We were lucky to catch up with Clark Davis recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Clark, thanks for joining us today. What sort of legacy are you hoping to build. What do you think people will say about you after you are gone, what do you hope to be remembered for?

There’s a few things on my list. I’d like to build generational wealth. People get rich everyday and lose it all the day the next. I want my great-great grandchildren to never worry about working paycheck to paycheck or paying one bill off and putting off another.

I want my business to be known as an outfit that started with next to nothing, paid for out of my own pocket, with the rule in mind that no one should have to pay sit down dinner prices for a tasty and healthy snack.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am a beef jerky and vegan snack producer and seller. I got my start like a lot of people that were losing hours at work due to Covid. I had made beef jerky since I was 12 and figured selling it might be a good way to help make ends meet as those paychecks were getting smaller. So I tested out a few of my recipes on coworkers and friends, did the numbers for pricing compared to large brands, and started pushing sales on social media. I did my first pop-up market at Shady Acres Saloon in April of 2021 and have been rapidly expanding since to city events, festivals, multiple retailers carrying my products and even shipping internationally.

What sets me apart is the type and quality of beef cuts I use for my jerky in 10 different flavors, the vegan snacks I offer, and the personal touch you get buying from a one-man operation. The majority of my jerky is made from inside skirt steak, a high fat cut used mainly for fajitas. The benefit of this is the fat soaks up and holds the flavor of my marinades where every bite is as good as the first.

I’m most proud of my 10-Day Butter-Aged Rosemary jerky as though it takes a full two weeks to make, with pre-orders, I cannot keep it in stock. Using 2.5lbs of clarified salted butter and an herb blend, I pour the hot mixture over the jerky, seal it off, and refrigerate it for 10 days. On day 11, I break the aged meat out of the butter cake and cook it for two full days before bagging it. It has an exceptionally soft texture for dried meat, a very herbal flavor and aroma, paired with a buttery creaminess that is marbled into each bite.

I want my customers and potential retailers to know that when you work hard for your money and you deserve a good snack. You’re above eating cheaply processed mystery meat that has minimal flavor and unremarkable texture. Your tastebuds deserve better and I’m gonna do my best to give you just that.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I started by being as outlandish as possible, particularly with memes on FB and IG. As a big pop-culture nut, I took any idea I had to integrate my humor and my jerky into a popular iconic intellectual property like movie posters, scenes from films or TV shows, art, or album covers as memes. To make sure I wasn’t using too much inside humor or something too inflammatory or problematic, I would run my posts and memes through a circle of close friends and family with varied backgrounds to make sure that the post drew people’s attention to my products and kept them chuckling to themselves.

Keeping things where it’s just been me in control of my social media also reinforced that when my customers have questions or wish to make an order, they are talking directly to me. Obviously I’m working on getting a website built so the ordering process is far faster and efficient but people seems to appreciate that personal touch that comes with direct and transparent communication with the owner/operator.

The best advice I can give for establishing your brand on social media is to be just as you are doing business in person: be upfront, be yourself, and make the impression that’s gonna keep people coming back to see and engage more.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

Persistent presence. When I started, I didn’t know everything I know now about demographics, up-selling, or social media. I took on any pop-up event I could find, sometimes 3-5 a week. Any bar, brewery, Farmer’s Market, or festival, I was gonna be there if I could. I took that same strategy on social media with multiple posts a day, tagging venues that I wanted to become retailers for me, and drawing attention to businesses that were already carrying my products. I wanted to make my products known so that when people tried it, they told their friends, they brought it to events and people would ask where they got it. I wanted and still do to be the brand people think of when they want a healthy and tasty snack at a great value and to do that, you have to draw attention to yourself by being persistently present.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @clarks_jerky
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100067793670330&mibextid=ZbWKwL