EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the 10th in a series of features on young professionals in the Ashland business community. Part IX was on the Ashland Young Professionals Kick-Off. Part VIII was on Zane Stepp. Part VII was on Ben Schnell. Part VI was on Kelly Cooke. Part V was on Beau Carpenter. Part IV was on Melanie Fitch. Part III was on Angela Ringler. Part II was on Jake Coffy. Part I was on Ashland Young Professionals.
ASHLAND – Barbecue began as a hobby but became a lifestyle for Sarah Rader and her husband, Shaw.
The Raders went from winning family cook-offs to raking in competition barbecue awards. They’ve won first place in Kansas City Barbeque Society’s brisket category and placed in the top five in every meat category.
“It turned into friends saying, ‘Do this party for me. Do this party for me.’ It just kind of grew from there. Each year it’s just gotten progressively busier and more involved,” said Rader, who now owns and operates her own catering and food truck business, Charcoal Mafia.
So Rader took the leap and made her hobby into a career in 2012.
“I was in nursing school and I actually stopped going because I saw an obvious need because the response was so high,” Rader said.
She bought and outfitted a food trailer and started setting up shop at lunchtime at The Old Elevator.
These days she offers pop-up lunches at various businesses, usually for a week at a time. She also caters weddings, graduation parties and events.
Best-known for her smoked brisket, Rader also serves smoked sides like pasta salad and macaroni and cheese. Everything is homemade, and Rader proudly tells customers she serves nothing out of boxes.
It may be the food that keeps customers coming back, but often it’s the business name that draws them in for the first taste.
“You hear it and think, ‘What is that?’ So you Google it,” Rader said.
Sometimes older people are confused or even upset by the name, Rader said. But her goal in coming up with a name was just to make it memorable.
“Our generation thinks it’s cool, so that’s all that matters to me,” she said.
Rader has found that while launching and running a business is hard work, it’s also rewarding. As a young business owner, she is excited to be part of what she feels is a generational transformation that is helping move Ashland forward.
“Getting young people to step up is something I really value,” Rader said. “A lot of younger people might not realize they can make a difference, but small things add up.”
That’s why Rader said “yes” when she was approached to help lead the new Ashland Young Professionals group as financial committee chair.
“Hopefully, through the next couple years, people can take over and step up and be the change … I’m just excited for young people to have a group to learn and really come and belong,” Rader said.
While Rader’s husband is an Ashland County native, she is not. She grew up in Akron and moved to Ashland after joining the 1486th Transportation Company of the Army National Guard, which was based in Ashland before it moved to Mansfield several years ago.
Rader served six years in the guard, but her service isn’t something she likes to boast about.
“There’s more deserving people that have sacrificed so much more than I have,” she said, adding that she’s always looking for ways to support veterans who need help.
In the future, Rader would like to be more involved with Veteran’s Day events and veterans support projects in the community. She also has an interest in serving on a local board or holding a public office someday.
“Ashland is a smaller city, and I like that because you can have more community involvement and more chance to make a change,” she said.
Ashland Young Professionals seeks to connect, educate and engage young people in the Ashland Community. The group kicked off Feb. 22 with a social event at Mitchell’s Orchard & Farm Market, and about 100 people attended.
AYP’s next event is 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. March 19 at Tin Can Chandelier, 1258 Franklin Ave. The group is free and open to anyone age 21 to 40 living or working in the Ashland area.
Ashland Young Professionals ready to make a splash
Coffy finds passion, purpose in Ashland
Ringler embraces leadership at Ashland’s Advantage Marketing
Crestview grad credits Ag background for work ethic, leadership skills
AU alumnus combines passions for math, people
Kelly Cooke helps people make Ashland home
Ashland’s Schnell loves marketing, music & motors
Stepp joins father in Ashland real estate, auction business
Ashland Young Professionals kick-off event includes 101 people
