
If you're finishing second andthird or fourth, well, what is
the problem?
What is the issue then?
Is it the sauce or is it howyou're preparing it?
(33:03):
I don't know, but for me andthe experience I had, wow.
All I know is that that littleone or two ounces of sauce after
I did my ribs was amazing and Icouldn't believe I wanted to go
.
Speaker 2 (33:16):
Yeah, but you don't want to be in the business of
working against the people whobuy your product.
Speaker 4 (33:23):
Well, think about it, tim.
We already are when I go in andsee where my sauce jars are at
whether they're five cases deepon the top of a reach-in meat
cooler, or if it's not at mysauce, or none, or oh, it is not
on the shelves where all theother barbecue sauce is at.
(33:43):
So when you see all that andyou look at the pricing and you
look at the staging, that makesa lot of difference, you know.
But right there on top,reachable, and if they know what
you have, they'll buy it.
Speaker 2 (33:59):
You said earlier that humans were creatures of habit,
and that's absolutely correct.
When I smoke and I'll do I dobriskets, I do chicken, it's
pretty much across the board.
Sure, you have the right typeof smoke, you have the right
type of saturation of smoke, theway you prepare it, the
(34:20):
temperatures you prepare it, Imean it's all and once.
You have your formula, yeah,now you have to see if that
formula is good for the peoplethat hit the pallet.
Like you said, it's got to hitthe pallet, yeah.
So, do you, do you spin thatapple cart one over it because
we want to try Eddie's sauce, orI mean?
There's a lot going on andpeople who win don't change.
Speaker 4 (34:47):
It.
It's the losers that change.
Yes, that's correct, but theand the people that aren't
winning first place and feelthey have what, the you know,
the good product or their goodway of smoking or grilling or
baking doesn't matter, but onlyif they are the ones that are
going to learn how to competewith the bigwigs that keep on
winning and winning.
And some people say, well, thejudging, it can be rigged, or
(35:10):
this, that I'm not a believer inthat.
I think judges are looking forsomething that's outstanding and
it hits their palate and allthe criteria that goes into the
judging for them.
So you have to adapt and figureout why are they winning and
why am I not?
If it's the sauce, maybe.
(35:32):
If it's your spice, maybe.
Maybe you're not doing the3-2-1.
They call it three hours, twohours, one hour when you're
smoking.
Speaker 2 (35:43):
Yeah, I get that, or you've got to leave the
conspiracy out of it, becausenow you're turning it political
yeah and I don't bring politicsinto any of that.
Oh no, no, I'm talking aboutsmoking politics not national.
Speaker 4 (35:55):
Yeah, right, right.
Speaker 2 (35:56):
No I know that.
Speaker 4 (35:57):
Yeah, the politics and the smoking.
Speaker 1 (35:59):
Right.
Speaker 4 (36:00):
There's.
You know, anything can happen,but throw your best skills and
your best product out there andsee what happens and learn from
what happened at that event andtry again.
Don't be afraid, it's easy.
It's really not that hard.
Speaker 2 (36:17):
So Von Hansen is your main serve now right, Well,
they are.
Speaker 4 (36:22):
Yeah, we're 23 locations, okay, and I don't
have to deliver it anymore,which is great, nice.
But now it's the Hy-Vees andthe Kowalskis and I'm in a doggy
boutique that are selling, I'min hair salons, I'm in smoke
shops and convenience gasstations, but again, those are
the ones that I worked on to getit in there and hopefully keep
(36:47):
the movement.
But now it's really trying toget into your Lunds and Bylers,
albertsons and all that.
That's even more of a challenge.
But IV, that could be my number.
That can get me nationwide,that can get OEDs nationwide,
and the only way we're going todo that is hopefully get in
about four or five morelocations here in the cities,
(37:09):
minnesota, and then they gottheir distribution center in
Iowa.
Now it's huge, huge, huge.
And so hopefully, once we seethe traction and movement in the
numbers, I can get a hold ofthe marketing sales reps big
weeks down there and thecorporate office and see if we
can get them to order pallets ata time.
I'll drop, ship them myself,give them a better margin, leave
(37:31):
the distribution out, becausemy distribution company cannot
get me the logistics to getwhere I need to go.
They can't even get me up tonorthern Minnesota or southern
Minnesota, so we continue tojust market and brand our
product and ship online.
And, matter of fact, well,let's see April, we'll go into
(37:53):
that later.
But yeah, so I just got to keeptrying to get the product in as
many, many locations as I can.
And are your big retail orgrocery stores the ones that you
want to target?
Well, sure, but if the productdoesn't move, you know they'll
discontinue your product andremove you off the shelf, but
(38:14):
that hasn't happened yet.
With low 80s, uh, we're, we'renext to some pretty big brand
name sauces.
You know kinders and you knowstubs, sure, and I see the
movement.
I see the movement and I seetheir jars just sitting there.
Maybe they're restocking themmore than mine, I don't know,
(38:34):
but I just I see it.
So we're right next to them andwe're on the shelves next to
them too, and I see the movementand their pricing and people
are okay with it.
Speaker 2 (38:44):
So you can order online.
Right, you have like a page youcan order from.
Yeah, right on the website.
Okay, let's try something.
Let's say everybody who'slistening to this show gets 10%
off with a promo code HUDCAST.
Yeah, can you set that up onyour?
Speaker 4 (39:00):
computer?
Yes, I can.
Matter of fact, this newwebsite admin I have, we're
going to do a Black Fridayspecial, nice, and I currently
have my holiday package specialwhere you get a hoodie, t-shirt
and hat, nice.
That are well-made and they'reall embroidered.
And so you get that a jar ofsauce, a recipe, and then I'll
(39:23):
gift-wrap it and we'll ship itto her and deliver it to you in
person, if you're local, butwe'll ship it, gift wrap it for
that special person.
That's hard to buy and we givethem a special deal on the
pricing and then we also offerthe free shipping.
Speaker 2 (39:38):
Well, I'm not giving away for you.
You have to say this is okay.
I just brought up an idea Likelet's see.
Speaker 4 (39:47):
Well, that's how it starts.
It's people like you or otherpeople that run into me at these
demos or wherever they see meand they want to help me, they
want to promote it or can we dothis or do that, and I'm like
absolutely Help me get it outthere.
Speaker 2 (40:05):
Well, Eddie, I've always been on your side.
Speaker 4 (40:07):
Well, thank you very much.
Speaker 2 (40:09):
You know that I mean since day one, I mean since we
met, it's like okay, you gotsomething cool here, let's grow
this, Isn't it?
Speaker 4 (40:15):
amazing.
Yeah, I never thought it wouldgo this far, tim.
I really didn't, you know, Ireally didn't.
And so the last time, inNovember, we did this podcast,
my mission was to travel.
Well, in April of this year2024, I couldn't get a motorhome
, yet I tried to get yours.
Speaker 2 (40:36):
That's how it started .
Speaker 4 (40:38):
Yeah, that's how it started, Because my mission,
vision and story is that's whereI need to be and need to go.
But I rented a classy motorhomeand I loaded up 30 cases of my
product, Wow, and I drove 2,100miles in six days, Holy cow.
Yeah, me and my brother David,and we just started here in Iowa
(41:00):
, and then it was Illinois, andthen Missouri and Kansas City
Wow, Mississippi, Memphis,Arkansas, you know.
And then back around again, andmy goal was to come back empty.
You know, just get the exposure.
Well, you know, again, thingshappen.
You got to adapt so I wasn'table to set up my booths
(41:21):
anywhere and people were, youknow, you try to set up in
Walmarts, party lots or allthese places, kind of getting in
trouble.
But it rained for three days soI had a hard time getting set
up.
So then I had to adapt.
So well, what do we do?
So, you know, what I did is Istarted targeting fresh-cut meat
markets throughout those statesand cities, right, yeah, yeah.
(41:44):
And I got five of them to biteand commit and they each bought
a case and we put their businessname and logo and pictures on
the website to let everybodyknow we're in Missouri and
Arkansas, right, right, right,like a real-time thing, yeah,
yeah, so that panned out prettygood and they each bought a case
(42:06):
and never heard from them.
Kept reaching out to them whenwe got back.
It was a good experience.
