What does it really take to turn a single-family ranch into a thriving, multi-stream meat company that families and top chefs trust?
In this episode, Lindsay Smith sits down with Conner Hackett, General Manager of Stemple Creek Ranch, to unpack how a small California ranch grew into a multichannel meat company without ever cutting corners.
Conner shares why culture and purpose matter more than technical skill, how one ranch became farmers markets, direct-to-consumer, events, and ranch stays, and what it actually takes to build a resilient local food system that keeps the dollars pointed back at the people on the ground.
If you lead operations and want a real playbook for scaling with legacy and integrity intact, this conversation delivers. Listen now.
Sponsored by:
Genius Network - An exclusive community for highly successful entrepreneurs, connecting you with top-tier leaders, strategic insights, and powerful relationships to help you grow your business faster and smarter.
Learn more: https://www.geniusnetwork.com/
Timestamped Highlights
00:17 - How a fifth-generation rancher ended up leading a meat company
01:14 - Why he walked away from a finance internship at Merrill Lynch
03:14 - What it is really like to join a company whose culture is already built
04:28 - The complex work of turning whole animals into a real business
07:11 - The hidden hurdle most small producers underestimate
09:49 - Why the meat company only works if it serves the rancher first
10:52 - How Stemple Creek builds fierce loyalty one customer at a time
15:27 - What actually happens behind the booth at a world-class farmers market
24:04 - The most defining moment: getting the whole team under one roof
26:16 - Wearing every hat as GM, and the surprise he did not expect
30:01 - Why the why matters more than the technical skill set
31:52 - The weight of legacy, and the moment it flipped for him
37:50 - The direct-to-consumer bet that could define the next chapter
About the Guest
Conner Hackett is the General Manager of Stemple Creek Ranch, a fourth-generation family ranch near Tomales, California that raises grass-fed beef and lamb and has grown into a multichannel meat company. A fifth-generation rancher himself, Conner came up in agriculture, worked in the Bay Area meat and restaurant world, and founded his own consulting business before joining Stemple Creek, where he now leads finance, marketing, and operations for the meat enterprise.
🔗 LinkedIn | Website
Mentioned Resources
About the Co-Host
Lindsay Smith is an experience-driven growth strategist and former Chief Strategy Officer. She previously scaled a new region without a traditional sales team or bloated marketing budget by turning relationships, culture, and execution into revenue. She is the author of No One Needs Another Company Mug, Stop Branding, Start Experiencing, and helps leadership teams use experience as a competitive growth lever.
🔗 Connect with Lindsay on LinkedIn
Important Links
The Second in Command Podcast is an original production hosted by Cameron Herold and co-hosted by Lindsay Smith. Brought to you by COO Alliance. Production and editing by Podcast Your Brand.
Sponsored by:
Genius Network - An exclusive community for highly successful entrepreneurs, connecting you with top-tier leaders, strategic insights, and powerful relationships to help you grow your business faster and smarter.
Learn more: https://www.geniusnetwork.com/
