Today we’d like to introduce you to Sharone Hakman.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I started off as a financial consultant with a lot of success in the field but very little passion for my career. I put all of my heart into cooking and I quickly realized that food was my purpose. When my first son was born, I made a decision: I was not going to stay in a career that didn’t fuel my soul and so two days after he was born, I quit my successful career in the finance industry.
I spent the next month or so writing down all of my culinary dreams and ideas on a piece of paper and brainstorming/panicking. Around this time a friend of mine told me that MasterChef was coming to the USA and they were holding auditions at the Grove in LA that weekend. I took the plunge and showed up with a dish I made and the drive that had been locked inside of me for years. Long story short, I got a callback and another and another and ultimately scored a spot on the hit show. I made it all the way up to the second to last episode before I was cut for a soufflé challenge (dessert has never been my strong suit) but the most important thing, was that I walked away from the experience convinced 100% that this industry was for me. During my time on the show, I made one of my homemade BBQ sauces for a challenge and Gordon Ramsay said it was “the best f&%#*n BBQ sauce he had ever tried. When the show was over, I looked over my list of culinary dreams and BBQ sauce was on there. I had always been known as the “sauce guy” amongst my friends when I would cook and Gordon Ramsay’s comment just sparked something in me. I began working on bottling my BBQ sauce and sold it door to door.
Over the years, this one BBQ sauce has turned into multiple flavors, then Cooking Sauces, followed by salad dressings, prepared meals and more. Now my company Hak’s is a nationally distributed food company available in over 18,000 retailers. We hold very strong to our company motto and philosophy that quality, integrity, transparency, and convenience is key. I am so proud of where the company is today and how far we have come. That being said, I am always excited for the future. Innovation in this space excites me. We are always growing and evolving because that is what life is all about.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Lot’s of NO’s. For every few no’s there’s a yes so you have to keep pushing through those roadblocks. Plus, staying on track for growth when problems arise are always an issue. Putting out fires takes time away from moving forward, so finding the balance between those two is always a challenge for me and my team.
Hak’s – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I am the chef, founder and CEO of Hak’s. I have an incredible team that runs the show side by side with me every single day. I am so proud to be bringing products into the world that I would feed my own children. Everything is created and sourced thoughtfully with clean, quality ingredients and with flavor, convenience and purity at the forefront.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success gets lost in the weeds in the everyday tasks and challenges we face, but at the end of the day I ask…. am I happy? are you happy? are we happy? Feeling passionate and proud about what we’re doing everyday is success.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.haks.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eathaks/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eathaks/
Suggest a story: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
