Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Scott Brigham. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Scott, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

I’ve always had a passion for cooking. In recent years I taught myself to produce high end barbecue. Youtube was my main source of information. I had friends that would buy different meat products, and pay me to smoke them. One day I was sitting with a couple of them at one’s business. A food truck was operating in the parking lot across the street. As we watched and discussed, I commented that I would get a food truck one day, and sell barbecue. My friend Brock replied “you don’t have to wait until you get a food truck”. I instantly thought of Lisa, who was selling food under a canopy in a parking lot. We continued discussing the possibility, and I left determined to sell barbecue.

Scott, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’ve been associated with food service, off and on, my entire adult life. My first job was in 1983. I was a sandwich cook at a restaurant named Stanlieos, in Huntsville, Alabama. That same year I landed a second job at The Officer’s Club at Redstone Arsenal as a cook. These jobs gave me a start in food service, and began an interest in me for culinary arts. Over the next several years I made my way through the industry working fast food, short order, institutional, casual dining, and buffet. I have performed duties from dishwasher to kitchen supervisor. Though I strayed away from culinary careers in recent years, I continued to develop as an artist. Cooking at home allowed me to develop recipes as well as new skills. I focused mainly on smoked products, but I tried many different cuisines.

Deciding to go into business was a big step. The process was lengthy and exhaustive. But, it was very rewarding to complete. Being in business has been rewarding as well. Everything hasn’t been perfect. We’ve made mistakes and dealt with unreasonable people. This is to be expected. The vast majority of those we’ve served have loved us and welcome us back. I am encouraged by the love the community shows us. I feel a strong obligation to those who consume my products, but I receive a ton of inspiration from my patrons when I see the smiles and hear the kind words. I thrive on the happiness my food creates.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I had been through a couple of bad reviews. It’s part of business, not a huge deal. One guy saw someone pick up a call in order while he waited in line. He felt someone was being allowed to cut in front of him. Another lady complained that I didn’t have enough help. It was my very first event. I had no idea what to expect. I think one lady left a bad review because we weren’t using self-serve ordering. A road rager I hadn’t served left a bad review related to my driving. I understand how people can be. It never really discouraged me, though.

Then one day, we had two events. One was for full service, the other event was for food and delivery, only. We served the first event and I sent my assistant to deliver the other party. I continued to serve at the first event. She was an hour late. The host was livid. She enlisted a large group of people to leave bad reviews on my Facebook business page. I went from almost five stars to a low four stars. This incident caused all of the negative moments in business to be magnified. I forgot about all of the happiness and all the good things I was doing in others’ lives. I was seriously considering giving up. I didn’t talk to anyone about it. I already knew what each would say. My mind was on selling the business, but then I began to consider this failure. Maybe it was ego, but I don’t like to fail. It was at that time that I opened myself to the many options I have. I decided to keep the business, and keep striving. The reality is society is always changing. Being is business dictates that you deal with society. I decided to come up with creative ways to deal with the negative elements in society. But most importantly, I realized that the negative situations are surrounded with so many instances of happiness and love. So, the few frustrating instances that are sure to come are welcome. We can’t have sunshine everyday.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

I did not purchase my business all at once. It has been an on-going project. Initially, I used my savings and borrowed a small amount of capital to buy a catering package I found online. It was a great investment. I had equipment to cook almost anything. I sold some of the equipment to raise capital for other equipment I needed. I bought a canopy and started selling barbecue in a parking lot on a busy road. After a year of working the business full time I won a small lawsuit and used the money to buy a concession trailer, so I could go mobile.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://smokey-styles-bbq.square.site/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smokey_styles_bbq/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smokeystylesbbq

Image Credits

Scott Brigham