Dale Earnhardt Jr. liked Christian Koch's grandpa's no-sugar beef jerky so much he bought into the company. Grandpa never wanted to sell it, so Christian found the recipe in his mom's family cookbook and built the business himself, from a 12 tray dehydrator to 210 convenience stores.Christian chased music for 13 or 14 years before it ended. Getting USDA approved took 17 months, and his first food safety plan was a PowerPoint. At his first farmers market he brought 50 bags that took 3 weeks to make and sold out, and 9 out of 10 people who tried it bought it. When Dale talked it up on his podcast, close to 1,000 orders hit a guy who could make 25 bags a week. It took 3 or 4 months to fill them, and Christian called almost every customer himself.Then we got into what farm kids hear all the time: you had a head start. His dad, his brother and Dale are all partners, and Christian doesn't dodge it. He says the help is real and the goal is to turn around and help the next person start a business. We also got into why there's no work-life balance when you're building something, and what he learned from a dad who left Hollywood and never worked for anyone again.Also in this one: the new barn studio, why big jerky brands load the bag with sugar, the 90s comedy act with the same name and the call from their manager, pitching Dale when he barely looked at the numbers, a co-packer in Chattanooga, and new flavors with Grandpa this Thanksgiving."Don't be afraid to fail. You have to put yourself out there. If you don't, you'll never see that one win."What family recipe in your house should be for sale? Drop it in the comments and we read them.JOIN THE BARN TALK NEWSLETTER & GET LIVE EVENT ACCESS: We're on a mission to get 10,000 subscribers, and once we do, we're hosting a live event at the barn! Sign up to get exclusive access to tickets and details.👇🏻Help us get there: https://www.joinbarntalk.comTIMESTAMPS:SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST ➱ https://bit.ly/3a7r3nRSUBSCRIBE TO THIS'LL DO FARM ➱ https://bit.ly/2X8g45cLISTEN ON:SPOTIFY ➱ https://open.spotify.com/show/3icVr4KWq4eUDl7Oy60YMYAPPLE ➱ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/barn-talk/id1574395049FOLLOW BEHIND THE SCENES 👇🏻● Barn Talk Instagram ➱ https://www.instagram.com/barntalkshow● Barn Talk TikTok ➱ https://bit.ly/3qciekS● Sawyer's Instagram ➱ https://bit.ly/3BtX0n4● Tork's Instagram ➱ https://bit.ly/3LGZJxS● Sawyer's X ➱ https://x.com/SawyerWhisler● Tork's X ➱ https://x.com/TorkWhisler-------------------------------⚠NO FINANCIAL ADVICE / DISCLAIMER⚠Barn Talk is for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes only, with no warranty of accuracy or completeness. Nothing here is financial, investment, or trading advice, and none of it is specific to you. Do your own due diligence and consult a licensed professional before making any financial decision. Trading stocks, crypto, and NFTs carries real risk and is not suitable for everyone. You use this information at your own risk.#EP223Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices