Ten Years In, Decorah-Based Sogo Snacks Is Still a Family Affair

Managing a small business as a family can be a challenge — unless you turn it into your biggest strength. That's exactly what Dan and Liza have done at Sogo Snacks.

Ten years ago, Dan traded a steady paycheck for a leap of faith, staying home with their three young kids while building a family business around premium meat sticks. What started as an alternative to leaving their adopted home of Decorah, Iowa has grown into a company still guided by the same values that sent Dan and Liza into the Peace Corps and AmeriCorps years earlier — service, community, and doing right by people.

A decade in, they still answer the phones themselves, their kids tuck handwritten notes into orders, and their commitment to clean ingredients hasn't wavered. In this conversation, Dan reflects on the milestones and the mindset that got them here, and shares the advice he'd give any founder trying to build something lasting.

Neighborly: Both of your backgrounds are rooted in a commitment to service — the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, working with underserved communities. How does that spirit show up in how you run Sogo Snacks today?

Dan: I think this spirit shows up in Sogo Snacks in a big way! We see business relationships as more than a transaction. To us, they are strangers with both similar and differing values, finding a common bond and supporting each other. We try to treat customers, suppliers, and others like they are our neighbors. We are frugal and try to utilize materials wisely. Every penny spent is purposeful because waste should not be tolerated in a world with poverty.

Simply put, we strive to be a humble and courageous company that follows the Golden Rule in all aspects of operations.

Neighborly: You're marking a decade in business this year — that's a huge milestone. Take us back to 2016: what led you to finally take the leap and start Sogo Snacks?

Dan: I had been interested in starting a business ever since I was a small business development volunteer in the Peace Corps and a microfinance volunteer with the Americorps. Timing, life, and a somewhat low tolerance for risk delayed this from happening for 10 or so years – until all the dots connected.

About a year after leaving a nonprofit job to work for my friends that produced grass-fed beef, they sold their brand to a large corporation. We love our town of 8,000 in rural Iowa, but it doesn’t have great job opportunities. Our options were to either leave Decorah or start our own brand of meat sticks based on what I already knew. Liza had a job with health insurance, so we figured if we were ever going to jump, now was the time. With two small children and one on the way, as I got things started, I could also be a stay-at-home dad for our soon-to-be third daughter.

Neighborly: Your connection to Decorah and the surrounding area is clearly part of who you are as a company. What do you love most about being part of that community?

Dan: Both Liza and I grew up in Minnesota (Dan in Austin and Liza in Anoka). We had pre-conceived notions of what Iowa was, assuming it was all corn fields and flat topography. Our little corner of Iowa, however, is part of the Driftless Region, where the glaciers did not go. Decorah is set in a crater surrounded by beautiful bluffs and the winding Upper Iowa River. Not only do we love the landscape, but we love the people, who have made this place home to us for 20 years.

Today, Decorah’s local Oneota Co-op is one of our biggest wholesale accounts, which shows that our community supports us. We love seeing our kids' teachers on the bike trail or running into neighbors at a Luther College concert series. 

Neighborly: There's a lot of competition in the meat snack space, but Sogo stands out. How does your approach to business show up in the product itself — what makes it something you're proud to put your name on?

Dan: From the beginning, I wanted a product made with limited, high quality ingredients and a business that operated in a manner my grandparents would be proud of (think humble Norwegian farmers). Our meat sticks are filled with good things — premium natural pork, free range turkey, and 100% grass-fed beef — and simple, clean ingredients you can pronounce.

While most meat snack companies are run by large corporations, we truly are a family-owned and operated business. Liza and I manage everything from production to fulfillment to customer service (no kidding, a call to Sogo Snacks gets me on the phone). Our three kids, Lulu, Poppy, and Solveig, write monthly notes to put in customer orders and help fulfill orders. Some lucky customers even find Origami dragons nestled in with their meat sticks. Exceptional customer service and a consistent, high quality product are, what I believe, set us apart from other brands of meat sticks.

Neighborly: What advice would you give other business owners just starting out, especially those trying to stay true to their values — like sustainability — while building something that lasts?

Dan: My advice for new business owners is exactly what you stated in the question: stay true to your values. Do not compromise the quality of your product or service to save money. Like I mentioned before, you have to take some risks, and you must be prepared to make changes and pivot when needed. If you stay true to your core values, though, long-term success is more likely. Treat people well and have an open mind to what they might be going through (for example, a disgruntled customer or an aloof supplier). Be prepared to do more work and possibly pay more to maintain the high standards you sought from the beginning. Loyal customers result from a business that does not compromise its product or its integrity.