We recently connected with Jason Ridgel and have shared our conversation below.
Jason , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?
The ultimate mission is partnership! An entrepreneur by nature, Jason Ridgel started his first business at the age of 23, fresh out of college at Tennessee State University. He’s dabbled in everything from owning a cleaning business, which was built to create jobs for marginalized communities, to founding two pain management companies and launching a clothing line. He’s currently making a name for himself as the mastermind behind Guidance Whiskey, one of just a few Black-owned premium craft small-batch whiskey brands in the country. He launched the spirits brand in 2018 and has been building it rapidly ever since.
The American whiskey, which is aged for two years, distilled in Iowa and housed in Nashville, is now available in 44 states. Jason is continuing to build the brand with new products, such as the 100-proof whiskey he plans to launch this year, and through partnerships with lifestyle brands, fellow spirits labels, local restaurants and more. He’s also using his success to help boost the careers of others through charitable work and personal mentorship. He serves on the board of Creatives’ Day, a nonprofit for unsigned artists, and he founded Hydrate the Hood, an organization that provides alkaline water to underserved communities. Beyond that, he dedicates his time to mentoring others, with the goal of guiding 1,000 Black entrepreneurs in launching businesses of their own.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Jason Ridgel started his first business at the age of 23 and is the mastermind behind Guidance Whiskey, one of just a few Black-owned premium craft small-batch whiskey brands in the country. He launched the spirits brand in 2018 and has been building it rapidly ever since.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
COVID! In 2020, there were barrel shortages and cork shortages and right after covid, there was a time were we didn’t have product for 6 months so we had to get savvy with our business and began to curate and partner on events around the country to stay in the public eye and top of mind with our customers. This made us extremely popular and ensured our business stayed afloat during a tough time.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
Jason is not only a seller but an avid customer. He shops local in the community and supports ALL the brands within the marketplace and encourages Guidance customers to do the same. Other owners know Jason and this has helped build the reputation behind the brand.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://guidancewhiskey.com/
- Instagram: @guidancewhiskey
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/guidance-whiskey/