Hand Crafted Fire Roasted Hot Sauces

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Sean Dick, CO-Owner of Redbeards Hot Sauce, located in Huntington Beach, CA, USA.

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

Redbeards Hot Sauce is the makers of the #1 Louisiana Style Hot Sauce in the USA. Our focus is on flavor, not pain, hence our slogan "Flavorful not Painful" Our customers are pretty much any age or gender that likes hot sauces with great flavor.

Tell us about yourself

We are in our fourth year, and it all started when a good friend brought over a 5-pound bag of habanero peppers and said..."You like hot, do something with these." So into the smoker, they went. A smoked habanero pepper becomes a golden caramel ball of deliciousness, and it was immediately decided..."We are going to make hot sauce" I was raised on Louisiana-style sauces, and I came to notice that they either became very vinegary or very peppery, so Carolyn and I decided that we would focus on making a Louisiana-style sauce that would still have that aged cayenne pepper mash as a base, but it would also have layers and layers of flavor.

We have as much fun in the kitchen making the sauces as we do seeing the reaction from people when they try RedBeards for the first time and cannot believe that they can taste the pepper without that excruciating pain that most associate with some of the peppers we work with... like the habanero and Carolina Reaper, yes we make a Carolina Reaper/Habanero blend that tastes just like a reaper without burning your face off!

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

The fact that we have been able to self-fund and continue to roll the profit back into the company, this allows us to keep the price point down in an economy that is battling inflation. We are also able to go into the kitchen now and make over 1500 bottles per hour. That by itself is a major accomplishment since we started with a pitcher and a funnel.

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

The cost of ocean freight - with fuel costing so much, the cost of bringing in a sea container from Ukraine is over $14,000 just for the freight, and yes, we said product coming in from Ukraine. There is a little conflict going on over there right now.

Second is the cost of real estate and finding a landlord that will let you produce the product in their building. We have a fantastic commercial kitchen where we make our product called the Hood Kitchen Space, but they do not have the warehouse space that we need.

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

First, write everything down, get it out of your head and onto paper so you can review it, and sleep at night.

Second, controlled growth - you do not want to grow broke because someone wants to take you nationwide overnight. You have to make it happen and pay your suppliers on time and possibly workers, etc., and that could result in you factoring your money just to stay afloat.

Third, learn to listen. You may think you know everything or, let's say, a lot; there is always more to learn, so keep an open mind, listen, and learn something new every day...it will stimulate your mind and keep you inspired to be your best.

RedBeards is a project of love driven by the desire to be the best at what we do. That paid off last year when we were voted by the Scovie Awards as the #1 Louisiana Style Hot Sauce in the USA.

Do what you love, and you will never have a job; share that love with others, and you will grow into a very successful business. And finally, before you go into business, know how you want to get out of that business and how the exit can benefit you, your family, and those who work with you.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://getredbeards.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/getredbeards
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getredbeards/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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