A few months back, a call came in from Inc Magazine to photograph two barbeque entrepreneurs. Although those two words rarely enter into the same sentence, Heath Hall and Brett Thompson of Pork Barrel BBQ have turned ribs, brisket, spice rubs, and sauces into big business thanks to an unmatched entrepreneurial spirit and an appearance on the ABC series Shark Tank.

We knew going into the shoot that these photos called for racks of ribs and as much BBQ smoke as we could create. After first meeting the guys behind Pork Barrel, we asked Heath and Brett if they could get their grills to spew some smoke. There was a slight twinkle in their eyes – “smoke?” they said “we can make that happen.”

Keep reading to see more from our smoky photoshoot…