Of course Beny Ashburn, CEO of Crowns & Hops Brewing Co., led an incredible #craftbrewersconference keynote conversation with Uncle Nearest founder and chief Fawn Weaver, who talked about her company’s come up (the most awarded American whiskey, at a $1 billion+ valuation), the importance of leading confidently from your gut, how small isn’t a virtue (indeed, sounds like they’re about to announce another acquisition), and how things aren’t gonna get easier in the industry, so buckle up and hunker down, or get out. I will never forget this conversation.
Some of my favorite quotes from this chat:
-“I turned down $2 billion in 2022 to stay independent, remain independent. All of my days.”
-“I did the opposite.”
-“Uncle Nearest is so important because we now know him to be the first known African American master distiller …but there’s not a chance he was the first.”
-“America is 70% women and people of color. How is it possible that there has never been any of us to rise to the top, to found to lead and to own a spirit brand, in an industry that has been a part of this country for over 400 years?”
-“If you stay small too long, you’ll die or you’ll have to be acquired … what’s the harm in dreaming bigger?”
-“I had to raise $230 million… what beer brand would need to do that? ”
-"The DNA for me, is knowing who I am. I am first and foremost a child of the most high God."
-“I keep a screenshot [of] when my bank account was negative 1.4 million."
-“I made sure from day one, everybody was included.”
-“I want everybody. Every single weekend our tours are sold out…I can look out of my window and see a Trump supporter. I can see an Obama supporter. I can ... I still don't know what the Biden supporters look like."
-"In a couple of weeks we'll have an announcement come out about another craft spirit brand ... that we're acquiring, finishing up the due diligence. ... So now people will figure out, 'Okay, she started with whiskey, they've already announced they're adding Cognac.' ... And if y'all see me in Jalisco, just know: I'm putting down roots."
-[On the early days of building the brand]: "Every single place I would show up, those 10 or 20 people, or 30 people, who would show up to hear me speak? They were moved. They were really touched. And they'd come up to me with tears in their eyes. And at the beginning I didn't get it. I was like, 'Y'all, this is whiskey. Why the hell are y'all cryin?'"
-"Knowing so many people that have multi-billion dollar companies now, I can tell you: It doesn't get easier as the sales go up, as there's more money. ... The higher you go up, the thinner the air is, the more difficult it is for you to breathe.
"... It does not get easier. So if you're looking to get through this moment for 'easy' -- drop out now. If you're going to the next level for purpose, let nobody knock you off that mountain that you're climbing."
More from the quotable Fawn Weaver and Beny Ashburn in tomorrow's BBD.