It was not profitable, but wedid get some exposure did you
have fun?
yeah, we had fun.
What did you rent?
What kind of coach?
It was a class c motorhome,uh-huh, it was probably like I
wanted 20 footers, like that.
(42:27):
Yeah, nothing special, and thatuh really wasn't the most
comfortable thing to be in,anyway, I'm not kidding.
So that's why I wanted yourmotorhome and, uh, no, really
something that's morecomfortable and for the record,
right?
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean itmakes a huge difference when
you're traveling eddies and Imet on a.
Speaker 2 (42:47):
I was selling my old coach, yeah, and he answered one
of the ads that we had outthere and we, we just it just
kind of happened that way.
Yeah, so Go ahead.
Oh yeah, and it was just, itjust kind of grew from there and
then we started to get to knoweach other and say, hey, you
know, we got a lot in common,yeah, so that's how it all
started.
For my listeners it was just a,it was Whore sale piece up here
(43:08):
in Minnesota, usa.
For the other guys out in theworld, yeah, and it was just.
Yeah, it just kind of happenedyeah.
Speaker 4 (43:17):
But you know again, the Lord works in mysterious
ways and there's a reason whythat didn't happen, tim.
Speaker 2 (43:26):
No, no, no, no, it wasn't a big thing.
Speaker 4 (43:28):
Well, it is to me, because maybe the Lord is saying
the timing's not right, youknow, and I'm pushing too hard
or pushing too fast, and sothat's why you kind of wait for
things to just keep falling intoplace.
Right, we're going to get there.
Speaker 2 (43:45):
We're going to get there you heard the term when
the devil heals your feet.
Hit the roof, you know he's introuble.
Yeah, that means you're on thego and he's got to deal with it.
So that's what the Lord's forright, oh yeah.
Well, if he sees the good inyou and what's going on, he'll
get you to where you need to go,yeah, but the Lord gets your
(44:07):
feet up and the devil worriesabout where they're at.
Speaker 4 (44:09):
Yeah no doubt the Lord gets your feet up and the
devil worries about wherethey're at.
Yeah, no doubt.
Here's another thing is thatsince then I never had any
orders down there, and so Idirected my energy and time to
other resources locally andworked from up here and then
worked to try to get it lower.
But all of a sudden the websitecame back up and people started
(44:32):
buying orders, ordering a jar ofsausage.
And there was a lady thatbought the last jar of O80s at
Mason's Specialty Meats productin West Plains, Missouri.
Okay, that was two months ago.
Okay, so you think about April,until two months ago she bought
the last jar, so it took awhile for that case to sell, but
(44:53):
nobody reached out to me.
So when I asked her where shegot it and she told me the story
, well, I reached out to John atMason Meats and told him you
know I'm getting orders youreminded him, he was out, I
reminded him that hisshelf was empty and people are
ordering it on my website, andso we got together again and he
(45:14):
committed to two cases.
So I shipped out two cases thisweek to have him restock the
shelves and get his currentcustomers and my customers or
clients that are already onlinethe opportunity to buy it
locally, to save the shippingcosts.
And the margins are there again.
Right, free shipping, I said,you know, cost me money, but hey
(45:35):
, we need to get the exposuredown there and get people to
have something different intheir mouths.
Speaker 2 (45:41):
I'm not kidding you.
Sure, in the car business wehave a group of guys, companies,
that what they do is they're arepping agency.
So let's say we have a tool, awidget, a piece, yeah, we get a
hold of these repping agenciesand their job is to do exactly
what you're doing.
Yeah, you pound the pavement,get them out there, you make
sure they're in front of peopleand, of course, they're on the
(46:03):
numbers.
So they take a percent, sure,but some of these big companies
are really nationwide, yeah,some of these big companies are
really nationwide, yeah, andthey can hit some massive,
massive people.
Yeah yeah, and they don't dealwith end users.
There's not an end user thing.
This is a directbusiness-to-business.
Guys, you're right.
Speaker 4 (46:22):
Have you hunted any of those guys?
Yes, and I've been again.
It's a very difficult processand I need to have patience more
, but when I reached out to alot of these larger
distributions and companies totry to get my product on their
shelves or where I needed to goback, then maybe I wasn't ready
(46:49):
and that's why they didn't takeme on.
But now we're in 75 locationsNice and the product's moving
and people are looking for it,and now I'm reaching out back to
those major companies to see ifit's possible they'll
reconsider, and so again, it'shard to get a hold of them and
I've gotten response from out oforder Sounds like you're having
(47:10):
really good success, but we'renot going to be able to stock
your product.
We're not going to stock yourproduct at this time, and that's
basically some of the ones downin all the cities that I
visited back in April.
These major retail nice grocerychains that are all over and the
other bigger ones.
They want you to use a companyto put your portfolio on there
(47:33):
and wait for these big retailmarketers looking for new
products to excite and get neworganic growth.
And they charge a lot of feeand there's no guarantee that
these people are going to comeand look at it.
So I'm not going to invest thatway.
These people are going to comeand look at it, so I'm not going
to invest that way.
(47:53):
I think the best investment ofentrepreneur or business partner
is face-to-face,business-to-business, and to
promote your products you haveto get in front of people.
You can't just email them andwait for calls.
Speaker 2 (48:05):
Do the lazy way.
Speaker 4 (48:06):
Yeah, that's the lazy way.
And you can send pack.
You know, get packages withsamples and this and that and
your business card sell sheets,but you're not guaranteed
they're gonna give you a calleither.
So it's really just trying toget a zoom meeting or some sort
of physical meeting so they canactually see your energy and
(48:28):
your movement and yourdetermination, dedication into a
product that they can actuallyget an organic growth.
So it really is you got to sellyourself and the sauce sells
itself.
Really it does.
You know, you just gotta get inthe door, you gotta get find a
way to get in the door.
And a lot of them wantdistribution companies and they
don't take you on.
(48:48):
Now what do you do?
Speaker 2 (48:50):
right?
Well, I do know that you haveanother engagement today, so
let's hit this website again onemore time.
And how do we acquire it's?
Speaker 4 (48:58):
a oed, whiskey, bourbon, saucecom, and it comes
up real quick.
I have, um, all my recipes thatI've done, we're doing.
There's three live recipecooking videos now on youtube
and instagram and we're going tocontinue doing more of those as
we move forward, probably,hopefully, one or one a month,
(49:18):
you know, depending on the timeI have.
But all my, all my uh marketing, everything is on there all my
locations, photos, recipes,videos, all that's on there and
uh.
Take a look at it and see wherethe mission and vision is.
We're already just headed.
I really believe we have a lotof good things coming our way,
(49:43):
and hopefully sooner than later.
But I have patience and theLord's guiding me and he's
putting me in front of peoplethat are guiding me as well and
giving me suggestions and helpand support.
So everything is on the website.
Go check it out.
We will ship it to you.
Keep an eye on for the specialsand the free shipping.
(50:04):
But people are looking for it.
They are, they really are.
And do we want to use the promocode?
I don't have a promo code.
You can.
I mean there again, that'ssomething that I have to learn
how to do or figure out how toget that on it.
But I think the web admin it'sjust when we run these promos or
whatever.
(50:24):
I think it just automaticallygoes into the checkout when
you're pricing it.
And there's also OED's orCooper's BMT Foundation is also
on my website.
You can see our story and ourmission and an opportunity to
donate funds for that as well,because today's date we're
$1,500.
(50:44):
O Eddy's has donated to thefoundation and helping people
with cancer and their families,so I have not had a chance to.
I really wanted to visit thecenter down in Iowa, you know,
for the Iowa Hawkeyes, I'm notkidding you, but I never had an
opportunity them six days tostop somewhere and do what I
(51:09):
really wanted to do, but againwe're here and we're going to
help families and they love thestory.
So website has everything on it.
Check it out, get some ordersin, donate to the foundation.
Let's help O'Eddie's get tofulfill his mission, vision and
story.
Speaker 2 (51:27):
Understood.
Okay, you have it.
O'eddie's Reach out.
Check them out.
Thanks for coming in today.
Okay, you have it, o'eddiesReach out check them out.
Speaker 4 (51:33):
Thanks for coming in today.
Hey Tim, thank you again.
This is a spur-of-the-momentthing.
I reached out to you.
