Uncle Nearest: The Brand’s Woes Offer Major Lessons

Fawn Weaver and the Uncle Nearest brand came into the public consciousness with a compelling narrative about Nathan ‘Nearest’ Green, a formerly enslaved master distiller who taught Jack Daniels how to distill whiskey. Weaver  brought to collective memory an innocuous man who contributed greatly to American whiskey. Her accomplishments are unparalled. In under a decade, she launched a company, secured millions in investor backing, wrote a book, headlined a host of events, and was widely featured in print, broadcast and podcast interviews. No one can take that away from her.

But whether her current chapter has a storybook ending is up for debate. The company Weaver, and her husband Keith, heralded into the spotlight allegedly defaulted on tens of millions in loans, amassed over $210 million in debt, and is now in receivership. Further, the company is alleged to have not filed taxes since 2018. Reports from the receiver, Phillip G. Young, suggest the company is insolvent. Weaver categorically denies this assertion and has mounted a spirited defense to reain control of her company. You can learn more about the company’s alleged financial woes, and the receivership itself, here.

By numerous accounts, it appears the Uncle Nearest brand experienced a dramatic fall from grace, yet you would never know by looking at Weaver’s social media account. To her more than 300,000 followers, Weaver noted she ‘remains unbothered and unmoved,’ and believes the case ‘is an attempted robbery in broad daylight.’ Her public affirmations seem incongruent with reported facts of the case. We do not know how this matter will unfold, but it certainly offers lessons for high profile leaders and those charged with managing organizational coffers.

Here are three things, the Uncle Nearest brand crisis teaches us:

Saliency in the Media Isn’t an Indicator of Good Business Practices

Fawn Weaver is an excellent marketer. In under a decade, she has gone from relatively unknown to a household name, at least for whiskey lovers and aspiring entrepreneurs. But media appearances prove a company or leader has a great story and a savvy PR team. That’s it. Media coverage isn’t synonomous with profitability or a sign of good business practices.

What You Say Publicly Matters

If you are in litigation, what you say publicly matters. Anything you say is accessible to the opposing party as well as the judge. It could therefore be included in the record of your case. And we know that when a matter is deeply personal, it is easy to say something we might, with time and distance, ultimately regret.

Further, having worked in public relations for decades, and having offered strategic communications support to lawyers, I know firsthand that many people should speak sparingly and through their attorneys once embroiled in litigation. Failing to do this could give the appearance of attempting to try a case in the court of public opinion, which doesn’t always bode well.

Anyone Can Make a Mistake

Good intentions are insufficient. Business owners, nonprofit leaders, and executives of any kind need guardrails to protect themselves and the entities they lead. This is because each of us has the capacity to fail. We don’t know what we don’t know. Additionally, Uncle Nearest experienced a meteoric rise. A meteoric rise can be fraught for anyone. There is so much required to run a successful business or campaign, and doing so requires time.

When you rise quickly, you can sometimes miss the early steps that allow a company to further develop and grow without the glare of the media. I wonder how much of the company’s troubles can be attributed to accelerated growth. Regardless, this situation is a reminder that each of us needs guardrails to protect ourselves as well as what we’ve built.

If you’re navigating a challenge and in need of support, book a confidential crisis communications consultation on our website.

Jennifer R. Farmer is a crisis communications expert and founder Spotlight PR LLC. The firm helps clients build their platforms and protect their brands.