Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jamie Waldron, founder of J. Waldron Butchers, located in Hamilton, ON, Canada.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

We're a small, high-quality-focused butcher shop that cuts everything by hand to our customer's exacting standards. We go out of our way to ensure that the products we bring in and prepare are from farms that we know and trust, as trust is a major component of what we do. Our customers have put their trust in us, and we don't take that lightly.

Tell us about yourself

I've been a butcher for 20 years, and it was never supposed to be a career for me. I tried desperately to get away from it in the beginning, but I always came back to it. It wasn't until 15 years ago that I began to really take an interest in not only how the livestock I was working with was raised but also how I could be better at the craft. That drive led me to the GTA, where I worked with some of the best shops and restaurants around. It really allowed me to explore and grow as a butcher and find new and interesting ways to ply my art.

I'm constantly learning every day, whether that's new cuts from customers with different backgrounds or from my constant thirst for knowledge and innovation in the industry. The pandemic forced my hand and pushed me to finally do what I wanted to start working for myself for years. I'd been teaching hands-on workshops and working for a restaurant group at the time. COVID took both of those away from me in an instant. The next logical move became selling meat shares (whole animal variety boxes). The business has since grown from using kitchens that we're shut down to a space of my own that has allowed me to cater to not only some of the best eateries but walk-in clientele. It's been such a joy watching it grow and change.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I consider not only providing for my family but employing a wonderful person that also allows them to contribute to their families' income while providing them a welcoming and open place to work. Oh, and staying true to my drive to use farmers who truly care about what they're doing on a daily basis. I work with some of the best people/farmers, and nurturing those relationships over the past two years has been a privilege.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

Keeping everything on the level. And by that, I mean making sure the invoices are paid on time, ordering inventory, making sure orders are fulfilled, having music on in the shop, and the list goes on. No detail can be left unattended.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Lean on those you trust for advice. If you think you know it all, you're already done. There's so much to learn about running a business that I wish I would've started years ago. But thankfully, I've got some great mentors and people that have been doing it long enough and are great at it. I can't overstate how important talking to others in your situation is.
  2. Always be learning. I've got so many books on butchery. Whether that's technique or cookery, I absorb them all. But it can't stop there as I've decided to go on my own. Now I'm listening to podcasts featuring entrepreneurs that I respect and admire. I'm trying to be more well-rounded.
  3. Surround yourself with good, no, great people. Find them and treat them with dignity, respect, and compassion. This project doesn't succeed unless everyone's involved in the process, and that's how you keep pushing forward.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

I've chosen a path that can be seen as polarizing. People who have very high standards when it comes to animal welfare and farming practices can be very critical of what I do. I take that with me, and it guides my business and philosophy. I work with people who allow me to, more often than not, take the spotlight and the majority of the credit. I feel that more respect needs to be paid to the farmer and what they do on a daily basis. There's rarely a holiday or weekend off, but they do it because it's in their blood. I admire that wholeheartedly and think they're the real stars of the show. By supporting my little shop, you're supporting the hard-working folks of Ontario that pour their hearts into providing the best produce they can, and that's a noble cause.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.jwaldronbutchers.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/j.waldron_butchers/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.