When you’ve done most of the things you want to do in life, sometimes it’s time to hit the reset button and try something new. Despite the concern from our employees, we’ve decided to launch a new hot sauce! Yes, you read that correctly.
The ad that’ll be running for our new hot sauce. Pictured are: Chef Joe Domaleski and Christina Colantonio. Photo/Abby Paver
I can’t think of a better way to spice things up than with homemade hot sauce. My digital marketing agency, Country Fried Creative, is often mistaken for being a restaurant or food services company, so why not lean into that natural assumption?
Newlyweds Joe and Mary Catherine Domaleski celebrate the creation of Joe’s Polish Inferno hot sauce in 1994. Photo/Joe Domaleski
This isn’t my first time making hot sauce. When Mary Catherine and I got married back in 1994, we didn’t have a lot of money, so we decided to make Christmas gifts that year. We spent some time in the kitchen and came up with “Joe’s Polish Inferno,” a homemade hot sauce infused with habanero peppers and fresh tomatoes. My new father-in-law, Bill, was quite impressed by the flavor and intensity. Fast forward to 2024.
So why launch a new hot sauce? Last summer, we celebrated our 20th year in business and had a big party at Line Creek Bus Barn in Fayetteville. During the party, a few of my clients asked me what’s next for the company. More than one suggested that I do something new and unexpected in 2024 to reinvigorate our brand. One colleague, who’ll remain anonymous, suggested that we do something related to food. Earlier in the year, we helped Peachtree City-based Chef Mark brand his Pelle’s pasta sauce. That inspired me and brought back memories from thirty years ago when I made hot sauce out of economic necessity.
Inspired by encouragement for the future and fond memories of the past, I made the business decision to spend some time in the kitchen last fall to see what we could come up with. All through the Christmas holidays and into the beginning of the new year, we’ve been perfecting the homemade recipe. I’d like to thank all of my friends in the local community as well as my family for helping me test out different recipes and combinations of ingredients. Whether you’re designing marketing campaigns or testing out food recipes, creativity is the key!
Chef Joe at a photo shoot to promote the new Country Fried Hot Sauce. Photo/Abby Paver
The decisions to develop and launch this new hot sauce weren’t without some sacrifices. Initially, our employees were not in favor of the hot sauce idea. They were concerned that we were spread too thin by doing too many things. In fact, a few of our employees did not agree with my decisions and left the firm earlier this year. Yeah, you may have heard about that. For the staff that stayed with us, I’d like to thank each of you for your support, loyalty, and belief in the future of our company.
It’s been a team effort ensuring our sauce is the right mix of heat, flavor, and freshness. Products like this are best experienced directly. Try it for yourself. We think you’ll love the Country Fried quality and flavor.
Here’s a link where you can sign up for more information, including a free sample. Let me know what you think of our new hot sauce 🔥🌶️
UPDATED 4/2/2024 – APRIL FOOLS!
[Joe Domaleski, a Fayette County resident for 25 years, is the owner of Country Fried Creative – an award-winning digital marketing agency located in Peachtree City. His company was the Fayette Chamber’s 2021 Small Business of the Year. Joe is a husband, father of three grown children, and proud Army veteran. He has an MBA from Georgia State University and enjoys sharing his perspectives drawing from thirty years of business leadership experience. Sign up for the Country Fried Creative newsletter to get marketing and business articles directly in your inbox. ]