035 | Starting and Growing a Direct to Consumer Beef Business: Business Building with Jena Ochsner
A Business Building Episode with Jena Ochsner, now available on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
Today, we are excited to have a Business Building episode! In these episodes, we’ll cover topics that cover growing your business from the ground up, scaling, outsourcing, and more. In this episode of How to Grow and Build a Direct-to-Consumer Beef Business we cover several important topics including:
What it’s like starting a direct-to-consumer beef business
The steps for shipping beef and how to scale the business
How to work with your spouse on starting or running a business
How to Grow and Build a Direct-to-Consumer Beef Business
It’s important to catch this at the beginning of this episode, but Jena didn’t start right away in the direct-to-consumer beef business. For several years, she was working as a labor and delivery nurse until she realized that she could be more helpful working at home growing the cattle side of the family farm. From idea to implementation, it took 18 months to get the business off the ground.
The Foundation of a Beef Business
Jena mentions in this episode that in the beginning when she was learning everything she could about the direct-to-consumer beef business, she relied heavily on Google for how to do certain parts of the business. Once she felt like she had gained everything she could, she started connecting with other women on Instagram which was a game-changer for her. She found a retreat for women that were also in the direct-to-consumer space, which became a turning point for her business. Make sure to tune into this episode to catch the moment that Jena received her first meat order and what that experience was like for her.
“This isn’t a competition, one producer can’t feed the entire country with their great beef. We’re all in this together.” - Jena Ochsner
Growing a Beef Business
Once the business started gaining some traction on the local front, Jena started having to figure out how to ship her meat and what that process looked like. In addition, Natalie mentions that Jena is a featured guest in Elevate the Online Course where she dives into much deeper detail on how she grew her business, so if you’re a direct-to-consumer business, then make sure to join the newsletter for updates on the launch! Natalie was also curious about the role that Jena’s husband, Levi, plays in this business and how important it is to be flexible and play off each other’s strengths while growing a direct-to-consumer business. While this can be an extremely fulfilling business, Jena stresses that it hasn’t always been roses and butterflies so she dives a bit deeper into the emotions behind growing this business and what her business looks like now.
Make sure to listen to the full business-building episode with Jena to catch all the details on how she’s grown her direct-to-consumer beef business and where her business is now!
About Jena Ochsner and Double O Farms
Jena and her husband, Levi, along with their family have been raising cows and crops in small town Nebraska since 1885. Over the last 135 years, their family has farmed numerous crops and raised a variety of livestock including pigs, lambs, chickens, and cows. Their current operation is focused on growing commercial corn and soybeans and tending to a herd of Angus cattle. The focus for this episode is their homegrown dry-aged beef that is offered from their farm to your family.
They pride themselves on raising the highest quality Angus cattle. From birth to butcher, they tend to their cattle every single day and ensure they are taken care of as humanely as possible. Their daily care ensures the herd is as healthy and happy as possible. Happy and well-nourished cattle make for high-quality meat that is tender and loaded with flavor. They're excited and proud to be able to offer you high-quality beef straight from their family's farm to your family's table!
Resources and links mentioned in this episode:
Visit Double O’s Website
Connect with Jena on Instagram
Sign up for our Newsletter
Sign up for our course waitlist to be the first to know when doors open!
About Elevate Ag the Podcast
Where can I find tools and strategies to confidently and effectively share my story online? How do I monetize my brand? Where can I find community among women in agriculture and business? Can I cultivate my passion while also making money?
Welcome to Elevate the Podcast where we will answer ALL of these questions and so much more! Hosts Tara Vander Dussen and Natalie Kovarik, along with their guests, will bring you tangible advice, useful tools, and bold strategies that you can implement to drive your business forward and elevate the voice of agriculture. This business interview and storytelling podcast serves agriculture, western and rural entrepreneurs who want to excel in the social space and make their dreams a reality. Tune in every week to dig into entrepreneurs’ stories as they share the problems they encountered and opportunities they created as a way to educate, inspire and encourage the dreamer inside of all of us.
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