I am Dan Spencer and I started making beef jerky back in 2001 after receiving a jerky kit as a gift. Soon I began mixing my own spice blends instead of buying spice mixes filled with preservatives and other artificial ingredients. I then worked to perfect the Original Hickory and Spicy Jalapeno recipe and would often receive requests to purchase the jerky. My wife Svetlana Spencer was working in Moscow, Russia as an Executive Sales and Business Development Manager for Lexmark when we met. After seeing the reactions of her friends and family when I would bring beef jerky as a gift, Svetlana knew the beef jerky would be a fantastic treat she could turn into a successful business. Svetlana being a great cook, in her own right, developed the Teriyaki and Pit Beef recipes. Together we created Fiesta Taco, our newest and most unique flavor. After much trial and error, we officially started Smiling Jack Beef Jerky in 2016 and have been serving delicious all-natural Beef Jerky to customers world-wide since then.
