We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sara Bianchetti a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Sara, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Early in your career, how did you think through the decision of whether to start your own firm or join an established firm?
After college, I worked in sales at a home remodeling and design website. After a couple years of working there, my brother presented the idea of me joining the family business. While I was never pressured to join the company, I was excited to embark on a new endeavor – one with my family as 4th generation jerky purveyor.
Sara, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
We are People’s Choice Beef Jerky, since 1929. We bring the old school to the new school. Our jerky is handcrafted in a family tradition that spans four generations and 90+ years in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles. A tradition built on quality ingredients and a handmade process that delivers a better-quality, better-tasting, better-for-you jerky. This is not a trendy snack concocted for product benefits instead of flavor. This is real food, made by real people. Small batch, artisan-quality beef jerky delivered direct to your door.
I first joined the business around the same age my father joined the company (over 45+ years for him) with the goal of continuing to grow the business like he did before me. I feel very lucky and grateful to have the opportunity to share our story and continue preserving a family legacy bigger than myself. The biggest thing that motivates me each day is seeing how we can take the business to the next level and what better way to share that opportunity than alongside the people I love most – my family. My brother and I are currently 4th generation and work alongside our father (3rd generation) and mother.
I think one of the biggest accomplishments working at the family business is continuing to evolve and grow the business as time goes on. It’s important for me as I carry on the legacy of the business to make sure we’re continuing to innovate, stay relevant, and produce a quality product that customers truly love and enjoy.
We also pride ourselves on the relationship with our customers. We believe in the Golden Rule and treat every customer with respect and as if they were family. We’ve had customers that still talk about my grandfather when he was around so it means the world when we can continue making a snack that holds such a nostalgic meaning.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
I think at the end of the day it comes down to creating a quality product that’s unlike anything else on the market. We use simple ingredients and a handmade process that yields a texture, flavor and jerky snacking experience like no other. A lot has changed since 1929, how we make jerky has not. We’ve retained the handmade element in each step of our process as of way of preserving tradition, remembering our history, and ensuring the highest quality product. Simply put, things are done better by hand and that’s what our customers have learned to appreciate and expect from us. And ultimately keep them coming back for more!
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
The most effective strategy for growing our clientele has been diversifying our products while also nurturing our existing customer base. One of our goals is to offer a jerky for everyone. We make a wide range of products differing in texture, cut, and ingredients – ready for any palate, preference or dietary need. This has allowed us to reach a broader audience. Additionally, by retaining and nurturing our current customers this has help to spread the word. Happy customers are more willing and able to tell friends and family about us in turn helping us reach a broader audience.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://peopleschoicebeefjerky.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pcbeefjerky/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PeoplesChoiceBeefJerky/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/peoples-choice-beef-jerky/mycompany/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/PCBeefJerky
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@peopleschoicebeefjerky1846
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/peoples-choice-beef-jerky-los-angeles
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@pcbeefjerky