29 - From Restaurants to Retail: How Jeff Norling Built Henning Lee on Relationships, Not Algorithms

Jeff Norling’s entrepreneurial path didn’t start in a boardroom, it started in the kitchen. After years of running family-named cafés across Minnesota, Jeff took the leap into consumer goods, launching Outset, a brand that redefined grilling accessories for specialty retailers.Today, as founder of Henning Lee, he’s building a product company rooted in craftsmanship, personal connection, and staying small by design. In this episode, we explore:How Jeff transitioned from hospitality to hard goods, and found his nicheWhy deep factory relationships are a competitive advantage in modern manufacturingThe hard truth about tariffs and the unpredictability they bring to small businessWhy he believes founders shouldn’t build brands on “rented land”A story of reinvention, resilience, and the art of relationship-driven growth.