Copyright Entrepreneur
Key Takeaways The recording artist and musician has “an entrepreneurial spirit” that he followed into business. Meekins became CEO in 2020 and saw an opportunity to take the English muffin brand “to the next level.” The side hustle, which started with a $1,000 purchase, hit $100,000 a 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 English muffin brand Stone & Skillet, which he launched with his brothers, Kyle and Nick Meekins, in 2014. Responses have been edited for length and clarity. Image Credit: Courtesy of Stone & Skillet. Cam Meekins. Want to read more stories like this? Subscribe to Money Makers, our free newsletter packed with creative side hustle ideas and successful strategies. Sign up here. Related: Starbucks Barista’s ‘Stealth Mode’ Side Hustle Now Sees $1 Million Months What was your day job or primary occupation when you started your side hustle? I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit, and that’s what led me to music and eventually excited me about Stone & Skillet. I am a recording artist and musician and was originally signed with Atlantic Records. I have produced, rapped and written most of my own music and toured across the country to promote it. When did you start your side hustle, and where did you find the inspiration for it? 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 dad, Russ Meekins, who passed away in 2020, was our trusted advisor and best friend, and when we lost him, it motivated me to lean in harder and focus all of my time on Stone & Skillet. Image Credit: Courtesy of Stone & Skillet “My brother and I pooled together $1,000 to buy a mixer and some flour, and that was it.” What were some of the first steps you took to get your side hustle off the ground? How much money/investment did it take to launch? My brother Kyle had the vision to sell premium English muffins to the best restaurants in Boston with elaborate Sunday brunch menus — and providing them with a less expensive English muffin was our main focus in the early days. We made every English muffin in my brother’s apartment and delivered them by hand. We pooled together $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 continued to figure it out as we went along. To look back now and see the state-of-the-art facility we have and the love and commitment for the product is amazing and a testament to my brother’s commitment to provide the highest quality product possible. Related: This 29-Year-Old Quit Her Job to Pursue a $13k-a-Month Side Hustle Are there any free or paid resources that have been especially helpful for you in starting and running this business? I’ve always found it important to surround myself with the best team and people who know more in the space. I’ve been lucky to meet some fantastic people in the CPG world who have become my closest and trusted partners in the business. They are key to our success. It’s always important to think about what you don’t know as an entrepreneur 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’d done it differently? Learning that entrepreneurship is truly holistic. You can only perform as well in business as you care for your body and mind. I eventually realized the more balance I have, the more I can come to a problem with a clear mind and find the right answers. That sounds vague and unspecific, but I understand how important it is to get off the computer and into the gym, surround myself with friends and be present in conversations with loved ones, as all of these play a key role in unlocking the problem-solving. Related: His College Side Hustle Made $12,000 on Amazon in 2 Weeks — Then It Surpassed $250 Million When it comes to this specific business, what is something you’ve found particularly challenging and/or surprising that people who get into this type of work should be prepared for, but likely aren’t? The way people feel about the food they eat and shopping at grocery stores is evolving for the better. That creates challenges and opportunities to be a part of the solution to a pretty broken food system. But there is a “big-food” infrastructure set up that you have to be ready to take on, which I love. Image Credit: Courtesy of Stone & Skillet How long did it take you to see consistent monthly revenue? How much did the side hustle earn? In the early days, we were happy if we could sell through a batch of 20 packages of muffins. It took months to get anything consistent going. But eventually, in our second year, we did our first $100,000 month. That’s when we realized, Wow, we have a real business on our hands. To be in a place where we’ve sold tens of millions of dollars is a blessing, and we’re motivated every day to spread the word about what an English muffin truly can be. What does growth and revenue look like now? Stone & Skillet is an eight-figure business. The team has been working really hard on nationally expanding in some of the biggest retailers across the country (Publix, Whole Foods and more), and we’re doubling our growth year over year. Related: Siblings’ Tasty Side Hustle Became an ‘Extremely Rewarding’ Business Expecting $500,000 Revenue How much time do you spend working on your business on a daily, weekly or monthly basis? Running a business is definitely all about balance, but it’s also all-encompassing. I don’t believe it’s ever something that’s turned off. It’s more that you have to change up your environments and tweak the things that you’re doing in your schedule to feel fresh and continue to be in a mindset where you can think through your business. A typical day for me always starts with a walk outside to a coffee shop, getting some sunlight and a workout at some point in the day. Do some work on the computer, then plenty of calls and meetings, prioritizing the most urgent projects of the day or week. Most important is quality time with my wife. “Trust your instincts, because most other people you come across have not done and will never do what you’re 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 single day. I enjoy the partners and friends who have joined me in this journey — spending time with them and building something together. Related: Her $4,000-a-Month Side Hustle Landed in Home Depot: ‘Not Bad for a Niche Product’ What is your best piece of specific, actionable business advice? If you’re in an early phase of a business, the most important thing is taking action, going out and meeting people. Whether it be a party, an event or meeting friends of friends. Being in motion begets more opportunity, and you never know when and how you might meet somebody that could completely change the trajectory 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 holistically, and figure out how you can lean in more to those relationships and pick up game from them and do whatever you can to be helpful to them.
