Success in business often comes down to a few core traits: taking bold risks, building trusted relationships and having faith in the process.
For award-winning pitmaster and entrepreneur Christie Vanover, founder of Girls Can Grill, that combination led to one of the biggest wins of her career.
Back in 2020, Christie launched her BBQ rub line in partnership with Spiceology, right as the world was shutting down due to COVID. The rubs thrived during their run, but eventually, she felt the need to step out on her own.
That decision launched the official Girls Can Grill line. But as any food entrepreneur knows, creating a product is only the beginning. Co-packers, labelers, warehouses; it’s a maze of logistics.
Enter Susie and Todd Bulloch, the husband-and-wife duo behind Hey Grill Hey and the newly formed Patio Provisions, a company dedicated to helping other brands navigate product manufacturing and fulfillment.
When they heard Christie was going solo, they invited her to be the first to test their system. It was a huge leap of faith on both sides, sharing recipes, trusting new partners and believing in a shared vision.
That first risk paid off. By October 2024, Christie’s rubs were bottled and hitting shelves, first in nine stores and later on Shopify and Amazon. But she wasn’t content with “steady.” She wanted scale. That’s when another opportunity came knocking.
Scheels, a mega outdoor retailer known for its massive stores and signature Ferris wheels, hosts an annual Barbecue University, bringing in top-tier pitmasters to train employees on grilling products and techniques.
With names like Tuffy Stone and Harry Soo on the roster, the event is elite. Hey Grill Hey was invited to attend, but Susie couldn’t make it in 2025. Instead, she asked Christie to go in her place as the brand’s representative.
The timing couldn’t have been worse. Christie was also running one of the West Coast’s largest SCA competitions that same week in Las Vegas. But she knew the reward could be huge – face time with Scheels’ decision-makers, and a shot at getting Girls Can Grill rubs on their shelves.
Despite the logistical chaos, she said yes.
At Barbecue University, Christie worked hands-off, guiding her team of Scheels employees through the full brisket-cooking process, from trimming and injecting to wrapping and slicing. They also created a brisket grilled cheese for the people’s choice competition, landing second place and earning well-deserved trophies.
The next day, Christie was back in Vegas running her BBQ competition, exhausted but energized. The real surprise came after she followed up with Scheels.
Though she was told new rubs likely wouldn’t be considered until August, the retailer was so impressed with her performance and her product that over 20 Scheels locations placed orders for the Girls Can Grill rub line that very week.
By the end of May, what began as a leap of faith had snowballed into major distribution across 70+ stores in nearly 20 states.
Christie’s story is a masterclass in trusting your instincts, leaning on your community and doing the work, even when it stretches you.
“You’re not going to grow if you stay comfortable,” she said. “It’s okay to shake things up a little. Sometimes it pays off bigger than you ever expected.”
