Episode 40 - Accelerating Unprecedented Growth Without Losing Your Soul with Fawn Weaver of Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey

EPISODE DESCRIPTION:

Fawn Weaver is an enterprising entrepreneur, CEO, and the founder of Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey, the fastest-growing American whiskey brand and African American-founded spirit of all time. She’s also the CEO and founder of GSI, an investment company. A popular TED speaker and best-selling author, Fawn joins us to share pivotal moments in her life, including her decision to leave her home and family at age 15 and her experience launching into the whiskey business as a woman and person of color.

Tune in to our Potential to Powerhouse Season 2 launch episode to hear from Fawn as she sits down to chat with Tracy about her inspirational entrepreneurial journey, which has taken her from establishing herself as a business owner and CEO to launching a mega successful brand and landing book deals. 

 IN THIS EPISODE:

• [10:24] Fawn describes embracing her personality and upbringing in her adult life and entrepreneurial journey 
• [17:11] Deciding to leave her home and family at age 15, bouncing from the projects to homeless shelters
• [21:53] Fawn’s career journey; starting from food serving and PR intern
• [28:12] Fawn’s pivot moment in 2003
• [38:06] The journey from writing manuscripts to book deals
• [54:29] Fawn’s introduction to Jack Daniels and how it sparked her interest in the distillery business
• [01:11:38] Launching into the whiskey business as a woman and person of color 
• [01:18:25] What Fawn’s thinks the future in the distillery business looks like and advice for other women entrepreneurs

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• As an entrepreneur and business owner, walk into a room and know you belong there. There is no reason to not have confidence in yourself and your abilities.
• Fawn has found that industries are more welcoming than most think for women and people of color, so be confident breaking in to them.
   

Links Mentioned in Todays Episode:

Fawn Weaver on Instagram 

Uncle Nearest Website

Fawn Weaver LinkedIn 

CONNECTIONS:

For more about Fawn Weaver, follow her on Instagram. Also, be sure to check out  unclenearest.com.

Check out our website, Potential to Powerhouse, for more details and to learn about past, present, and future guests. Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Twitter, and join our Facebook Community for a deeper connection with the P2P tribe.

Grab your free copy of our guide, 4 Daily Habits Essential to Becoming a POWERHOUSE Entrepreneur, and don’t forget to subscribe to our show and leave a rating and review. Do you know any other female powerhouses that could benefit from listening? If so, please let them know to follow us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever they like to listen to valuable audio content.

Until next time… High Five!

QUOTES: 

“I am brilliant with tuning out naysayers because I live the life I talk about. I actually live it and so you can't convince me that something is impossible, that I'm in the middle of living.” -Fawn Weaver 

“I have the exact same amount of confidence, if not more, than every single person that is in that room. And it's because God put me in that room. I didn't mind an elbow to get in. I understand I'm in the room because I'm supposed to be in the room.” -Fawn Weaver 

BIO:  

Fawn Weaver has been a serial entrepreneur for more than 25 years. As the CEO and founder of Grant Sidney, Inc. (GSI), a privately held investment company, Weaver has often been active in her investments, serving in leadership capacities behind the scenes. Weaver is a popular TED speaker, as well as a USA Today and New York Times bestselling author who has appeared on 100s of popular radio, morning and television talk shows across the US, including FOX Business, the TODAY Show, New York Times, CBS This Morning, Good Morning America, CNBC, Fast Company, Oprah Magazine, Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Tribune. She is a regular contributor to Inc. Magazine and has been interviewed by top shows in Canada, United Kingdom, South Africa, Italy, Belgium, Australia, Ireland, Australia, Poland, Spain and New Zealand on topics ranging from accelerating growth in business without losing your soul to creating a happy balance between work and family. Weaver serves as the CEO of Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey, a company she founded in 2016, which sits under the Grant Sidney umbrella. 

Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey is the fastest-growing American whiskey brand in U.S. history, the best-selling African American founded spirit brand of all time, and was the most award-winning American whiskey (including bourbon) of 2019 and 2020, earning World’s Best by Whisky Magazine two years in a row, as well as the industry coveted Double Gold by San Francisco World Spirits Competition and Wine Enthusiast’s Spirit Brand of the Year for 2020. To-date, Uncle Nearest is the Most Awarded American Whiskey of 2021, with the next closest brand being a very distant second. The Nearest Green Distillery opened in Shelbyville, Tennessee in September 2019. This 323.12-acre distillery is the first in U.S. history to honor an African-American whiskey maker, and one of the few distilleries in the country owned and operated by a Black, female lead.