I just you do a great job and Ilove your podcast and somehow
they just come on these.
You know, like you said, thisserious radio, I don't know, but
people are hearing it and it'sa way for them to really get the
(51:53):
story of O Eddie.
So, tim, I can't thank youenough, and I gave you a nice
jar of sauce for you to keep inyour palate and try some of
those recipes.
I have a Thanksgiving recipethat's on there too.
Right, it will change how youcook your Thanksgiving dinner,
your turkey, your I have thestuffing and the garlic mashed
(52:16):
potatoes.
I guarantee you it will changeeverybody's ways of cooking
turkey.
I'm not kidding.
So give that a shout too, andif you have any questions or
concerns, you can email me orcall me from the website and
I'll guide you and walk youthrough all my recipes.
And if you have a recipe thatyou'd like to have out there, I
would definitely take a look atit and work with you on that as
well and make that a goal.
(52:37):
So thanks everybody for yourtime and let's keep O-Eddies
going.
And Tim, again, thank you somuch for your time.
Speaker 2 (52:44):
Thanks, richard, and for you out there across seas, I
don't see why you couldn'timport them or export them from
your countries.
Give them a shot.
Oetti's on the web, finishingsauce, and thanks everybody for
tuning in.
Catch you next time and maybewe'll have a different
conversation about this lastelection.
How do you like that show?
Okay, I'm looking forward tothat.
Speaker 4 (53:06):
I'd love to hear that oh boy, I'll tell you, you can
spend a lot of hours, can't you?
Speaker 2 (53:11):
I can, I it, just you can't.
This book writes itself, yeahright, yeah, yeah, it is.
Speaker 4 (53:16):
It's exciting to see where we're going to go now okay
, all right then, thankseverybody farewell catch you
soon.
Speaker 2 (53:22):
Thank you, and that's a wrap for hutcast.
Hutcast again.
A pragmatic approach to seeingthings how some people see them.
If you like our show, give us athumbs up on the Facebook site
Again for HuttCast.
Thank you again.
Have a wonderful evening, thankyou.
2, 3, 4.
2, 3, 4.
Secretly recorded from deepinside the bowels of a
decommissioned missile silo, webring you the man, one single
man, who wants to bring light tothe darkness and dark to the
lightness.
Although he's not always right,he is always certain.
So now, with security protocolsin place, the protesters have
(00:28):
been forced back behind thebarricades and the blast doors
are now sealed.
Without further delay, let meintroduce you to the host of
HuttCast, mr Tim Huttner.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
Thank you, sergeant-at-arms.
You can now take your post.
The views and opinionsexpressed in this program are
solely those of the individualand participants.
These views and opinionsexpressed do not represent those
of the host or the show.
The opinions in this broadcastare not to replace your legal,
medical or spiritualprofessionals.
(01:04):
Welcome to Podcast Sundaymedical or spiritual
professionals.
Welcome to the HuttCast Sunday11-17-2024.
We have a special guest in ourstudio, one of our gold sponsors
, richard Cooper, chef RichardCooper of O Eddy's Finishing
Sauce.
He's been on a number of worldthings going on and we're going
to catch up with him today andsay hey, eddie, what's going on?
(01:25):
So for Headcast Standby, we'regoing to have a conversation
with O Eddie's Finishing Sauce.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
This grilling season, take your taste buds to the
next level.
The sauce that'll change yourbarbecue forever.
O Eddie's Whiskey Bourbon Sauceis going to be at the Anoka
County Fair.
O Eddie's Whiskey Bourbon Sauceis going to be at the Anoka
County Fair.
O Eddie's Whiskey Bourbon Sauceis all about that split second
when the tender meat anddelectable sauce touches your
taste buds.
Don't believe me.
Chef Richard Cooper is bringingO Eddie's Whiskey Bourbon Sauce
(01:55):
to the Anoka County Fair so youcan taste it and become a
believer yourself.
O Eddie's Whiskey Bourbon Saucethe sauce that's worth the wait
.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
Welcome back to the podcast.
Richard Cooper Chef RichardCooper is in our studios.
Can you hear me, okay?
Yes, I can.
Thanks for coming out andsetting this up and let's have a
conversation, because the lasttime we spoke you were on.
I'll have to check my episodeschedule, but you had a lot of
things going on and since thenI've heard and I've been kind of
(02:25):
following that you were tryingto get on Shark Tank.
Is that correct?
Speaker 4 (02:29):
Yes, I actually, after the six days of selling
sauce at Noca County Fair beforethat, I saw that they had five
live call castings that they doevery year and the last one
happened to be in Indianapolis,and so I booked a flight for
that Sunday afternoon hotel andshipped some of my product down
(02:53):
there marketing materials.
But there was no guarantee toget on this show.
But it was basically just getin front of the producers and
hopefully show your business.
On your side you have about atwo-minute pitch.
So after six days of selling atthe Noca County Fair, I jumped
on that flight on Sundayafternoon and got to my hotel in
(03:16):
Indianapolis and stayed up allnight trying to get my
two-minute pitch down.
You only have one shot at thisand there was no guarantee that
I was going to get in front ofthem.
They only hand out 500wristbands.
They got to stand in line andfight all these other
entrepreneurs that are trying toget in front of them as well.
So about 6 o'clock in themorning we rolled over there to
the stadium.
It was Indianapolis Speedwayactually.
(03:38):
I got there early enough so Imade sure I got in line.
You know it was a fight to geton that line, I'll tell you, and
it was about 7 o'clock in themorning, but they went through
the whole thing and I ended upsort of handing out wristbands
and I ended up getting one andthe number I had was 265.
And I'm like 265 entrepreneursbefore me.
(04:00):
There ain't no way I'm gettingmy flight out of here and I was
just like wow what the?
heck.
And I mean there ain't no wayI'm getting my flight out of
here.
And I was just like wow, whatthe heck?
And all of a sudden we get inthere and they disclose
everything and how it's allgoing to work.
But it was so funny.
We're not going to start onwristband number one, we're
going to pull it out of the hatReally.
Yeah, it was 201.
So I only had 64 entrepreneursin front of me.
(04:24):
So I'm like, wow, great, I'mgoing to be able to make my
flight out of here and I won'thave to change it or anything
like that.
So I was very blessed to getthat happen.
So again here we go.
The Lord works in mysteriousways, you know.
So it was a 40-hour turnaroundup all night trying to get this
pitch.
But I got in front of them, andusually only there for a couple
(04:47):
minutes in that, in front ofthe table, in front of the
producer, but I asked producer.
I go hey, can you uh open thisup and smell this and taste it?
I want to see the expression onyour face.
And she goes well, is itgluten-free?
And I go, uh, nope, she goes,well, I can't try that.
Then I'm like, well, rightthere, I'm like that's not a
very good sign, but anyway.
So I was up there for quite awhile.
(05:07):
It seemed like a long time, butthey said if you get a call
within two weeks from an areacode number, that was us calling
you, so make sure you answer it.
We want to invite you to get infront of the Sharks actually in
LA and try to pitch a productand get a deal done.
Well, I wore that wristband fora whole month, never got the
call.
But anyway, there's a reasonfor everything.
(05:30):
Maybe the timing wasn't right,so I took that as that.
We're going to give it anothertry again in January, coming up
when they do the live callcasting schedule again.
But this year I wasn't able toget out there.
They had five of them with theeast coast and west coast and it
was just way too much traveland to try it again.
But so we're waiting for thisyear.
(05:51):
Now we've got a lot of thingsgoing on and we've seen where
OLEs is going and hopefullythey'll get my applications I
keep sending in to them.
I did three of them just sent in, but they got so many of them,
tim, and you just never knowwhen it's going to happen, so
maybe it wasn't ready for lasttime, but we're going to give it
(06:11):
another shot.
So it was a great experience.
It was a lot of fun and it wasvery exciting for me.
So again, I'm very blessed byhaving that opportunity.
So it was a good time.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
Not many people get an invitation to the target?
Speaker 4 (06:27):
No, again.
That's why the producers, theylook at all the applicants and
applications that come in andthen they'll take the ones that
they did at the live callcasting.
They're the ones that pick andchoose who gets in front of them
to get the deal, and even whenyou do get the call and go out
there and get in front of them,you might not even get that.
