Shauna Smith: The Operator Behind Savory’s Billion-Dollar Vision
From CASE STUDIES by Casey Baugh
March 25, 2026 · 1h 18m · Season 1 · Episode 130
About this episode
Shauna Smith shares her journey and insights on leadership and resilience in building successful businesses.
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 & Reconnecting 02:02 | Family Life &…
People in this episode
Host: Casey Baugh
Guest: Shauna Smith
Topics covered
- resilience
- leadership
- entrepreneurship
- personal growth
- business culture
Keywords
- Savory Fund
- Kneaders Bakery
- entrepreneurship
- leadership
- business culture
- personal growth
- resilience
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Savory Fund, Kneaders Bakery, Swig, Mo’ Bettahs
Places: Alabama, Utah
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