Sterling Ball is a straight-shooting, BBQ enthusiat with a love of cooking, an exciting sense of humor and two successful businesses. HATHWAY visited him at San Luis Obispo-based, Ernie Ball, Music Man to check in on how things we going with his newest venture, Big Poppa Smokers.

Why did you decide to start e-commerce success, Big Poppa Smokers?

With every cool thing that happens comes a series of unintended convergances. I’ve always cooked. It was a no brainer. It was easy. One of the things I realized is that men are supposed to barbeque — and they suck. Even guys who think they’re ok, suck. So, I could save the man ego. So really this is just a quest to save the male ego.

Really?

{Sterling laughs} It’s not really a quest to save the male ego.  It’s more about my ability to teach people how to cook. I got an idea to make some videos and then I got an idea to do an online community and then to sell grills. This was a combination of me liking to cook, having a marketing background and realizing that I could teach someone how to cook. I knew I didn’t have to do it with bricks and mortar, I could do it virally.

How did you get Big Poppa Smokers started?

I built the first site but I picked the wrong design house. I think the first week the iPad was introduced, my flash based website came out. I was already working with open source back end, Magento.  I went looking for a creative company with the technical ability to create a beautiful front end and make it work with the back end.

How did you find the right web marketing agency?

I interviewed agencies all over the LA area, the Palm Springs area where we are headquartered and in San Luis Obispo.  That’s how I found HATHWAY. I interacted really well with the design department at HATHWAY. I’m very specific about how I want things to work. I’m not your typical corporate client. I’m a self-professed art director. The little details are really important to me.

How did you like working with HATHWAY?

What was important to me about working with HATHWAY is they tried what I wanted. I think the site is beautiful. We’ve got rave reviews. The store is working well. All the stats have improved significantly in the last month since our HATHWAY site went live.

What does the future hold for Big Poppa?

We’ve got Big Poppa’s Meat Locker coming out soon, also developed by HATHWAY. Big Poppa has morphed into a competition team and we are nationally ranked. You can find us cookin’ up amazing meals all over the competition circuit.

We are also working on our Little Louie brand of seasoning. The KCBS is using our brisket rub - Little Louie’s Big Poppa Double Secret Steak Rub. We’re expanding that.

The future of Big Poppa — I want to keep making videos, I wanna keep giving people recipes, I want to keep cooking.

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Be sure to check out Big Poppa Smokers for all your BBQ needs. You can also like them on Facebook or follow them on Twitter.

For more information on social commerce and how it can take your e-commerce to the next level, just like Big Poppa Smokers, check out our blog on social commerce or give us a call.