(06:48):
They videotape them all, so youmight not even get on the show.
But you might still get a dealor not a deal, but you're not
guaranteed to be on the show.
They're looking for charismaticpeople to make it exciting, so
we'll see We'll give it anothershot though.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
Hmm, looking to sell the drama behind it too.
I suppose it's a show.
I mean, it's what they do.
Speaker 4 (07:12):
Yeah, and they can take you everywhere.
And that's my goal, is my exitstrategy and hopefully find an
investor or them and get infront of them and create a deal
and get this thing worldwide, ifnot nationwide.
Speaker 1 (07:26):
And they're the ones that can help you.
Speaker 4 (07:29):
So even if you don't get a deal, a lot of
entrepreneurs went on and movedon forward and became successful
without them, but it gets youthe exposure and that's what's
really exciting about it.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
I can only imagine that kind of exposure.
Yeah it's amazing, yeah,especially if you're one chosen
to get that kind of exposure.
Speaker 4 (07:45):
Yeah, it's amazing.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
Yeah, especially if you're one chosen to get to that
end point.
Yeah Right, it's hard though.
Wow, so you flew down there.
Is that what you did toIndianapolis?
Speaker 4 (07:55):
Yeah yeah.
I took a late afternoon flightand got in there in the evening
and got to the hotel and grabbedmy six case.
I shipped down there.
I sold a half a case.
I sold what?
Six jars?
Just in the outside doing mypitch and in front of my mirrors
and selling it to the staff andsome of the residents that were
(08:16):
there for the evening.
But it was pretty fun.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
Interesting Exhausting, though I can imagine
it's a switch you turn it onand you hang on until you're
done.
Speaker 4 (08:26):
Yeah, yeah yeah, it was pretty crazy, but you only
have two minutes and you have tohave that pitch.
You've got one shot at it, soyou've got to make sure it's
right, but it was a 40-hourturnaround.
I was pretty beat up but it wasso much fun.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
And I look forward to doing it again.
So you sold a bunch at theanoka county fair.
Speaker 4 (08:51):
How did that go?
Well, let me tell you, it's athe setting up these fairs and
events I've done erx, racetrackand uh, three years in a row and
a lot of other events.
Never did one farmer's market,but that is um, it's kind of a
uh got bad karma or some.
I sold a lot of cases and got alot of exposure.
(09:11):
But uh, last two years, well, ayear ago, the storm came
through and wiped out my wholecanopy and tent and on a friday
and it was hot and humid, therewasn't much traffic but we still
did.
We still did really good sales.
But I had to have, uh, I had tohave my wife run out to Walmart
and get a whole new canopy andget it set up again for the
(09:33):
weekend, and so the cost wasthere.
The sales weren't there for thefirst four days.
It was just way too hot andhumid, but we, we survived it
and we got up and going and wemade up for it over the weekend.
You know, but all these events,um, it's the setup and
everything.
It's just by yourself.
It's it's a lot of work butit's so rewarding and it's so
(09:56):
much fun now your moniker, your,your company image is the
camaro.
Speaker 2 (10:02):
Did you have that at the fair?
Speaker 4 (10:04):
No, they would not let me.
I'd like to have that therenext to my booth but for some
reason they wouldn't let me haveit Because that would drive a
lot of people will come by andsee the car and then want to
know what the deal and the storyis.
They wouldn't let me do that,probably for security and
(10:25):
insurance reasons whatever, Ihave no idea.
But the car shows do real well.
I can just go to car shows andbasically sell more than a case
every time.
I'm there giving samples,interacting with all the car
gurus and all the people atthese events, so that's fun.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
Yeah, I would think the car gurus and all the people
at these events.
So that's fun.
Speaker 4 (10:47):
Yeah, I would think the car would draw.
Yeah, well, you know, I'll tellyou, tim, there's so many
people that will taste the sauceand look at it and go well,
what's the deal with the car?
I'm not going to buy your saucejust because of the car.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
I don't even know what it is right.
Speaker 4 (11:01):
I'm like well, you want to know the story.
The story is I bought it afterbeating, cancer and da-da-da-da,
but I wouldn't buy it justbecause of the car.
I don't know what it is.
So that's why you have to getthe brand out and get everybody
to sample it and actually enjoyit and know what the story is
behind the car and on the labeland on the branding.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
Mm-hmm, mm-hmm is behind the car and on the label
and on the branding.
Now, what is your?
What do you expect the ramp-uprate to get the next level of?
Speaker 4 (11:33):
production, well, production, well before we had
our last podcast here, that wasin November of 2023.
So April of 2023 was the firstproduction of, uh, uh, the
co-packing company, yeah, yeah,making a thousand jars, and
that's uh.
So we finally got it to thatpoint and I was saying, god, I'm
(11:54):
so glad they're doing this nowand I have more time for myself
to really, um, get the exposureand do what I need to do.
But you know, what it never had, never panned out yeah, I'm not
making it anymore.
I'm not, I'm not, I'm not buyingall the products, jarring it,
labeling it and all that stuff.
Right, they're doing it andit's still.
My time is so consumed with.
(12:16):
Now it's finding distribution,and that's a whole new level in
itself and a challenge and I'mexperiencing all that now.
But that was 1,000, what 100?
It was over 1,000 jars.
Okay, then we had our secondproduction run of 1,440 jars in
(12:38):
July.
So it was only three monthslater that we were able to get
another run.
That's how the sales were going.
Wow, yeah, it was really reallygood.
Three months later that we wereable to get another run.
That's how the sales were going.
Wow, yeah, it was really reallygood.
And since then, well, now I gotdistribution.
It started this year.
At the end of April I found alocal company, ron Mar
Distribution, in Minnetonka andthey're going to help me get
(13:01):
into Hy-Vees and Kowalskis andsome high major retail stores,
and so I was really excited andlooking forward to that.
But that was a challenge initself.
You know they cut into yourmargins and I was ready for that
, but so far they've done areally good job.
They got me into 10 Hy-Vees, 5Kowalskis and during that year
(13:24):
of 2023, von Hansen's I finallygot a hold of the right person
there and Von Hansen's theydelivered two cases to
Chanhassen.
Okay, well, they sold in threedays the two cases and then they
said, well, let's try anotherdemographic area.
So we did one down in AppleValley apple valley, okay, yeah
(13:46):
that went really well twocases in two days.
So I get a call on a friday timand they said uh well, we, we'd
love to have your product inall our stores.
I'd like you to deliver twocases to every single location
in minnesota.
Here there's 23 of them.
They got one in Arizona,Chandler.
So I said I will never takethis for granted.
(14:09):
So that night I loaded up mycar with all these cases and I
drove 350 miles that Saturdaymorning throughout the whole day
and delivered two cases toevery single bond hand.
And they're doing real well,very well, and I'm very blessed.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
That's kind of like two peas in a pod.
There right the finishing sauceand it's a well-established,
great place to buy steaks andall the meat products, right
right.
Speaker 4 (14:36):
But I kid you not, I remember every manager's names
at their locations.
I visit them frequently and soas they kept selling it and it
was going really fast, I had tokeep driving around.
So that's where I needed kindof distribution.
So distribution came in.
But I made them an offer theycouldn't refuse.
(14:59):
I gave them a better margin, abetter price on the jars.
I gave them a better margin, abetter price on the jars and I
basically said I'll drop ship itto your distribution center in
Circle Pines, the sausage house,and they basically will deliver
the product themselves to allthose locations.
So that was a good relief tooand that's still going real well
(15:24):
.
Speaker 2 (15:26):
Now what are the chances of the Hy-Vee gig?
Speaker 4 (15:29):
Well, the Hy-Vee that was kind of crazy.
We started out doing aboutseven different locations
throughout the metro area andjust trying to bring a package
in with a sell sheet and visitthe managers.
That day, spring Lake Park, hyPark IV ordered five cases right
away.
The meat manager you know,that's a family, that's an
(15:52):
employee-owned company reallybut they can make their own
decisions.
You don't have to find the bigwig to get them to decide
whether they want to carry it ornot.
They can make their owndecisions.
So that was really reallywonderful and it got me very
excited.
So then we got into the otherones.
