Beef Jerky Isn’t Just for the Bro’s Anymore
Beef jerky has long been a category dominated by rugged branding, masculine imagery, and an aisle full of nearly identical products. But the Strip Jerky founder, Nicole Schlesinger, set out to challenge that entire experience.
What began as a daily craving and a few too many complaints from coworkers about the smell eventually turned into a culinary obsession and a brand built to rethink jerky from the ground up. The brand is redefining what jerky can look like, taste like, and feel like. With cleaner ingredients, modern branding, and a mission to make the category more inclusive, Strip Jerky is bringing a fresh perspective to a surprisingly stagnant space.
Take a read!
Q: Tell us who you are, what your brand is, and what made you want to start a beverage brand?
I’ve always been a huge beef jerky fan, honestly, I used to eat it every single day. When I worked as a receptionist, it was my go-to snack. I’m definitely more of a savory person, so I would constantly buy huge bags of jerky and stop at gas stations just to check out the craft jerky section.
But there was always one big issue: the smell. One day, a coworker was genuinely grossed out by it, and she wasn’t the first person to complain. It made me realize jerky isn’t exactly a socially friendly snack, especially in tight spaces like airplanes or offices. That idea stuck in the back of my mind for a long time.
Eventually, I decided corporate life wasn’t for me and went to culinary school. Being surrounded by creative, inspiring people and cooking every day changed everything for me. During that time, I was completely hyper-fixated on beef jerky. I started experimenting at home, bringing batches for classmates to try, and refining recipes over and over until I landed on something I loved: jerky that stayed tender and flavorful, without a lingering smell.
Once I knew I had the right product, I researched co-packers, began working on branding, and decided to go all in. I started by selling to friends and family, then posting online, and the brand began growing quickly. After doing a pop-up at a local store and selling out fast, I realized there was a real demand for clean, high-quality, non-smelly jerky.
That’s when Strip Jerky officially became a company.
Q: You mentioned the strong smell was the first issue you wanted to solve. What else did you feel needed to change about the jerky category?
The smell was the immediate problem, but the deeper issue was the entire experience of the category.
Jerky branding has always felt extremely male-centered, with cows, bulls, and masculine imagery. I never understood why a food category needed to be gendered. Why couldn’t jerky be cute, elevated, or design-forward? I’d seen some cool local craft brands, but nothing that visually competed with the big players in grocery aisles, especially not traditional jerky.
I also didn’t want to start a company just to start one. It’s incredibly expensive, and if I were going to invest this much time and money, I would need to genuinely solve a problem.
I wanted better texture, cleaner ingredients, and branding that felt modern and welcoming. Nobody wants to stare at an animal while eating meat, it’s implied. When I looked at the jerky aisle and saw every package covered in animals, I realized there was a huge opportunity to rethink how the product is presented.
Brands like Fishwife really inspired me. They took something people weren’t excited about and made it aspirational and desirable. I wanted to do that for jerky.
Q: Who is Strip Jerky for?
I like to describe it as “Hot Girl Beef Jerky.”
The brand is inclusive, and anyone can enjoy it, but I especially wanted women to feel comfortable buying jerky. Women are our primary consumers, even though the branding is welcoming to everyone.
The reaction has been strong because people feel like the category finally speaks to them.
Q: What challenges have you faced so far?
Margins are one of the biggest challenges. Sourcing high-quality U.S. beef is expensive. If you go to the grocery store and buy a premium steak, you expect to pay more, and jerky is essentially half a steak in a bag.
Communicating that value to customers is something I’m still learning. Higher-quality sourcing means a higher price point, and educating consumers on that without losing accessibility is an ongoing challenge.
I also strongly believe many health issues today come from poor ingredient sourcing, so quality is something I refuse to compromise on.
Q: What has it been like navigating entrepreneurship as a new founder? Specifically marketing.
Every day is a learning curve.
Right now, I’m focused on organic growth because I’m not in a position to heavily invest in paid marketing yet. I do see higher engagement when I’m on camera, but I don’t necessarily want Strip Jerky to feel overly DIY or founder-centric, since I’m building a more elevated brand.
My goal is to be recognized in-store more than being known as a social-first brand. I want people to discover us naturally.
