The Smitty Bros SauceCast: The Story Part Four – The Reckoning

A New Beginning—Or Another Battle?

The Smitty Bros Sauce Cast continues with yet another dramatic chapter in the Bitchin’ Sauce saga. In the previous episodes, the Smitty brothers recounted their rise as the faces of Bitchin’ Sauce, the massive family meltdown that led to their separation, and their efforts to rebuild with a new company, Good Lovin’ Dip. That venture reached great heights, only to crash just as quickly.

Now, the story shifts. This time, the brothers stepped away from direct competition with Bitchin’ Sauce, launching a new product line—protein bars. But even as they tried to move forward, powerful forces from their past threatened to pull them back.

Survival Mode: Rebuilding from the Ground Up

After the collapse of Good Lovin’ Dip, the Smitty brothers found themselves in survival mode yet again. They had spread out, moving in with in-laws and parents, scraping by with little to their names. For the third time, they were forced to start over from nothing.

Determined not to quit, they repurposed their remaining resources to manufacture a new line of meal replacement bars. Unlike their previous ventures in the sauce world, this was unfamiliar territory. They had been the best at selling Bitchin’ Sauce and later another almond dip, but protein bars were an entirely different market. Still, with no other seen option, they pressed forward.

Ryan and their mother spearheaded the manufacturing side in San Diego, while Porter remained in Idaho, working remotely and strategizing the next moves. They secured distribution and launched in stores, but something was missing. The bars weren’t selling like their sauces had. There was no natural momentum, no magic formula clicking into place.

A Struggle to Connect

Unlike with Bitchin’ Sauce, where their passion had fueled their success, the brothers found it difficult to connect with their new brand. They weren’t passionate about protein bars in the same way they had been about sauce, and it showed. Marketing strategies fell flat. Farmers markets and marathon events provided some traction, but nothing compared to the runaway success they had experienced before.

Doubt crept in. Had they made the wrong move? Was it time to quit?

Ryan, in particular, felt the weight of it all. After a conversation with his wife, he decided they were done. The struggle to keep the business alive wasn’t worth it. The next morning, however, a shift occurred. A deep, unmistakable realization hit him: God has a bigger plan.

With renewed determination, the brothers pressed on. They pivoted to keto bars, sensing an opportunity in the growing health trend. Within three days, they had formulated a new product, designed packaging, and launched a marketing strategy. Soon, major distributors and influencers took notice, and the business gained momentum. Whole Foods, Sprouts, and even Costco came on board.

For the first time in a long time, there was light at the end of the tunnel.

But what they didn't plan for, was a pandemic. Covid would rip the rug out from under them and most of their accounts would discontinue their bars.

Another gut punch. 

Bitchin’ Sauce Reemerges—This Time With a New Tactic

Just as their new business took a major turn downward, something unexpected happened. Their past—the very thing they had worked so hard to move beyond—came knocking once again.

Their parents, who had suffered alongside them through the separation from Bitchin’ Sauce, were still struggling with their relationship with their estranged daughter and owner of Bitchin' Sauce, Starr, although they still were allowed to connect with Starr's children, their grandchildren.

Then, in an astonishing twist, Star reached out to the parents with an offer: she wanted to buy her parents a house.

At first, it seemed like an act of generosity. She framed it as “generational giving,” a blessing meant to support them in their later years. But there were two conditions: they were not to discuss the past five years, and they were to maintain a positive relationship with her. No hashing out old wounds. No confrontation. No conversation of what had happened.

A Dangerous Agreement

Ryan and Porter immediately saw the offer for what it was—a calculated move to buy agreement and control. They had already witnessed how Starr used her children as leverage against their parents. Now, with her wealth and success, she was leveraging financial power to secure allegiance.

Their parents initially saw through the offer. In fact, after speaking with a Christian counselor, they had even described it as witchcraft—a manipulative transaction designed to trap them into submission. They reassured Ryan and Porter that they would reject the offer and maintain their integrity.

For a moment, it seemed like the right choice had been made.

Then, everything changed.

Not long after, Ryan received a call. Their parents had changed their minds. They had spoken to Starr, and she had “apologized” for her conditions. Feeling hopeful about reconciliation, they decided to accept the house.

Ryan and Porter were stunned. This was not a gift—it was a test of loyalty.

Worse, their parents framed it as a blessing from God.

A Line in the Sand

In that moment, the brothers saw clearly what had been building for years. Their parents had long compromised truth for the sake of access to grandchildren, and had swept things under the rug. Now, their parents had taken the final step—accepting financial support from someone who had wronged their family, refused to acknowledge her wrongdoing, and become complicit in evil doing.

And on top of it all, their parents were still shareholders in the Smitty brothers' new company. They had just taken money from the owner of Bitchin’ Sauce, their past and future direct competitor.

This was the breaking point.

For Ryan and Porter, it was time to draw the line.

What Happens Next?

The Smitty brothers had spent years fighting for truth, justice, and a future built on integrity. But now, their own parents had become entangled in the very system that had tried to break them. Would they allow this compromise to infect their business? Or would they take a stand, no matter the cost?

The next chapter in the Bitchin’ Sauce saga is the most powerful yet. What happens when family loyalty collides with truth? When standing for righteousness means walking away from those you love?

Stay tuned for the next episode of Smitty Bros Sauce Cast, where Ryan and Porter face their biggest challenge yet.

The fight isn’t over. The best is yet to come.

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