So now we're in, like I said,we're in nine or ten of those
(16:15):
locations and my commitment todoing demo setups and sampling
the sauce to have the tractionand the movement and the sales
to hopefully keep going in there.
And you never want to have yourproduct on the shelves and all
of a sudden it's empty or it'snot moving.
Then you kind of lose thatshelf space and it's very
(16:39):
important to make sure that yourproduct is moving and it's
always stocked.
So next thing, you know, weended up getting in 10 of them
and so I'm running around doingthat and then the only way I can
get into Kowalski's was to finda distribution company, and
Ronmar was one of them that theywould use.
And so we're in five of theKowalski's locations and I'm
(17:03):
looking to hopefully get intomore.
So that was exciting too.
But all the setup and demos foryou know, really Thursday,
friday, saturday I don't doSundays, I need to relax.
So I'm doing these demo samplesand it's so great to interact
with all these customers andmanagers and employees at IVs
and these big retail grocerystores to watch the traction and
(17:28):
movement of the sales and havefun with their customers.
It's really a lot of fun.
It really is.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
I suppose.
I mean, it's kind of like whenyou go out and if you run for
office you get to walk up toeverybody's house and you have a
piece of paper in your hand andyou want to talk about their
city or the government orwhatever you're running for.
But you're running for, butyou're right in front of them
all the time.
Speaker 4 (17:47):
So you're literally.
Speaker 2 (17:49):
I mean that's a pretty good gig.
Speaker 4 (17:50):
Yeah, it is, and it's hard.
To someone said, well, you needto pass the torch and I'm like,
well, I got to find people orsomebody that can sell the.
You know, sell my product withthe passion and my mission,
vision and story that I have.
And some of those people arekind of hard to find but they're
out there and I have found acouple of them.
But you know, what's reallygreat is that when you're there
(18:14):
and you, hey, can I interest youto try my sweet and savory
whiskey, bourbon sauce,specialty sauce.
Well, sure, and some peoplewill walk by and go Richard, I
already got it and I keep buyingit and I buy it here and there.
I love it.
I can't stop buying it, I justlove it.
I love your product and that'sreally great to hear as well.
Speaker 2 (18:33):
Right Now.
If you were to start expandingthis, let's talk the business
side of this.
Mm-hmm.
There's really so much marginin a product.
I don't care if it's X, y and Zyou have to build it, get it,
create it, mass produce it.
Now you have to distribute it.
So if this distribution is sucha thing, you really have to
(18:54):
have a company to do it.
Or can you like Do it myself?
Yeah well, hire couriers.
How would you get to eachstation without giving away the
farm?
You've still got profit to make.
Speaker 4 (19:07):
Well, that's why all the education and putting it all
together makes sure that youhave the right margins for
everybody to make your productsuccessful, and so you have to
build that in in the earlystages, which we did.
And because it's a specialtysauce, people, um, you know,
(19:29):
when you're you're paying 10 or11 for a jar of sauce and I'm
shipping it plus five dollarshipping charge.
So they're paying 18 bucks ajar.
But that margin for the retail.
You know copac company chargesme this price and then then
you've got to have thedistribution, so you've got to
fit that margin in there too andthen they sell it to the retail
(19:50):
stores at, hopefully, a 30% to45% margin is what they're
looking at.
But the margins are still thereand everybody can make money
and increase their new organicgrowth sales.
So it's there.
And everybody can make moneyand increase their new organic
growth sales.
So it's there.
And there's also movement.
There's also room to if theproducts are selling.
(20:12):
You can do specials and bringthe price down just to get it
moving.
But people are buying it andit's moving.
And I can't believe how my mindworks.
You know, everywhere I go,every store, I look at shelf
space, I look at this and that Isee what sauce are moving and
(20:34):
all these different brands thatare on the shelves and they're
just sitting there.
You know they move them.
But how did they?
You know it's so hard to get inthere, tim, but how did they?
You know it's so hard to get inthere, tim, that you've got to
make sure that you are actuallymoving the product and making
sure the customers are knowingwhere to find your product.
(20:54):
It doesn't matter thedemographics, your race,
religion it doesn't matter, oryour financial.
If people like a product oryour service, doesn't matter
what it is, they're going tospend the money on it, no matter
how hard the times are oranything they will.
(21:15):
That's why people go to thefresh meat markets.
They'll spend quality.
You'll spend good money forquality product and then they'll
buy the high-end sauces or rubsor whatever.
So it was really good, sure.
Speaker 2 (21:33):
Now what's your MSRP on the bottle?
Speaker 4 (21:37):
Well, manufacturer's sale price about $9.99 to $10.99
.
Speaker 2 (21:43):
Okay, so about $10 a bottle.
Speaker 4 (21:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:45):
And your last gross shipment, 1,000 bottles.
Speaker 4 (21:49):
You said the first production was 1,000 jars and
then the second production.
Obviously, your margins getbetter the more product, yeah,
you order, and so the price goesdown.
The Copac company, that's howthey work, the bigger volume
yeah.
So the bigger volume you can getordered and pallets on hand.
(22:12):
Well, my margins are better andthat makes distribution's
margins better and the retailstores have a better margin as
well.
But the price is there.
The price is set for prettymuch everybody.
All my locations.
It's anywhere from $9.99 to$11.99.
(22:33):
So people are paying for it.
They're tired of the same oldsauce.
They're tired of the same oldproduct.
We're creatures of habit, tim.
We buy the same food products.
We cook the same food over andover and over.
We're boring, we're creaturesof habit.
So O Eddy's is trying toeducate and teach people.
(22:54):
Give people the opportunity touse my recipes that's one on
every label that we've createdand try something different and
experience it and have funcooking and eating food again.
We got to, as more people arebarbecuing and smoking and
grilling and baking at home, buta lot of people aren't educated
(23:14):
.
They don't know how to do this.
So we are going to help them,educate them and have fun
cooking again and eating.
Fun cooking again and eating.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
I suppose the special recipes that you put together
and you put them on certainbottles gives you a meniscus of
what bottles went out when.
What's your ROI returninvestment, who's using what?
Does that kind of help you atthe shelf level?
Speaker 4 (23:40):
Yeah, well, I started with my top ten recipes and
there's one on every label.
Now they're also listed on mywebsite where they can go in and
retrieve them.
I thought about just puttingthem on the labels, but then,
and not on a website.
That way, when they run out ofsauce and they need another
recipe, they'll go and getanother jar.
Well, it could be hindsight,2020, but look at this, if you
(24:06):
put it on the website, too, andthey got your sauce, well,
they're only using a coupleounces at a time, so they'll go
on and get another recipe andthen keep using the bar until
it's done and up.
And we continue to create more,get more recipes.
Matter of fact, I just finallygot into the wild game A couple
of my neighbors.
(24:27):
They're hunters, so I just dida recipe of a bacon wrap,
rosemary duck and grouse.
Speaker 1 (24:34):
Nice.
Speaker 4 (24:35):
I'm not a hunter, tim , and your name's Hunt Isn't
that funny, I'm just kidding.
So I got them on there.
So I'd like to do more of thebear and the venison will be
coming up, and elk moosewhatever you have, I have
recipes for them.
So I want the game hunters andthe hunters to get excited about
(24:58):
using O Eddie's product ontheir wild game, and a lot of
them just use the same, cook itthe same way.
So hopefully, we get themexcited as well.
Well, let's shift the gear here.
Speaker 2 (25:12):
Now, I know this is a finishing sauce for meats.
Yep, what if you're thenon-meat-eating type?
Can you use it into that typeof venue?
Speaker 4 (25:20):
Yeah, yeah.
So you know, like my salmon andasparagus recipe.
I mean, if somebody's not ameat eater but they're a fish
eater, it's so easy to use myrecipes and no mess, no fuss, no
cleanup and it.
but you can use it on salads andsandwiches and egg rolls.
So it really salads andsandwiches and egg rolls.
(25:42):
So really they're using it oneverything.
And I just had somebody post onFacebook from Colorado they use
the sauce on an omelet, ontheir breakfast omelet.
No kidding, I never, I mean, Ididn't even think about that.
But see, so people are tryingdifferent things with the sauce
and they're getting excitedabout it.
(26:03):
So it's pretty cool.
Wow.
Well, let's pretty cool, wow.
Speaker 2 (26:05):
Well, let's plug the website here.
