Today we’d like to introduce you to Jake Stein.
Hi Jake, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Grew up on the east coast – NJ/Philly area. Spent lots of time outdoors, playing sports, fishing, camping, traveling. Big foodie but I’ve always had a talent for making hand-crafted beef jerky. During COVID, colleagues, friends and family all requested my homemade batches of jerky and insisted on paying me $60/lb – nearly 2x the market rate. Decided to officially launch a business and see what happened. Did about $100k in sales during first 14 months. Demand skyrocketed and we realized hey we’ve got something really special here….a genuine category (dried meat snacks) disrupter.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Initially, juggling my full-time Director role at Dell Technologies, quality time with my family, and a rapidly growing business was incredibly challenging. Even after hiring staff, I was still putting in 75+ hour weeks – which was simply not sustainable. I left Dell in Feb ’25 and never looked back. Watching TKO explode in popularity and the huge following we’ve built right here in Austin, TX has been super rewarding.
As you know, we’re big fans of TKO Jerky . For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
We specialize in premium hand-crafted beef jerky. All natural / preservative free. Our jerky is made with top of the line Angus beef and has a signature strip cut style similar to french fries. Our core lineup features Mild, Hot, and Lord Have Mercy spice levels with Applewood, Hickory, or Mesquite wood smoke pairing options. Late last year, we launched a Lemon Pepper Garlic flavor and a Japanese BBQ flavor which have been doing phenomenal.
One of our defining moments occurred back in Aug ’23…. a friend introduced me to the Buc-ee’s leadership team and we sent them off 3 lbs of samples to see what they thought. They emailed us back immediately and invited us to join their upcoming RFQ. I knew right then and there that our quality and flavor profile was differentiated enough to compete with the established jerky brands on the market.
Our second major milestone was securing a 3 yr partnership deal with minor league baseball. We have an in principle agreement underway with one of the top organizations in the league and will be integrating our fresh premium jerky into stadium concession stands here in TX in the near future.
Lastly, I have a bit of a boxing background so the brand name and slogan is not manufactured or accidental. TKO Jerky is absolutely an extension of me. Our tagline is Knockout Flavor and we’ve racked up a bunch of international Jerky Awards to back that up which is extremely gratifying.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Risk-taking. Decision making. Execution speed. Ability to pivot. Authenticity. Bringing superstars along the journey with you. Deeply understanding our amazing customers and their needs/wants. Involving my two sons Cameron (age 10) and Luke (age 9) in the business has been an unexpected treat. They inspire me to push to new heights, break more revenue records, and to honestly strive to give them a masterclass on entrepreneurship each and every day.
Pricing:
- 2 oz bags start at $7.50/bag (before tax & shipping)
- 4 oz bags start at $15/bag (before tax & shipping)
- Holiday Gift Boxes range from $70-$100
Contact Info:
- Website: https://tkojerky.com
- Instagram: TKO_Jerky
- Facebook: TKO Jerky
