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started selling them to area gift shops, traveling together to Park City, Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and Sun Valley, Idaho. A few months later, unexpectedly, they began receiving letters from people from all over the country who had bought their Kodiak Cake mix in one of the shops they had stocked. As a result of the positive response, they decided to see if major grocery stores would take it as a product. They began approaching grocery stores, and not one turned them down. "We got into Dan's and started selling a ton of them," said Joel. "They were our first one. We'd cook in their stores on weekends.
During this time, Jon was working on two self-study h his MBA to focus on entrepreneurship and their company.
"So I called up Jon Huntsman and Hyrum Smith, Alan Ashton, Ray Noorda and Spencer Kirk and asked them if they'd let us come interview them." Huntsman's principles of how to make a business a success are the guidelines that govern the way the Clarks work.
- Do what you love to do.
- Surround yourself with excellent people.
- If you "make it," remain humble.
- If you do well with one thing, don't assume you can always do it again.
- You don't have any special ability. Just be grateful.
- Be patient. Give it time.
- Be diligent.
- Make sure you understand the fundamentals of business. Understand a little bit of finance, marketing, operations and accounting.
- Look at this as a vocation rather than a hit-and-miss thing, because one out of 10 new businesses succeed.
- Study. Do your homework. And if it's not going to work, have the humility to pull out.
The Clark brothers are at year six of their business plan. They've followed Huntsman's advice and have purposely waited, so as not to over-extend themselves. They've also watched the small amount of money they already have invested and learned the business.
"You've got to understand how the industry works," said Joel. "We're being very careful. All the chains said they'd take us three years ago (including Safeway in Seattle), but Jon and I didn't feel ready. But we are now."
There's no doubt about it -Kodiak Cakes easily sell themselves by their delicious, hearty taste and good-for-you ingredients. Try a box. And flip along with all the letter-writing fans.
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