Where can we find this?
Speaker 4 (26:09):
It's oedyswhiskeybourbonsaucecom and
that website has been changedand updated several times and it
actually was down for abouteight weeks.
I kept trying to find.
You know, people talk to talkand don't walk the walk, but
this all the rhythm and stuff.
When you see you're looking forsomething, all these different
(26:32):
companies come up.
We can help you do this and dothat and make you successful,
make your product grow andwebsite design, but they so it
was down for eight weeks, weeksand I lost a lot of online sales
.
But we battled through that andI found the right person after
you know people taking advantageof me.
(26:52):
But now we got.
I got somebody that's very goodand, uh, he's taking care of my
website, redesigned it and, um,taking care of all my social
media my YouTube and Facebookand Instagram and making the
necessary changes and trying toget the search in the SEOs and
all the reasons.
(27:13):
So we get OITs up there on thempages when people are looking
for recipes or different typesor whatever comes up.
So that's challenging thesocial media website webs.
All that is so challenging andone person can't do all that.
So you need help and everybodyhas their very everybody's got
(27:34):
their expertise in certain areas.
Yep, doesn't matter what youare a mechanic, if you're a chef
, doesn't matter absolutely.
And so you have to reach out tothese people to really help you
get to where you want to go.
Speaker 2 (27:49):
How about the guys in the professional smoking
contests, the Burt Youngs, allthose?
Speaker 4 (28:00):
guys.
Yeah Well, you look on.
I was got to do is type inbarbecue rib contest.
Speaker 2 (28:06):
Yeah right.
Speaker 4 (28:06):
It just pops up Everything all over the United
States and it's amazing thatthese, how good people can be
doing these rib fest andcontests.
And, oh, Eddie's, we did one inJuly of 2023.
I don't know if we mentionedthat on the podcast when yeah,
(28:29):
when we were here last time.
No, that was in July.
Speaker 1 (28:32):
No, we did yeah.
Speaker 4 (28:33):
Yeah, I won my first barbecue for Rib Fest yeah, we
did talk about that.
And the second one.
I remember my smoker went down,but this year I tried it again.
uh, somehow I forgot my my ownspice and I'll tell you, I got
there and I didn't win and I'mlike, why didn't I win this?
(28:53):
I mean, expectations are highfor me, but the sauce was there,
the sales were there, but I hadto buy someone else's spices
that were there anothercompetitor.
So I I think, uh, the mix of myspice and their spice didn't
hit the palate of these peoplethat were coming in and judging
and all that.
(29:14):
But hey, there's a reason foreverything.
Right, you learn from it.
It was a mistake, but hey,we're going to try it again.
Speaker 2 (29:21):
We will try it again.
Well, they say, losing buildscharacter.
Speaker 4 (29:25):
Yeah, right Because in today's world.
Speaker 2 (29:26):
That's the problem.
Everybody gets a participationtrophy.
Speaker 4 (29:31):
Well, it's not just about trophies.
I mean, for me it's exposure,and just getting everybody to
enjoy my sauce.
But yeah again, failure is notan option.
And whatever you do, and if youdo fail, remember last time.
You learn by your failures.
Here's what not to do.
Yeah, yeah, right, right andmake the changes.
Well, how about if?
Speaker 2 (29:49):
Eddie's was to hold a rib smoking contest.
Speaker 4 (29:55):
Well, that sounds like a really good suggestion
and an opportunity, probably,but I don't know.
There's no way I could put ittogether.
I don't know.
I would need help.
I just don't have enough time.
The time is so precious.
Speaker 2 (30:10):
Well, you have a spot at the New York County Fair, so
, instead of having a boothtable, why don't you have a
smoke?
Smoke off.
Speaker 4 (30:19):
Well, there again, you have to get it approved by
certain vendors and a location.
But a lot of people say, youknow, if you've got all these
recipes in your sauce, why don'tyou start a food truck?
I'm like, yeah, I could and Icould probably be very
successful, but that is so muchwork.
People don't realize how muchwork it is.
Speaker 2 (30:40):
Oh, food trucks are work.
Speaker 4 (30:41):
Absolutely A lot of work.
And I don't need that because Ihave the recipes and I have the
sauce and I can focus and do alot better.
But now that ain't.
I thought about that too, butthe cost is very, very expensive
and you got to be everywhereyou know to set up and sell that
product.
(31:02):
And if you make all thatproduct and you ain't selling it
, well then it goes.
You know the pig farms for thepigs?
I don't know.
I just that's not where Ireally wanted to go, but I could
if things change.
What's about exposure?
Speaker 2 (31:17):
It is a lot of exposure If you hold it.
Think about it.
You have the setup.
You're going to do racks orribs or whatever the contest is.
You have a trophy I meantrophies are cheap and you get
these local guys who are jumpingon this because there's a lot
of smoking teams.
Speaker 4 (31:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (31:34):
And you say you got to use Eddie's sauce.
Knock yourself out on yourspices.
Here's the racks or ribs you go.
Speaker 4 (31:40):
Yeah, Well, they have that big one down in mystic
lake uh casino and it's a huge,huge one and they have big semis
that come in with their bigbanners and then these are some
serious smoking competitionpeople and they've got a lot of
money invested and they havetheir own spices and their sauce
too.
But what's really cool aboutgoogle or when you look up stuff
(32:04):
like that and the SEOs and theall the rhythm now I've been
seeing a lot of because O'Eddy'sis getting out there right.
So I'm seeing these barbecuerib fest competitions throughout
the United States that havebeen going on and people are
saying, oh, our company, wefinished second or third and
this, and that, Well, sometimesI'll just go, hey, I'll tap on
(32:26):
there and I'll comment.
Well, if you're looking to tryto get first place, maybe you
should try to order a jar ofO'Eddy's and it could possibly
give you that jump to that nextlevel to win first place.
Speaker 2 (32:38):
A pity sale.
Speaker 4 (32:38):
Yeah Huh, the pity sale.
A pity sale, is that what youcall?
Speaker 2 (32:42):
it.
Speaker 4 (32:42):
Yeah, I never thought about it that way, but no, I'm
just like hey, it can help youwin if you're a good rib fest
competitor or chicken orwhatever you're doing now, right
, and just buy a jar.
If you're finishing second andthird or fourth, well, what is
the problem?
What is the issue then?
Is it the sauce or is it howyou're preparing it?
(33:03):
I don't know, but for me andthe experience I had, wow.
All I know is that that littleone or two ounces of sauce after
I did my ribs was amazing and Icouldn't believe I wanted to go
.
Speaker 2 (33:16):
Yeah, but you don't want to be in the business of
working against the people whobuy your product.
Speaker 4 (33:23):
Well, think about it, tim.
We already are when I go in andsee where my sauce jars are at
whether they're five cases deepon the top of a reach-in meat
cooler, or if it's not at mysauce, or none, or oh, it is not
on the shelves where all theother barbecue sauce is at.
(33:43):
So when you see all that andyou look at the pricing and you
look at the staging, that makesa lot of difference, you know.
But right there on top,reachable, and if they know what
you have, they'll buy it.
Speaker 2 (33:59):
You said earlier that humans were creatures of habit,
and that's absolutely correct.
When I smoke and I'll do I dobriskets, I do chicken, it's
pretty much across the board.
Sure, you have the right typeof smoke, you have the right
type of saturation of smoke, theway you prepare it, the
(34:20):
temperatures you prepare it, Imean it's all and once.
You have your formula, yeah,now you have to see if that
formula is good for the peoplethat hit the pallet.
Like you said, it's got to hitthe pallet, yeah.
So, do you, do you spin thatapple cart one over it because
we want to try Eddie's sauce, orI mean?
There's a lot going on andpeople who win don't change.
Speaker 4 (34:47):
It.
It's the losers that change.
Yes, that's correct, but theand the people that aren't
winning first place and feelthey have what, the you know,
the good product or their goodway of smoking or grilling or
baking doesn't matter, but onlyif they are the ones that are
going to learn how to competewith the bigwigs that keep on
winning and winning.
And some people say, well, thejudging, it can be rigged, or
(35:10):
this, that I'm not a believer inthat.
I think judges are looking forsomething that's outstanding and
it hits their palate and allthe criteria that goes into the
judging for them.
