By Spencer Lindsay, Security Specialist, as told to Tori Dunlap
Spencer Lindsay, a Seattle Security Specialist, began his sauce business with a summer barbecue at our Seattle client site. When people couldn’t get enough of his wings, he knew he was onto something. Since appearing in a Seattle Times feature 6 months ago, his business has taken off. We encourage you to support him by purchasing his incredible sauces — they are truly “out of this world.”
I was clocking out from my 12-hour shift when the article went live.
I was expecting a small feature, where you’d have to search through the website to find me. But there it was, the online cover of the Seattle Times. I couldn’t believe it.
I had 200 jars of barbeque sauce prepped. It wasn’t nearly enough. I was completely and totally sold out within a few hours. It happened so fast. Words can’t explain the feeling that I had.
I wasn’t ready. I didn’t know how the Times article would impact my business. I thought it was going to be a couple sales a week. It hurt me thinking about how much I could have sold. But I can’t be too mad because the Seattle Times article changed my business.
I took the next few days off work, and went on a nine-hours-a-day cooking spree. Then I got another phone call from Amazon.
“Do you have any jars ready to ship out?” they asked. “Marketing wants to send out a tweet about your sauce.”
I had no idea the tweet would be from Jeff Bezos’ personal account. I sold out again.
Next was an “About Amazon” video on Amazon’s homepage, then an opportunity to ring the stock exchange bell as guest of Amazon. It was my first time in New York.
Months of dedication later, I landed a coveted space in Bartell Drugs. Then a feature on the audio tour through the Amazon campus, during the time between checkpoints.
A few weeks ago, a woman taking the audio tour was attempting to get into the building where I stand post. I was thrilled to tell her that I was the barbecue sauce guy she had heard minutes before. She left smiling.
And my most recent invitation? Attending the Congressional Black Caucus in Washington D.C., and speaking at their annual round-table in front of 10,000 people. When I return home to Seattle, I’m up early the next day to get to work. It’s like living a crazy double life.
That’s the coolest part of all of this — my schedule with SIS allowed me the flexibility to start my business. And I couldn’t be more grateful.
Congratulations to Specialist Spencer Lindsay. Way to go! Keep up the amazing work.