Cameron Smith: Pancakes, a Currant Bush, a Stone and a Sling
All In
DB Podcasts
4.8 • 6.3K Ratings
🗓️ 12 April 2023
⏱️ 45 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Cameron Smith was just a college student when he happened upon a job listing for a little-known pancake company called Kodiak Cakes. Today, the company is one of the leading pancake brands in the United States. But how did they get there? Recognized as the company's "secret weapon" who helped get Kodiak Cakes on the shelves of retailers like Target and Costco, Cameron shares how great outcomes have come from simply asking the right questions. And more importantly, he marvels at how through it all, the Lord has been able to make more out of his life than he ever could have dreamed of.
"I think in that moment what I brought was probably like a little stone…and then together, we built this sling. And then we decided, 'Alright, let's start working on this and let's see what we can do with this.' We broke a handful windows but then we were like, 'You know what, maybe we can take on Goliath.'" —Cameron Smith
Show Notes
1:47- A Job Listing
7:21- Kodiak Cakes Origin Story
9:03- Not Being Afraid of a No
13:29- Target
22:11- Shark Tank
29:06- The Currant Bush
35:09- Stepping Back
41:36- What Does It Mean To Be All In the Gospel of Jesus Christ?
Links:
The Currant Bush story as told by President Hugh B. Brown
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | We're excited to tell you about questions worth exploring, a new speaker series from Deseret Book. |
| 0:06.0 | If you've wanted to hear more from some of your favorite, all-in guests, this is your chance. |
| 0:10.8 | On Friday, April 21, Patrick Mason, Melinda Willwright Brown, and Renelle Hugh will all be speaking in |
| 0:17.6 | late in Utah. You can learn more about questions worth exploring by visiting DeseretBookPresent.com-speaker-series. |
| 0:27.6 | To find ticket information for this event, as well as speaker lineups and dates for other |
| 0:32.9 | exciting upcoming events, with other beloved all-in guests like Barbara Morgan Gardner, |
| 0:39.1 | Raina Bertow, Adam Miller, Steve Young, and Richard Turley. Again, that's DeseretBookPresent.com-speaker-series. |
| 0:51.0 | When we went to Cameron Smith's home to film a segment for our KSL conference special, |
| 0:56.7 | we not only got to meet his incredible wife, Michelle, but he also made us chocolate chip pancakes, |
| 1:03.1 | which made this pregnant woman incredibly happy. Today, Cameron has made many pancakes, and I can vouch |
| 1:09.9 | for the fact that he may have perfected the craft. But when Cameron first pitched Kodiak cakes to |
| 1:16.0 | target, he hadn't made many pancakes. To this day, he isn't sure if the target buyer just took pity |
| 1:22.8 | on how nervous he was or not, but that day target agreed to put Kodiak cakes in 40 stores nationwide. |
| 1:31.0 | The rest is history. Both sons of church education system employees, Joel Clark and Cameron Smith |
| 1:39.2 | joined forces to make Kodiak cakes the brand it is today. Cameron Smith is the co-founder and former |
| 1:46.5 | president of Kodiak cakes. When he joined Kodiak cakes in 2009, the company had done less than $1 |
| 1:53.2 | million in retail sales. But last year, when he made the decision to take a step back, |
| 1:59.7 | the company had $500 million in retail sales, and now employs more than 130 people. |
| 2:08.3 | Originally from Nebraska, Smith is a graduate of the University of Utah. He and his wife for |
| 2:13.9 | Shell are the parents of four children. This is All-in, an LDS living podcast where we ask the |
| 2:23.8 | question, what does it really mean to be All-in the gospel of Jesus Christ? I'm Morgan Pearson, |
| 2:29.7 | and I am so grateful to have the chance to be in the home of Cameron Smith and have this chance |
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