So you have to adapt and figureout why are they winning and
why am I not?
If it's the sauce, maybe.
(35:32):
If it's your spice, maybe.
Maybe you're not doing the3-2-1.
They call it three hours, twohours, one hour when you're
smoking.
Speaker 2 (35:43):
Yeah, I get that, or you've got to leave the
conspiracy out of it, becausenow you're turning it political
yeah and I don't bring politicsinto any of that.
Oh no, no, I'm talking aboutsmoking politics not national.
Speaker 4 (35:55):
Yeah, right, right.
Speaker 2 (35:56):
No I know that.
Speaker 4 (35:57):
Yeah, the politics and the smoking.
Speaker 1 (35:59):
Right.
Speaker 4 (36:00):
There's.
You know, anything can happen,but throw your best skills and
your best product out there andsee what happens and learn from
what happened at that event andtry again.
Don't be afraid, it's easy.
It's really not that hard.
Speaker 2 (36:17):
So Von Hansen is your main serve now right, Well,
they are.
Speaker 4 (36:22):
Yeah, we're 23 locations, okay, and I don't
have to deliver it anymore,which is great, nice.
But now it's the Hy-Vees andthe Kowalskis and I'm in a doggy
boutique that are selling, I'min hair salons, I'm in smoke
shops and convenience gasstations, but again, those are
the ones that I worked on to getit in there and hopefully keep
(36:47):
the movement.
But now it's really trying toget into your Lunds and Bylers,
albertsons and all that.
That's even more of a challenge.
But IV, that could be my number.
That can get me nationwide,that can get OEDs nationwide,
and the only way we're going todo that is hopefully get in
about four or five morelocations here in the cities,
(37:09):
minnesota, and then they gottheir distribution center in
Iowa.
Now it's huge, huge, huge.
And so hopefully, once we seethe traction and movement in the
numbers, I can get a hold ofthe marketing sales reps big
weeks down there and thecorporate office and see if we
can get them to order pallets ata time.
I'll drop, ship them myself,give them a better margin, leave
(37:31):
the distribution out, becausemy distribution company cannot
get me the logistics to getwhere I need to go.
They can't even get me up tonorthern Minnesota or southern
Minnesota, so we continue tojust market and brand our
product and ship online.
And, matter of fact, well,let's see April, we'll go into
(37:53):
that later.
But yeah, so I just got to keeptrying to get the product in as
many, many locations as I can.
And are your big retail orgrocery stores the ones that you
want to target?
Well, sure, but if the productdoesn't move, you know they'll
discontinue your product andremove you off the shelf, but
(38:14):
that hasn't happened yet.
With low 80s, uh, we're, we'renext to some pretty big brand
name sauces.
You know kinders and you knowstubs, sure, and I see the
movement.
I see the movement and I seetheir jars just sitting there.
Maybe they're restocking themmore than mine, I don't know,
(38:34):
but I just I see it.
So we're right next to them andwe're on the shelves next to
them too, and I see the movementand their pricing and people
are okay with it.
Speaker 2 (38:44):
So you can order online.
Right, you have like a page youcan order from.
Yeah, right on the website.
Okay, let's try something.
Let's say everybody who'slistening to this show gets 10%
off with a promo code HUDCAST.
Yeah, can you set that up onyour?
Speaker 4 (39:00):
computer?
Yes, I can.
Matter of fact, this newwebsite admin I have, we're
going to do a Black Fridayspecial, nice, and I currently
have my holiday package specialwhere you get a hoodie, t-shirt
and hat, nice.
That are well-made and they'reall embroidered.
And so you get that a jar ofsauce, a recipe, and then I'll
(39:23):
gift-wrap it and we'll ship itto her and deliver it to you in
person, if you're local, butwe'll ship it, gift wrap it for
that special person.
That's hard to buy and we givethem a special deal on the
pricing and then we also offerthe free shipping.
Speaker 2 (39:38):
Well, I'm not giving away for you.
You have to say this is okay.
I just brought up an idea Likelet's see.
Speaker 4 (39:47):
Well, that's how it starts.
It's people like you or otherpeople that run into me at these
demos or wherever they see meand they want to help me, they
want to promote it or can we dothis or do that, and I'm like
absolutely Help me get it outthere.
Speaker 2 (40:05):
Well, Eddie, I've always been on your side.
Speaker 4 (40:07):
Well, thank you very much.
Speaker 2 (40:09):
You know that I mean since day one, I mean since we
met, it's like okay, you gotsomething cool here, let's grow
this, Isn't it?
Speaker 4 (40:15):
amazing.
Yeah, I never thought it wouldgo this far, tim.
I really didn't, you know, Ireally didn't.
And so the last time, inNovember, we did this podcast,
my mission was to travel.
Well, in April of this year2024, I couldn't get a motorhome
, yet I tried to get yours.
Speaker 2 (40:36):
That's how it started .
Speaker 4 (40:38):
Yeah, that's how it started, Because my mission,
vision and story is that's whereI need to be and need to go.
But I rented a classy motorhomeand I loaded up 30 cases of my
product, Wow, and I drove 2,100miles in six days, Holy cow.
Yeah, me and my brother David,and we just started here in Iowa
(41:00):
, and then it was Illinois, andthen Missouri and Kansas City
Wow, Mississippi, Memphis,Arkansas, you know.
And then back around again, andmy goal was to come back empty.
You know, just get the exposure.
Well, you know, again, thingshappen.
You got to adapt so I wasn'table to set up my booths
(41:21):
anywhere and people were, youknow, you try to set up in
Walmarts, party lots or allthese places, kind of getting in
trouble.
But it rained for three days soI had a hard time getting set
up.
So then I had to adapt.
So well, what do we do?
So, you know, what I did is Istarted targeting fresh-cut meat
markets throughout those statesand cities, right, yeah, yeah.
(41:44):
And I got five of them to biteand commit and they each bought
a case and we put their businessname and logo and pictures on
the website to let everybodyknow we're in Missouri and
Arkansas, right, right, right,like a real-time thing, yeah,
yeah, so that panned out prettygood and they each bought a case
(42:06):
and never heard from them.
Kept reaching out to them whenwe got back.
It was a good experience.
It was not profitable, but wedid get some exposure did you
have fun?
yeah, we had fun.
What did you rent?
What kind of coach?
It was a class c motorhome,uh-huh, it was probably like I
wanted 20 footers, like that.
(42:27):
Yeah, nothing special, and thatuh really wasn't the most
comfortable thing to be in,anyway, I'm not kidding.
So that's why I wanted yourmotorhome and, uh, no, really
something that's morecomfortable and for the record,
right?
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean itmakes a huge difference when
you're traveling eddies and Imet on a.
Speaker 2 (42:47):
I was selling my old coach, yeah, and he answered one
of the ads that we had outthere and we, we just it just
kind of happened that way.
Yeah, so Go ahead.
Oh yeah, and it was just, itjust kind of grew from there and
then we started to get to knoweach other and say, hey, you
know, we got a lot in common,yeah, so that's how it all
started.
For my listeners it was just a,it was Whore sale piece up here
(43:08):
in Minnesota, usa.
For the other guys out in theworld, yeah, and it was just.
Yeah, it just kind of happenedyeah.
Speaker 4 (43:17):
But you know again, the Lord works in mysterious
ways and there's a reason whythat didn't happen, tim.
Speaker 2 (43:26):
No, no, no, no, it wasn't a big thing.
Speaker 4 (43:28):
Well, it is to me, because maybe the Lord is saying
the timing's not right, youknow, and I'm pushing too hard
or pushing too fast, and sothat's why you kind of wait for
things to just keep falling intoplace.
Right, we're going to get there.
Speaker 2 (43:45):
We're going to get there you heard the term when
the devil heals your feet.
Hit the roof, you know he's introuble.
Yeah, that means you're on thego and he's got to deal with it.
So that's what the Lord's forright, oh yeah.
Well, if he sees the good inyou and what's going on, he'll
get you to where you need to go,yeah, but the Lord gets your
(44:07):
feet up and the devil worriesabout where they're at.
Speaker 4 (44:09):
Yeah no doubt the Lord gets your feet up and the
devil worries about wherethey're at.
Yeah, no doubt.
