Today we’d like to introduce you to Richard Bryson.
Hi Richard, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I started Swindle Sauce as a hobby while balancing work, family, and everyday life. Before all of this, I worked as a chef at The Ritz-Carlton on Amelia Island. After leaving the culinary industry and switching careers, I started growing peppers and making homemade hot sauces around 2013 just for fun. For years, it was something I did on and off because I genuinely loved creating flavors and sharing them with friends and family.
The name “Swindle Sauce” actually came from a joke in the kitchen years ago. Anytime I made a special sauce or dish, I would jokingly call it a “swindle.” The nickname stuck, and eventually so did the idea.
Fast forward to the spring of last year, I finally got myself into a position where I could seriously chase the dream. I started small and just kept grinding every day while balancing work, being a dad, and learning the business side as I went. I taught myself everything from production and bottling to labeling, shipping, marketing, and building a website.
Over the past six months especially, I’ve seen real growth. People are starting to talk about the brand more, the support has continued to grow, and honestly it’s been surreal to watch. What started as making hobby sauce in my kitchen has now turned into a small-batch Florida hot sauce company that has shipped to all 50 states and even internationally to places like Israel, Australia, Scotland, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
Today, every bottle is still made in small batches here in Florida, and the brand is heavily inspired by the beach, coastal living, and bold flavors that stand out from typical hot sauces. One of the best parts of the journey has been building a genuine community around the brand. Seeing people across the country, and now around the world, enjoy something that started as a hobby years ago is something I never imagined.
It definitely hasn’t been an overnight success story. There were plenty of long nights, trial and error, and moments of doubt along the way, but being able to grow something from the ground up while staying true to who I am has made every bit of it worth it. I truly feel like I’m only getting started.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As with any new business, it was definitely rough in the beginning. One of the biggest challenges was simply getting people to trust and buy my hot sauces online. There are thousands of hot sauce companies out there, so finding my own niche and figuring out how to stand out was something I really focused on early on.
A lot of it took time, consistency, and long days working farmers markets out in the Florida summer heat just trying to get my name out there. There were plenty of moments where I questioned if it would actually grow into something bigger, especially while balancing work, family life, and making everything myself.
Another challenge was learning every side of the business on my own. Production, labeling, shipping, marketing, social media, website design, inventory, and even figuring out shipping rates were all things I had to learn through trial and error. There were definitely mistakes and stressful moments along the way, but every setback taught me something.
Over time though, I started building a loyal customer base online that I now call the “Swindle Fam.” Seeing repeat customers come back, people sharing the sauces online, and hearing positive feedback from all over the country really motivated me to keep pushing forward.
Now the challenges are different in a good way. The business has grown to the point where I’m having to make sauce much more often and scale up my batches to keep up with demand. It’s still a grind every day, but it’s a blessing to look back and see how far things have come in such a short amount of time.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Professionally, I’ve spent most of my career working in hands-on industries that require hard work, consistency, and problem solving. I worked in the culinary field for years, including time as a chef at The Ritz-Carlton on Amelia Island, where I developed a passion for creating unique flavors and understanding the importance of quality and presentation. Since 2013, I’ve also worked in the cable industry, and last year I transitioned into the fiber optic construction side of things. While balancing full-time work and family life, I’ve also been building Swindle Sauce from the ground up completely on my own.
What I’m most proud of is turning something that started as a hobby into a growing business and community.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was actually a very shy person and didn’t really come out of my shell until my senior year of high school. I’ve always been someone who enjoyed more laid-back things, especially being outdoors, playing baseball, fishing, gaming, and just spending time with friends and family. Baseball was probably my biggest interest growing up. My dad coached me and my brother for most of our lives all the way up until high school, so a lot of my childhood memories revolve around practices, games, and being around the ball field.
I also remember always being drawn to cooking shows as a kid, which is funny looking back now considering where life ended up taking me. Even back then, I loved seeing creativity with food and how people could bring their own personality into what they made. I think a lot of those interests growing up, from sports and competition to creativity and being outdoors, still carry over into who I am today and into the personality behind Swindle Sauce.
Pricing:
- $10-12 for my hot sauces
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.swindlesauce.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/swindlesauce
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1CpmAY8hr4/
