Shauna Smith: The Operator Behind Savory’s Billion-Dollar Vision

In this episode of Case Studies, Casey sits down with Shauna Smith, co-founder and powerhouse operator behind Savory Fund, for a deeply personal and insightful conversation on resilience, leadership, and building something meaningful from the ground up.Shauna shares her journey from a challenging childhood in the South to becoming a central force in scaling over 50 Kneaders Bakery locations and helping build one of the most respected restaurant investment platforms in the country. Along the way, she opens up about stepping into responsibility at a young age, navigating family adversity, and how those early experiences shaped her grit and perspective.Together, she and Casey explore what it really takes to operate at a high level, from executing vision and building teams to making hard decisions and learning from failure. Shauna also reflects on her role in growing brands like Swig and Mo’ Bettahs, her “no A-hole policy,” and why culture and character matter more than anything in business.This episode is a masterclass for leaders and entrepreneurs on ownership, humility, and the power of doing hard things well.00:00 | Introduction & Reconnecting02:02 | Family Life & Partnership with Andrew08:29 | Visionary vs Operator Roles09:54 | Growing Up in Alabama14:12 | Family Adversity & Moving to Utah20:19 | Forgiveness & Personal Growth24:32 | College Years & Meeting Andrew30:20 | Unexpected Pregnancy Story33:24 | Early Entrepreneurial Journey35:13 | The Call to Build Kneaders39:01 | Learning to Run a Restaurant41:19 | Thriving During the 2008 Crisis47:16 | Scaling to 50+ Locations48:49 | Key Lessons from Franchising52:40 | Investing in Swig & Mo’ Bettahs56:56 | Launching Savory Fund59:06 | Fund Growth & Investment Strategy01:00:30 | Biggest Mistakes & Lessons Learned01:01:57 | The “No A-hole Policy”01:02:54 | Best Deal Ever: Swig01:03:47 | Transitioning Roles & Future Vision Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.