key takeaways
- The recording artist and musician has an “entrepreneurial spirit” that he followed into business.
- Meekins became CEO in 2020 and saw the opportunity to take the English muffin brand “to the next level.”
- Extra Movement, which started with $1,000 purchases, has grown to $100,000 per month and is now worth eight figures.
This Side Hustle Spotlight Q&A features Cam Meakins, 32, of Boston, Massachusetts. Meekins is the co-founder and CEO of the English muffin brand stone and panWhich he launched in 2014 with his brothers, Kyle and Nick Meekins. Responses have been edited for length and clarity.
Image credit: Courtesy of Stone & Skillet. Cam Meekins.
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What was your day job or primary occupation when you started your job?
I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit, and that’s what led me to music and ultimately got me excited about Stone & Skillet. I am a recording artist and musician and was originally signed with Atlantic Records. I produce, rap and write most of my own music and tour across the country to promote it.
When did you start your side and where did you get the inspiration from?
My brothers and I started Stone & Skillet in 2014 and I became CEO in 2020 during COVID. I saw an opportunity to take things to the next level and apply what I learned in the music business to growing the Stone & Skillet business. My father, Russ Meakins, who passed away in 2020, was our trusted advisor and best friend, and when we lost him, it inspired me to work harder and focus all my time on Stone & Skillet.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Stone & Skillet
“My brother and I scraped together $1,000 to buy a mixer and some flour and that was it.”
What were the first steps you took to get your cause off the ground? How much money/investment did it take to launch?
my brother kyle We had a dream to sell premium English muffins with extensive Sunday brunch menus in Boston’s best restaurants – and providing them with less expensive English muffins was our main focus in the early days. We made every English muffin at my brother’s apartment and delivered them by hand. We raised $1,000 to buy a mixer and some flour and that was it.
It wasn’t until we were doing a farmers market months later, and someone from Whole Foods discovered our product, that we realized we could play in the retail world. We figured it out as we went along. Looking back now and seeing the state-of-the-art facility we have and the love and commitment to the product is amazing and a testament to my brother’s commitment to providing the highest quality products.
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Are there any free or paid resources that have been particularly helpful to you in getting this business up and running?
I have always found it important to surround myself with the best team and people who know more in the field. I have been fortunate to meet some amazing people in the CPG world who have become my closest and trusted partners in business. They are the key to our success. As an entrepreneur it’s always important to think about what you don’t know and be open-minded to those who have been through it before.
If you could go back in your business journey and change one process or approach, what would it be, and how do you wish you had done it differently?
Learning that entrepreneurship is truly holistic. You can perform well in business only if you take care of your body and mind. Eventually I realized that the more balance I had, the more I could approach a problem with a clear mind and find the right answer. It sounds vague and vague, but I understand how important it is to get off the computer and go to the gym, be with friends, and be present in conversations with loved ones, as these all play a vital role in unlocking problem-solving.
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When it comes to this specific business, what is something that you have found particularly challenging and/or surprising that people who get into this type of work should be prepared for, but perhaps aren’t?
The way people feel about their food and shopping at grocery stores is evolving for the better. This creates challenges and opportunities to be part of the solution to a deeply broken food system. But there’s a “big-food” infrastructure established that you have to be willing to take on, which I like.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Stone & Skillet
How long did it take you to see consistent monthly revenue? How much did Side Hustle make?
In the early days, we were happy if we could sell through a batch of 20 packages of muffins. It took months to move anything forward consistently. But finally, in our second year, we hit our first $100,000 month. Then we realized, Wow, we have real business on our handsTo be in a place where we have sold millions of dollars is a blessing, and we are inspired every day to spread the word about what the English muffin can truly be,
What do growth and revenues look like now?
Stone & Skillet is an eight-figure business. The team is working really hard on expanding nationally into some of the largest retailers across the country (Publix, Whole Foods, and others), and we’re doubling our growth year over year.
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How much time do you spend on your business on a daily, weekly or monthly basis?
Running a business is certainly based on balance, but it’s also omnipresent. I don’t believe it was ever something that was turned off. What’s more is that you have to change your environment and change the things you are doing in your schedule so that you can feel refreshed and remain in a mindset where you can go about your business. A typical day for me always starts with a walk outside to a coffee shop, getting some sunshine, and getting a workout in at some point during the day. Get some work done on the computer, then attend lots of calls and meetings, prioritizing the most important projects of the day or week. The most important thing is to spend quality time with my wife.
“Trust your gut, because most other people you come in contact with have not done and never will do what you are trying to do.”
What do you enjoy most about running this business?
Every day is something different. But no matter what you’re doing, it’s about the people you’re spending time with every day. I enjoy the partners and friends who have joined me on this journey – spending time with them and creating something together.
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What is your best specific, actionable business advice?
If you’re in the early stages of a business, the most important thing is to take action, get out and meet people. Be it a party, an event or a meeting with friends. Being on the move brings more opportunities, and you never know when or how you might meet someone who can completely change the direction of your business. One specific thing that I’ve found helpful in my life is to think about the most successful people you know, and I don’t just mean business success, I mean overall, and figure out how you can lean more into those relationships and learn the game from them and do whatever you can to be helpful to them.
The No. 1 piece of advice I can give other entrepreneurs is to trust your intuition, because most other people you come in contact with have not done and never will do what you are trying to do. Don’t overdo it with this, but if you’re the type of person who has taken the leap, you also need to trust that you know a thing or two. It’s a long game.
key takeaways
- The recording artist and musician has an “entrepreneurial spirit” that he followed into business.
- Meekins became CEO in 2020 and saw the opportunity to take the English muffin brand “to the next level.”
- Extra Movement, which started with $1,000 purchases, has grown to $100,000 per month and is now worth eight figures.
This Side Hustle Spotlight Q&A features Cam Meekins, 32, of Boston, Massachusetts. Meekins is the co-founder and CEO of the English muffin brand stone and panWhich he launched in 2014 with his brothers, Kyle and Nick Meekins. Responses have been edited for length and clarity.
Image credit: Courtesy of Stone & Skillet. Cam Meekins.
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