Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryan Stevenson

Hi Ryan, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.

In 2013 when Ryan and Nicole were starting their lives out together Ryan was given a promotion at work. Ryan decided he was going to grill up some steaks to celebrate. Not having any money to spare, due to Ryan’s recent diabetes diagnosis, and just moving into a new place together, Nicole told Ryan he had to mix up seasonings they had in the cabinet. There wasn’t any extra money to buy more seasonings. Ryan reluctantly agreed, and he started mixing up a delicious blend.

The very best steak seasoning they had ever tasted.

Ryan made extra of this blend, and they would only use it for special occasions for the next 7 years. He kept this “secret recipe” a secret from Nicole all these years until they went into business together.

Throughout the years Ryan loved mixing his own recipes and it became a passion of his. With some downtime during covid in 2020 Nicole told Ryan he should sell his seasonings; Ryan was unsure about the idea.

For Ryan’s birthday, Nicole bought him a business license, and Shore Smoke was born. Samples were handed out to their community to narrow down the top blends and to gain honest feedback from their community.

What we thought would be a little hobby, turned into a full-time business overnight. As we all found ourselves forced to eat at home because of the pandemic there was a greater need for something different, something tasty.

Ryan lost his job due to covid and never looked back. It was now or never, chase your dreams or watch them pass you by. It was only the beginning of greater things to come. With hope, a dream, an idea, a plan, and a lot of passion and dedication today Shore Smoke has over 60 recipes and 10 blends currently in production. Shore Smoke is vastly growing and is now in almost 30 states and over 300 retailers nationwide.

Are you wondering what that first delicious seasoning blend was? It’s Game Day!

Game Day was the first seasoning Ryan ever made and today it’s one of Shore Smoke’s top sellers and one of our award-winning blends.

The hope for Shore Smoke’s future is to become a household name for generations to enjoy.

We wouldn’t be here today without our loyal customers; family & friends and we truly do appreciate all of your support.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?

It has been anything but a smooth road for us but that goes for any small business looking to grow. We learned early on that it’s like a roller coaster and you’ll need to keep your emotions in check. One day you could think to yourself that nothing will ever go right and it is time to go back to getting a normal 9-5 job and then the next day you’re on top of the world,

We have dealt with so many struggles from trademark issues leading to a name change early on in our existence. Having to rebrand your entire company a year after getting started was such a knockdown but Nicole and I knew we wanted to make this work so we started from scratch again.

Missed deadlines for products, labels, and other aspects of the business can always keep you scrambling. Learning how to process the challenges and talk through them instead of immediately thinking worst case scenario is a skill that takes a long time to master but when you do you will watch your growth soar.

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?

In 2013 when Ryan and Nicole were starting their lives out together Ryan was given a promotion at work. Ryan decided he was going to grill up some steaks to celebrate. Not having any money to spare, due to Ryan’s recent diabetes diagnosis, and just moving into a new place together, Nicole told Ryan he had to mix up seasonings they had in the cabinet. There wasn’t any extra money to buy more seasonings. Ryan reluctantly agreed, and he started mixing up a delicious blend.

The very best steak seasoning they had ever tasted.

Ryan made extra of this blend, and they would only use it for special occasions for the next 7 years. He kept this “secret recipe” a secret from Nicole all these years until they went into business together.

Throughout the years Ryan loved mixing his own recipes and it became a passion of his. With some downtime during covid in 2020 Nicole told Ryan he should sell his seasonings; Ryan was unsure about the idea.

For Ryan’s birthday, Nicole bought him a business license, and Shore Smoke was born. Samples were handed out to their community to narrow down the top blends and to gain honest feedback from their community.

What we thought would be a little hobby, turned into a full-time business overnight. As we all found ourselves forced to eat at home because of the pandemic there was a greater need for something different, something tasty.

Ryan lost his job due to covid and never looked back. It was now or never, chase your dreams or watch them pass you by. It was only the beginning of greater things to come. With hope, a dream, an idea, a plan, and a lot of passion and dedication today Shore Smoke has over 60 recipes and 10 blends currently in production. Shore Smoke is vastly growing into retail locations in the US.

Are you wondering what that first delicious seasoning blend was? It’s Game Day!

Game Day was the first seasoning Ryan ever made and today it’s one of Shore Smoke’s top sellers and one of our award-winning blends.

The hope for Shore Smoke’s future is to become a household name for generations to enjoy.

We wouldn’t be here today without our loyal customers; family & friends and we truly do appreciate all of your support.

How do you think about luck?

Sometimes in life, the phrase “I’d rather be lucky than good” goes perfectly in the world of business. We have been fortunate and lucky enough for certain people to come into our lives at the right moments and help give Shore Smoke an extra push. Another phrase is “You have to make your own luck” and that’s one thing we have always believed in. If you work hard good things will happen and the key is to take as much of the luck out of it and replace it with hard work.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.shoresmokeseasonings.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Shoresmokeseasonings

Image Credits
Nicole Stevenson
Paul Seibert
Gina Seibert
Ryan Abey
Jeff Parkhurst
Stephanie Parkhurst
David Watkins