Conor McGregor ‘Humbled And Thrilled’ With Success Of Proper No. Twelve Whiskey
Conor McGregor is undeniably one of the most successful men in mixed martial arts history both inside the UFC Octagon and outside of it.
Despite losing his last fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229 in a failed attempt to reclaim the UFC lightweight title he once held, the Irishman’s new whiskey, Proper No. Twelve has been flying off the shelves since fight week.
Speaking about the production of his own brand of Irish whiskey with entrepreneur.com, McGregor revealed why he chose to enter the whiskey market.
“The decision to make my own Irish whiskey was very natural, almost inevitable,” McGregor said. “I’ve always loved Irish whiskey — I’m an Irishman after all. My late grandfather played a huge role in my taste for Irish whiskey. It was under his tutelage I began to study and truly appreciate whiskey.
“Over the years, I’ve been approached by many Irish whiskey brands asking me to endorse their product. I have nothing against endorsement deals; I have several with brands and products I believe in, that is no secret. However, something about simply endorsing an Irish whiskey didn’t feel right to me — I wanted to create my own, I wanted to do it my way and I wanted to do it right — from start to finish.
“I love Ireland, its land and its people. I was born here, will raise my children here, and I will die here. I wanted to make an Irish whiskey emblematic of our culture as a whole — something that would make my people proud.”
Later in the interview, McGregor went on to reveal that the launch of the whiskey has surpassed all of his expectations.
“The reaction to Proper No. Twelve has been absolutely amazing,” McGregor said. “I’m extremely humbled and thrilled that consumers are as excited about Proper Twelve as I am! Hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world have been reaching out asking where they can purchase a bottle. I am lucky to have the best fans in the business, and their support and loyalty has definitely played a role in Proper Twelve’s success. In 10 days we sold six months’ worth of product.”
In a closing note, McGregor was asked to give his advice for all entrepreneurs and in typical fashion, he wasn’t short of a word or two.
“You’ve got to be passionate about what you’re doing,” McGregor said. “Find your passion and chase your dreams, fearlessly. I’ve had a lot of crazy dreams in my life, and they’ve all come to fruition because of my passion, hard work and will to succeed. You’ve got to put in the effort day in and day out to perfect your craft, and never give up. Never settle, never be complacent, stay hungry to learn and always try to be better than you were yesterday. If someone tells you no or doubts your ability, fuck ’em. I don’t care what they think.
“I believe in myself and never waiver from that mentality. That’s how I got to where I am today. Surrounding yourself with the right people is important too. Loyalty is everything. You’ve got to have a strong support system, people who genuinely believe in you and want you to succeed. My team — who have become my brothers and sisters — my family and close friends have gotten me to where I am today.”
You can read the full interview with Entrepreneur.com HERE.
