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Beef jerky used to be simple. Meat, smoke, salt. Something you grabbed on a road trip or tossed in a hiking pack.
Somewhere along the way it became candy.
Nicole Schlesinger noticed. A lifelong jerky lover, she looked at a category full of overly sweet, overly processed products — all wrapped in the same hyper-masculine branding — and decided there was a better version waiting to be built. Strip Jerky is it. We sat down with Nicole to talk about a year of content before a single bag shipped, why repeat customers are the only milestone that matters, and how the jerky aisle is about to look a lot like the beef stick aisle did five years ago.
The Product and Audience: What is Strip Jerky and who is it for?
Strip Jerky makes traditional, clean hickory smoked beef jerky using minimal ingredients. We replace refined sugar with honey and use large cuts of inside round beef for better texture and quality. This is for people who love jerky but are tired of the overly sweet, overly processed versions that feel more like candy. It is a cleaner, more thoughtful option for anyone who still wants a great snack.
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The Spark: When did you launch, and what made you say "I need to build this"?
I have always loved beef jerky, but I hated how strong and overpowering the smell can be when you open a bag. It always felt a little obnoxious. At the same time, the branding in the category felt very one-dimensional — very hyper masculine and clearly targeted toward one type of customer. It felt like there was room to build something better. A product that tastes great, feels cleaner, and is more approachable to a wider audience.
The Launch: When did you launch and how did you build momentum before it?
I officially launched on February 1st of this year. But for a full year before that, I was building an audience — posting consistently on Instagram and TikTok, sharing what I was making in culinary school, and documenting the process. So by the time I launched, people were already paying attention.
The First 100: How did you find your first customers?
It started with people close to me — friends, family, and other CPG founders who already loved jerky. But I also made it a point to tell everyone I met what I was building. That early momentum came from simply putting it out there and getting people curious enough to try it.
The Advice: What would you tell a first-time founder in their first 90 days?
Do not rush, and do not spend money on things you do not actually need. There are so many tools available now, especially AI, that can help you figure things out before you commit financially. You will get a lot of inbound messages from people trying to sell services. Most of it is not necessary early on. Take your time and do your research.
The Reality Check: What is the hardest part of this journey that people don't see on social media?
How expensive everything is. Trade shows, events, marketing, Amazon ads, partnerships. It adds up fast. It is something I definitely underestimated going in, and it is one of the biggest challenges behind the scenes.
The Milestone: What has been your biggest "we made it" moment so far?
Repeat customers. Seeing people come back and order again and again. Watching stores consistently sell out. Getting into a store is one thing. But having the product actually move off the shelf is something completely different. When customers start asking for your product by name, that is when it really clicks.
The AI Trend: How have you used AI to help your business grow?
AI has played a big role for me, especially early on. I used tools like ChatGPT and Claude to figure out where to even start — everything from licenses to production. It helped me realize quickly that I was not going to manufacture the product myself and that working with a private label copacker was the right move. Without AI, that learning curve would have taken much longer.
The Horizon: What should we be excited to see from Strip Jerky in the next six months?
A lot is happening. We are switching to grass-fed, grass-finished beef, launching a new flavor, and adjusting pack size for better pricing. We will also be at the Summer Fancy Food Show and expanding into larger retailers.
The Recommendations: What are your favorite under-the-radar brands right now?
CPG: Lav
Tech: Disney+
Gear: Salomon Sneakers
The Shop: Where can readers find Strip Jerky?
You can find us in 23 stores nationwide, with a store locator available at stripjerky.com.
The Connection: Where is the best place to follow along?
Callahan's Take
How awesome of a name is Strip Jerky?! The branding and word play that you can do with that name is a 10 out of 10. Branding is key, but as we've discussed, solid branding is table stakes in today's consumer brand environment.
Nicole is a fantastic founder. I discovered her through her content on TikTok where she has a small, but very loyal and engaged audience. In CPG, building an early audience is critical to success and Nicole is a great example of how to do it the right way. A full year of content before the product even launched. By the time she was ready to sell, people were already paying attention.
Now let's get into the beef jerky market for a second because Nicole is onto something here. She's right that jerky has always been a hyper masculine category. I actually laughed out loud when I first heard that because it was so glaringly obvious, but I had never thought of it before. 99 out of 100 consumers will think Jack Link's when they hear beef jerky. But a huge portion of those consumers don't actually see themselves in that brand. Jack Link's has owned that positioning for years and built a massive business doing it. But that same positioning leaves a huge chunk of the market completely ignored. And Jack Link's isn't exactly set up to ride the better-for-you wave that's reshaping the snack aisle right now.
We've already seen this play out in beef sticks. Chomps, Archer, and MTN OPS came in with cleaner ingredients and a different brand approach and absolutely ran with it. Jack Link's has been playing catch up ever since. The Mr. Beast partnership was a big swing. But it didn't fix the core problem.
Jerky feels like the next frontier for that same disruption. The opportunity is wide open for a brand like Strip Jerky to own the cleaner, more approachable side of the jerky aisle. Nicole might be the one to do it.
Available in 23 stores nationwide and at stripjerky.com.
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