Exclusive Insider Chat: Jay Blunt Shares the Spicy Journey of Founding Smok'N Blunt Sauce

Welcome to our latest edition of Founders Q&A, where we sit down with inspiring entrepreneurs to delve into their start-up journey and gain insights into their entrepreneurial mindset. Today, we meet Jay Blunt, the foodie and sauce enthusiast behind Smok’n Blunt Sauce, a company dedicated to overturning the "heat vs flavor" dilemma with their additive-free, flavor-forward hot sauces.

Q: Can you tell us about your personal background and how it led you to founding your startup?

A: I have always been a foodie and a sauce fan. The kitchen is my dojo, my place of zen, skills learned from my grandmother have had a major impact. My grandmother is probably my biggest influence in the kitchen she taught me to experiment with flavors and develop my palette. It was almost inevitable I would end up in the food industry.

Q: What problem does your startup solve and how did you identify it?

A: The problem I feel Smok'N Blunt Sauce solves is the flavor Vs heat issue. What we hear most from our customers is the appreciation they have for flavor. Most hot sauces pack tons of heat and little to no flavor. Which ruins the meal . On top of unhealthy additives. We make our sauces flavor forward, while you will still feel the heat it will be more of a perfect marriage than a blow out of your meal and palette. Also our sauces are made with no additives and natural ingredients. We have been able to create sauces that are Vegan, vegetarian, keto, low calorie, low fat, low to no sugar and or sodium, in short we have created the most flavorful heathy hot sauce you can’t wait to taste.

Q: How did the idea of your startup first come about?

A: Smok'N Blunt Sauce was born out of the lack of sauce. One evening during dinner we ran out of the “household go to” at the time. So I decided to try my hand at making my own. Our daughter did the first taste test and her first response was, “you should be selling this!”. Jokingly the Name Smok'N Blunt Sauce was tossed out. It stuck, I made a post again jokingly asking if anyone wanted to buy what is now known as OG or Original Blunt Sauce. We literally had people saying yes til 2am. That was day one and we have not looked back since

Q: What is your startup's mission and how does it drive your daily operations?

A: Our mission is to deliver high quality products that will leave a lasting impact on the world for generations to come. This drives us because it forces us to be better every day then we were the day before. It allows us to stay focused and fresh eyed when it comes to product development and community engagement.

Q: Can you share the story of how you gathered your founding team?

A: Our Founding team story is very simple short and sweet. My founding team is my family. Literally My wife and our children. Every ounce of success is due to them and God. Without them, their support and dedication Smok'N Blunt Sauce would not be what it is now.

Q: How did you go about securing initial funding for your startup?

A: We actually boot strapped our business. A literal started from the bottom story.

Q: What were some major obstacles faced during the early stages of your startup, and how did you overcome them?

A: I think The biggest obstacle we faced in the early stages were funding and brand recognition. Funding of course coming directly out of pocket made for tight moments but we always pulled through. As far as brand recognition goes, this was the bigger hurdle. Here we are stepping into a business with no real recognition at all, So building the brand and a loyal fan base was major. Make or break. As we say it only takes one taste to decide if you want a second.

Q: Can you tell us about a time you failed and what you learned from it?

A: When I had the opportunity to collaborate with a venue to make an event possible. But due to low funding and me not wanting to tax or pull from my support system I missed a big opportunity for not just myself but the brand as a whole and I feel that was a failure because that let the entire team down. I have and am learning to lean on my team and what they bring to the table.

Q: How does your startup stand out from competitors in your industry?

A: We stand out simply off flavor, Price point, and customer service. We are the best sauces in Va!

Q: What has been the most rewarding part of being a founder so far?

A: The overwhelming amount of support. So many people are in our corner and it feels great to continue to deliver and make our supporters proud day in and day out.

Q: Can you describe a typical day in your life as a founder?

A: Most days are filled with promo and visual production, Responding to customers via social media or email. I spend lots of time researching the hot sauce industry and various new possible products. Lastly it consists of a lot of networking. It takes time to grow connections and develop lasting relationships.

Q: How do you stay motivated during challenging times?

A: The one thing that motivates me and has motivated me from day one. My family. I want to leave a legacy behind my family can be proud of. I get up every day knowing that I am not and will not be perfect but if my family is proud of me that is all the motivation I need. My goal is to create wealth that will sustain my family from generation to generation.

Q: What is the best piece of advice you received and who was it from?

A: Trust the process! I received this advice from God. I spend lots of time in prayer and “trust the process” is the phrase I hear daily when praying. No matter what it looks like trust the process. Made a wrong choice trust the process. Feeling stuck trust the process

Q: How do you manage work-life balance, especially during intense periods of work?

A: I try to keep a handle on work life balance. The way I do that is I stick to my working hours for the most part. I do have times where I may go out of my normal slotted work hours but I prioritize rest. So without rest I am not as effective or focused. so to keep my balance in tack I try not to work more than 10 hour days.

Q: What does success look like for your startup, and how do you measure it?

A: To me success looks like continued brand growth. It looks like multiple locations, a booming sauce company.

Q: How do you encourage a culture of innovation within your team?

A: We are always open to new ideas and creativity. That is a big part of what we are built on so when out team has ideas no matter how big or small all are taken serious. The smallest thing could turn out to be the next big thing. We encourage innovation, creativity, and passion.

Q: Could you share any pivots your startup had to make and the reasons behind it?

A: The only pivots I feel like we have made have been with sauce selections. We have, through trial and error, had a few sauces that did not make the cut. We had to pull back and redirect with the change in product roll out

Q: How have you leveraged technology to grow and improve your startup?

A: Not as much as I believe we could or should.

Q: What is one thing you wish you knew before starting your business?

A: The amount of time that goes into a start up. We complain at a 9-5 job but when its your own, your baby, you nurture it different. So those late nights and early mornings hang around . No regrets just wish I had better prepared mentally for the journey

Q: Can you discuss a time where customer feedback directly influenced a decision or direction for your startup?

A: Customer feed back is major for us. Its the customer who decides what direction the SBS train runs. We have customers give and leave feed back on a regular basis to evaluate what is working, what the people want, and/or are asking for. One single customer asking about a product may not move us but multiple customers shows the direction of the market and we try to find that sweet spot in between

Q: How do you see your startup evolving in the next 5 years?

A: Within the next five years I see us in multiple locations, possibly a restaurant, and investment into other streams of income.

Q: How have you adapted your startup to changes in the market, especially during crises?

A: Our biggest adaptation came in with the later days of covid. As the world stood still things were becoming harder to get. So we had to, in turn, find alternate packaging fulfillment. It turned out to be a blessing. As our packaging now has a much more professional look.

Q: What advice would you give to someone considering starting their own business?

A: Do it! Dont hesitate. Don’t let anyone talk you out of your dream. Everything and anything is obtainable.