075: Susie Bulloch – Transitioning From Digital to Physical Products With Purpose

075: Susie Bulloch – Transitioning From Digital to Physical Products With Purpose

Author: Nathan Barry: Author, Designer, Marketer May 8, 2023 Duration: 1:06:59

In this episode, I talk to Susie Bulloch, who runs Hey Grill, Hey, which started as a wildly successful food blog (to the tune of a million dollars or more a year in revenue). Then she did something that I absolutely love: she used her online business to kickstart a physical products company. Her sauces and rubs company in the barbecue space is now about to overtake the blog in revenue.


The online world of content creation is vastly different to the product manufacturing space, and as Susie explains, she is grateful that she didn’t know too much before she made the transition. Her top piece of advice for anyone interested in doing the same thing is to make products with the intention of fulfilling a need, not just because you have an audience online. 


Susie describes herself as “terrifyingly driven,” and during our conversation, she talks about how she went from “I could never” to doing it all, the importance of celebrating business milestones, the value of having someone ask you, “Why?” regularly on your entrepreneurial journey, and her goal of increasing the representation of  women-owned brands in the barbeque space!


In this episode, you'll learn: 

  • The value in working for other people before starting your own company. 
  • Why it’s always worth taking the time to be grateful for the journey you are on and celebrating your achievements.
  • What the life of a “terrifyingly driven” entrepreneur looks like. 
  • How to build trust within your community so they are happy to pay for your offerings.
  • The only piece of advice Susie would give to someone interested in transitioning from online content creation to product manufacturing. 


Links & Resources:

Hey Grill, Hey

The Grill Squad

‘The Billion Dollar Creator’


Susie Bulloch Links:

Follow Susie on Twitter

Follow Susie on Facebook

Follow Susie on Instagram

Follow Susie on YouTube

Subscribe to Susie's Grill Squad



Dive into the archives of Nathan Barry Archive, a collection of insights from an author and designer who traded pure aesthetics for the gritty, rewarding work of building things. Nathan Barry’s journey from design into the world of product launches and self-publishing forms the core of this conversation. You’ll hear frank discussions that treat marketing not as a mystery, but as a practical craft, and explore what it genuinely takes to create a sustainable online business. The topics naturally span from the tactical details of launching a book to the broader principles of designing a life that isn't just profitable, but also fulfilling. This isn't about abstract theory; it's a recorded chronicle of applied knowledge, filled with lessons learned from real successes and stumbles. For anyone curious about the intersection of creativity and commerce, this podcast offers a long-form, thoughtful perspective. Tune in for episodes that feel like a series of focused conversations with a practitioner who is deeply invested in the process, not just the outcome. The Nathan Barry Archive serves as a valuable resource for designers, writers, and founders looking to navigate their own path toward building something meaningful on their own terms.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 78

Nathan Barry Archive
Podcast Episodes
077: Darrell Vesterfelt – Running a 101,000-Person Online Summit [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:35
Today, I talk to Darrell Vesterfelt, who is a longtime friend who helped grow ConvertKit in our craziest growth times (from $100,000/mo when he joined to $500,000/mo in just over a year).Darrell is one of the best market…
074: Alyssa Dulin – Secrets of Email Deliverability [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:58
Today, I sit down with the Head of Deliverability at ConvertKit, Alyssa Dulin, to shed some light on the often mysterious game of getting your email into the right inbox. Alyssa's expertise about what creators need to fo…
073: Thomas Frank - How I Make Six Figures per Month as a Creator [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:46
Today I’m talking with Thomas Frank. Thomas built a YouTube channel called College Info Geek to over a million subscribers. Since then, he’s rebranded and grown the channel to nearly 3 million subscribers. He’s also buil…
072: Brian Feroldi - How to Skyrocket Your Twitter Growth [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:41
In this episode I talk to Brian Feroldi. Brian is an incredible creator in the investing space. He Tweets about money, investing, and self-improvement. He also has a free newsletter with over 40,000 subscribers.Today Bri…
071: Turner Novak - Easy Ways to Ignite Your Audience Growth [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:51
The podcast is back! Today I’m talking with Turner Novak. Turner is someone I’ve followed for a long time. He has an amazing Twitter account where he drops hilarious memes, talks about life as an investor, and makes fun…
070: Katelyn Bourgoin - Stop Selling Courses & Start Selling These [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:13
In this episode I talk to Katelyn Bourgoin. Katelyn is a creator and entrepreneur. She’s built several successful companies and agencies, and built a consultant company that she later sold.We dive into why customers buy,…
069: Laura Roeder - Building the Best Brand in Your Niche [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:02
In this episode I talk to Laura Roeder. Laura and I have been friends for a long time. I’ve learned so much from her, and it’s great to have her on the podcast.Laura started an online community and a course called Creati…
068: Justin Moore - Game-Changing Newsletter Sponsorship Strategies [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:11:00
In this episode I talk to Justin Moore. Justin is a Sponsorship Coach & the founder of Creator Wizard, a school & community that teaches you how to find & negotiate your dream brand deals.In today’s episode Justin reveal…