Today we’d like to introduce you to Starr Edwards.
Hi Starr, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Bitchin’ Sauce was founded in 2010 with a recipe that I had tinkered with when I was a 16-year-old experimenting with a raw, vegan diet. The sauce was delicious and became a mainstay for family meals. When we hit hard times and were struggling to make ends meet, I decided to start my own personal chef business and took to the farmer’s markets to find clients. After the first market, it became evident that people LOVED the sauce – we sold out. Soon one market became 26 in Southern California. We kept testing the limits of how much we could sell, and we were constantly surprised at not having met the ceiling. At one market, we would sell as many as 2500 tubs. Then it rained. In San Diego. Unthinkable.
We began to contemplate indoor selling options and looked to our local grocers for guidance. Thankfully we found many mentors – from Cream of the Crop in Oceanside to Whole Foods, to Costco. We learned the industry, applied our own Bitchin’ standards, and grew! Now we are nationwide in over 12,000 stores.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Absolutely not! We struggled and continue to struggle with not knowing the road. It is never comfortable, but it is fun, exciting, and adventurous. Things I didn’t know: how to start a company, how to make a retail-ready product, how to dismantle a piston filler, how to scale production, how to manage employees, how to sell. This list is endless. I have been very grateful for the experience and the ability to forge our own path.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Aside from just making a tasty product, Bitchin’ Sauce is an authentic brand. Our origin story is serendipitous – we started out of necessity and met with success because we were willing to answer every opportunity presented to us. We held our ground when it came to quality and brand quirkiness and continue to have a creative approach to solving business problems. Being family-owned and operated, we have a uniquely domestic perspective.
One of my favorite things that we have done is form Bitchin’ Givin’. It began as onsite childcare but has progressed to include a robust Volunteer Time Off program that allows an employee to spend 4 paid hours per week giving their time to nonprofits in our community. Many companies shy away from non-mandated benefits, but these programs have a tremendous impact on productivity. Productivity feeds growth. In fact, Bitchin’ Sauce was recently recognized as one of the 50 Fastest Women-owned/Led companies by the Women Presidents Organization and JPMorgan Chase.
What were you like growing up?
I was feisty and ambitious. But I always loved people and wanted to be a part of the party. For some reason, I was adroitly aware of lack from a young age and always aspired to work. I started as the raffle girl at my brothers’ baseball games when I was around 9. When I turned 13, I was finally able to get a paper route. I started a work-study program and was employed full-time by 15, graduating high school at 16. I always wanted to be an artist but found to my dismay that I got better grades in math.
Contact Info:
- Website: Bitchinsauce.com
- Instagram: @bitchinsauce
- Facebook: Facebook.com/TheAlmondDip or @TheAlmondDip
Image Credits
Miller Hawkins
Starr Edwards