Here's another thing is thatsince then I never had any
orders down there, and so Idirected my energy and time to
other resources locally andworked from up here and then
worked to try to get it lower.
But all of a sudden the websitecame back up and people started
(44:32):
buying orders, ordering a jar ofsausage.
And there was a lady thatbought the last jar of O80s at
Mason's Specialty Meats productin West Plains, Missouri.
Okay, that was two months ago.
Okay, so you think about April,until two months ago she bought
the last jar, so it took awhile for that case to sell, but
(44:53):
nobody reached out to me.
So when I asked her where shegot it and she told me the story
, well, I reached out to John atMason Meats and told him you
know I'm getting orders youreminded him, he was out, I
reminded him that hisshelf was empty and people are
ordering it on my website, andso we got together again and he
(45:14):
committed to two cases.
So I shipped out two cases thisweek to have him restock the
shelves and get his currentcustomers and my customers or
clients that are already onlinethe opportunity to buy it
locally, to save the shippingcosts.
And the margins are there again.
Right, free shipping, I said,you know, cost me money, but hey
(45:35):
, we need to get the exposuredown there and get people to
have something different intheir mouths.
Speaker 2 (45:41):
I'm not kidding you.
Sure, in the car business wehave a group of guys, companies,
that what they do is they're arepping agency.
So let's say we have a tool, awidget, a piece, yeah, we get a
hold of these repping agenciesand their job is to do exactly
what you're doing.
Yeah, you pound the pavement,get them out there, you make
sure they're in front of peopleand, of course, they're on the
(46:03):
numbers.
So they take a percent, sure,but some of these big companies
are really nationwide, yeah,some of these big companies are
really nationwide, yeah, andthey can hit some massive,
massive people.
Yeah yeah, and they don't dealwith end users.
There's not an end user thing.
This is a directbusiness-to-business.
Guys, you're right.
Speaker 4 (46:22):
Have you hunted any of those guys?
Yes, and I've been again.
It's a very difficult processand I need to have patience more
, but when I reached out to alot of these larger
distributions and companies totry to get my product on their
shelves or where I needed to goback, then maybe I wasn't ready
(46:49):
and that's why they didn't takeme on.
But now we're in 75 locationsNice and the product's moving
and people are looking for it,and now I'm reaching out back to
those major companies to see ifit's possible they'll
reconsider, and so again, it'shard to get a hold of them and
I've gotten response from out oforder Sounds like you're having
(47:10):
really good success, but we'renot going to be able to stock
your product.
We're not going to stock yourproduct at this time, and that's
basically some of the ones downin all the cities that I
visited back in April.
These major retail nice grocerychains that are all over and the
other bigger ones.
They want you to use a companyto put your portfolio on there
(47:33):
and wait for these big retailmarketers looking for new
products to excite and get neworganic growth.
And they charge a lot of feeand there's no guarantee that
these people are going to comeand look at it.
So I'm not going to invest thatway.
These people are going to comeand look at it, so I'm not going
to invest that way.
(47:53):
I think the best investment ofentrepreneur or business partner
is face-to-face,business-to-business, and to
promote your products you haveto get in front of people.
You can't just email them andwait for calls.
Speaker 2 (48:05):
Do the lazy way.
Speaker 4 (48:06):
Yeah, that's the lazy way.
And you can send pack.
You know, get packages withsamples and this and that and
your business card sell sheets,but you're not guaranteed
they're gonna give you a calleither.
So it's really just trying toget a zoom meeting or some sort
of physical meeting so they canactually see your energy and
(48:28):
your movement and yourdetermination, dedication into a
product that they can actuallyget an organic growth.
So it really is you got to sellyourself and the sauce sells
itself.
Really it does.
You know, you just gotta get inthe door, you gotta get find a
way to get in the door.
And a lot of them wantdistribution companies and they
don't take you on.
(48:48):
Now what do you do?
Speaker 2 (48:50):
right?
Well, I do know that you haveanother engagement today, so
let's hit this website again onemore time.
And how do we acquire it's?
Speaker 4 (48:58):
a oed, whiskey, bourbon, saucecom, and it comes
up real quick.
I have, um, all my recipes thatI've done, we're doing.
There's three live recipecooking videos now on youtube
and instagram and we're going tocontinue doing more of those as
we move forward, probably,hopefully, one or one a month,
(49:18):
you know, depending on the timeI have.
But all my, all my uh marketing, everything is on there all my
locations, photos, recipes,videos, all that's on there and
uh.
Take a look at it and see wherethe mission and vision is.
We're already just headed.
I really believe we have a lotof good things coming our way,
(49:43):
and hopefully sooner than later.
But I have patience and theLord's guiding me and he's
putting me in front of peoplethat are guiding me as well and
giving me suggestions and helpand support.
So everything is on the website.
Go check it out.
We will ship it to you.
Keep an eye on for the specialsand the free shipping.
(50:04):
But people are looking for it.
They are, they really are.
And do we want to use the promocode?
I don't have a promo code.
You can.
I mean there again, that'ssomething that I have to learn
how to do or figure out how toget that on it.
But I think the web admin it'sjust when we run these promos or
whatever.
(50:24):
I think it just automaticallygoes into the checkout when
you're pricing it.
And there's also OED's orCooper's BMT Foundation is also
on my website.
You can see our story and ourmission and an opportunity to
donate funds for that as well,because today's date we're
$1,500.
(50:44):
O Eddy's has donated to thefoundation and helping people
with cancer and their families,so I have not had a chance to.
I really wanted to visit thecenter down in Iowa, you know,
for the Iowa Hawkeyes, I'm notkidding you, but I never had an
opportunity them six days tostop somewhere and do what I
(51:09):
really wanted to do, but againwe're here and we're going to
help families and they love thestory.
So website has everything on it.
Check it out, get some ordersin, donate to the foundation.
Let's help O'Eddie's get tofulfill his mission, vision and
story.
Speaker 2 (51:27):
Understood.
Okay, you have it.
O'eddie's Reach out.
Check them out.
Thanks for coming in today.
Okay, you have it, o'eddiesReach out check them out.
Speaker 4 (51:33):
Thanks for coming in today.
Hey Tim, thank you again.
This is a spur-of-the-momentthing.
I reached out to you.
I just you do a great job and Ilove your podcast and somehow
they just come on these.
You know, like you said, thisserious radio, I don't know, but
people are hearing it and it'sa way for them to really get the
(51:53):
story of O Eddie.
So, tim, I can't thank youenough, and I gave you a nice
jar of sauce for you to keep inyour palate and try some of
those recipes.
I have a Thanksgiving recipethat's on there too.
Right, it will change how youcook your Thanksgiving dinner,
your turkey, your I have thestuffing and the garlic mashed
(52:16):
potatoes.
I guarantee you it will changeeverybody's ways of cooking
turkey.
I'm not kidding.
So give that a shout too, andif you have any questions or
concerns, you can email me orcall me from the website and
I'll guide you and walk youthrough all my recipes.
And if you have a recipe thatyou'd like to have out there, I
would definitely take a look atit and work with you on that as
well and make that a goal.
(52:37):
So thanks everybody for yourtime and let's keep O-Eddies
going.
And Tim, again, thank you somuch for your time.
Speaker 2 (52:44):
Thanks, richard, and for you out there across seas, I
don't see why you couldn'timport them or export them from
your countries.
Give them a shot.
Oetti's on the web, finishingsauce, and thanks everybody for
tuning in.
Catch you next time and maybewe'll have a different
conversation about this lastelection.
How do you like that show?
Okay, I'm looking forward tothat.
Speaker 4 (53:06):
I'd love to hear that oh boy, I'll tell you, you can
spend a lot of hours, can't you?
Speaker 2 (53:11):
I can, I it, just you can't.
This book writes itself, yeahright, yeah, yeah, it is.
Speaker 4 (53:16):
It's exciting to see where we're going to go now okay
, all right then, thankseverybody farewell catch you
soon.
Speaker 2 (53:22):
Thank you, and that's a wrap for hutcast.
Hutcast again.
A pragmatic approach to seeingthings how some people see them.
If you like our show, give us athumbs up on the Facebook site
Again for HuttCast.
Thank you again.
Have a wonderful evening, thankyou.
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