We have pop-ups and influencer collaborations coming up, but overall, my strategy is simple: dominate one store at a time. I reach out to a new retailer every single day.
Marketing is honestly the hardest part, and I’m very intentional about not burning through cash too quickly.
Q: Many emerging brands chase venture capital early. Why are you choosing not to?
My co-founder works in venture capital, so I’ve had a lot of insight into how investors actually think. We’ve already had VC firms reach out, but we just launched this year. The brand isn’t valuable enough yet to justify raising.
If retailers come knocking and you don’t have the infrastructure or funding to support demand, it can become a nightmare. Right now, my focus is on building a strong customer base and brand awareness first.
I’ve listened to founders like Allison Ellsworth, founder of Poppi, talk about the importance of community, and that really resonates with me. I’ve seen too many founders raise too quickly and struggle afterward.
When we eventually pursue funding, I want us to truly be ready.
Q: You’ve mentioned wanting to dominate the tri-state area first. Are you more retail-first than DTC?
Yes, very intentionally.
I haven’t prioritized Amazon because it’s expensive, and before scaling DTC, I want to build trust in physical retail. Jerky is an impulse purchase; most people aren’t searching for jerky online. They discover it in stores.
Being stocked in retailers creates credibility. Customers trust products they see on shelves, and discovery feels more organic that way.
Q: How did you find your designer and develop the brand identity?
I actually started by searching for logo designers on Etsy. I found someone, shared my vision, received three concepts, and then never heard from them again.
After that, I worked with multiple designers before finding the right illustrator. I knew illustrations were essential and that I wanted a character to anchor the brand identity. I found an amazing website designer, Playhouse and learned how to write the copy on my own.
I am very anti-AI slob. I wanted the brand to feel handcrafted and intentional, so I researched brands I loved, found their designers through Instagram, and reached out directly.
Q: What communities or resources have been most valuable as a CPG founder?
Honestly, I’m not part of any formal communities or paid courses.
I learn by watching what brands I admire are doing. If a founder posts about getting into a store, I reach out to that store myself. You don’t need expensive programs; you just need to do the work.
Other founders are incredibly helpful if you reach out to them. You have to follow up and stay persistent because nobody is going to chase opportunities for you.
One big lesson I learned early: never just drop off samples at a store. I wasted about $500 doing that. Of course, people will take free food, but that doesn’t mean buyers ever see it.
Now I make sure I contact the correct buyer first and come fully prepared with a sales sheet, a QR code, a UPC, and a product list so ordering is easy. Retailers don’t have time for back-and-forth; you have to make their job simple.
Q: What are you most excited about next for Strip Jerky?
Expansion.
I want Strip Jerky in gourmet markets nationwide, recurring customers, and eventually a second flavor launch. My goal is steady, organic growth, not rushing.
I’m especially excited to see how the brand performs in regions known for craft jerky, like the Midwest, Texas, and Colorado. I would love to get products in places like airports, high-end gyms, etc.
At the end of the day, I just want to keep growing slowly, build a strong community, and create a brand that lasts.
I had such an amazing time doing this interview with Nicole. It’s not as common these days to see founders intentionally growing slowly. She is dead-set on building communities, dominating local shops, and avoiding VC funding. It was also a joy to see how she has gotten to this point by simply googling and paying close attention to what founders building in public are doing and going from there. She doesn’t need to join a course or CPG founder communities. She is just doing the work.
~ Dalji, Mocktale Creative
DORA: Takeaways for emerging CPG founder
Solve a real problem before starting a brand: Strip Jerky didn’t start because the founder simply loved jerky; it started because she saw clear problems with the category. From the strong lingering smell to the overly masculine branding, she identified gaps in the experience and built a product to solve them. For founders, this is a reminder that the strongest brands begin with a clear problem worth fixing.
Retail growth works best when it’s intentional: Instead of chasing rapid expansion or early venture capital, the founder is focused on growing one store at a time and building strong retail relationships. By targeting gourmet retailers and prioritizing in-store discovery, she’s creating a foundation that allows the brand to scale sustainably.
Preparation matters more than hustle when pitching retailers: One of the founder’s biggest early lessons was that dropping off samples alone isn’t enough. Retail buyers need clear information and an easy ordering process. Having sales sheets, UPC codes, product details, and ordering options ready makes it much easier for retailers to say yes.
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