We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Charlynda Scales a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Charlynda, thanks for joining us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

My grandfather, Charlie “Mutt” Ferrell, passed away from cancer shortly after my college graduation. He was the first person to salute me when I commissioned in the Air Force. Eight years later, I was active duty, stationed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. There was a sauce that my grandfather had made that had been a main staple in my family since 1956. Since he passed away, no one had ever had it, because no one knew how to make it. It dawned on me that it might be gone forever; I called my mother to lament about it. ‘I’d been meaning to tell you something,’ my mother sighed on the phone. ‘Your grandfather asked me to give you something before he passed away.’ When I saw my mother again, she handed it to me — an envelope containing a single piece of paper.

It was the only written copy of that recipe, which he had kept in his wallet.
I asked, ‘Mom, what did he tell me I had to do to get this recipe?’ … ‘Nothing. He just gave it to you,” said Scales. “Call it cliché, but I dreamt of walking into the little country store that sat on top of the hill where we lived. In the dream, there was nothing in the store except bottles of sauce. On every shelf. With his face on it. I woke up, opened my laptop, and searched the Internet on free mentorship.
Scales found herself at an organization called SCORE where she told them she wanted to make this sauce for friends and family. They encouraged me to start a business, because you never know where the path will lead but you want to start with a good foundation. I didn’t know squat about the food industry, let alone sauce. I humbled myself and resigned to learn everything from scratch,” said Scales. “My first appointment, I met my mentor. John Soutar is maybe a couple years younger than my grandfather, if he were alive. John smiled and exclaimed that the checklist I need to do is how to make and sell a tomato-based food product. ‘Just do step one. File your business license and we will move at the speed of determination.’ That speed is as fast you’re determined to make it happen. Four months later, we had our first production day.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

Our sauce is symbolic of a greater mission- to bring American families together. Especially now, the more we can focus on what unites us, the stronger we will be as a country. Food is universal and you can build lasting good memories.

Our flavors are Original, Sweet N Spicy, Ghost Pepper, and Gluten Free. Once or twice a year we release a limited edition flavor, Bourbon, that is a collaboration with the local distillery, Dayton Barrel Works (yep, it’s made with real bourbon).

Original: No heat, very kid friendly. Best suited for smothering on broccoli or as a replacement/upgrade to the ketchup in your fridge or a sweet and tangy salad dressing.

Sweet N Spicy: Here’s the secret (it’s my grandpa’s original recipe!). It’s our clear bestseller too. Use this one as a marinade. Many of our customers (aka Mutt’s Sauce family members) use this one as taco sauce or steak sauce.

Ghost Pepper: We made this one from customer requests. It’s not the ‘sacrifice yourself’ level of heat that some are prepared for. It’s the same sweet and tangy Mutt’s Sauce, but gradually heats up on the end. Great for wings and also seafood!

Gluten Free Original: Part of the unique twang of Mutt’s Sauce is our use of soy sauce. We learned that people with celiac can’t eat it because it contains wheat. We replaced the soy sauce with Tamari sauce (no wheat) so they can enjoy them too.

The entire line is also vegan-friendly! The goal is to take the guesswork out of cooking and to bring the family together at the dinner table.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

When I started Mutt’s Sauce, I bootstrapped the company, using funds I was saving to buy myself a new car. During the nascent stages of my company, I was not thinking about my return on investment, and after receiving earnings, one of my earliest purchases were one thousand custom writing pens. I don’t know why I thought the pens would help my business, but I cringe at the thought of wasting money on things that did not yield a return. One of my mentors asked me how much sauce I sold by handing out pens. “People need to taste and believe,” my mentor said. “A customized pen doesn’t make me want to buy sauce.” It was an expensive lesson. I have one pen left, and I keep it on my desk to remind me to make smart financial decisions.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I’ve lost count. I make a point to stay uncomfortable because that’s how you break out of the mold and grow as a person and entrepreneur. Divorce sucked, but it was also good for me. I’ve had countless times where I had a zero or negative bank account. The rock bottom moments helped build the person and company people admire today.

3-5 Takeaways…

1. Stay humble. Besides my faith, I’m humbled by the simple fact that the genius behind Mutt’s Sauce came from my grandfather’s mind, not mine. I’m just the messenger.
2. Embrace mentorship. I LOVE mentors and mentoring. I’ve been blessed with some great ones in this short time.
3. Be gracious and take care of your people. Thank people when they help you, especially your team.
4. If you’re not good with finances (or organized) find someone who is. Quickly.
5. Know your job. I used to love celebrity gossip sites/magazines. (I still do) Now, I find myself reading mostly INC, Entrepreneur, Black Enterprise, Fortune, Money… I go to Barnes & Noble and get a stack of business books and read them on Saturday afternoons instead of mani-pedis. It’s funny, but you need to feed your brain with information that will feed into the success of your business.
6. Embrace failure and rejection. Not everyone likes Mutt’s Sauce, but with every no.. there are 3 yes’s. Take the lessons learned and keep pushing.
7. Don’t forget to ‘get a life’. In your pursuit, don’t forget to take care of yourself. Date night, hang with the kids, an occasional mani-pedi…don’t neglect the things that keep you going in the long run!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.muttssauce.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/muttssauce
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/muttssauce
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlyndascales/
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/muttssauce

Image Credits
Charlynda Scales