Today we’d like to introduce you to Nayana Ferguson.
Hi Nayana, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
In 2017, my husband and I were tired of the same old corporate routine of not being in control of our future. I was losing my job to outsourcing at the time and my husband kept getting moved around in his position as a senior leader at one of the biggest financial companies in America. We started looking for something to invest in, that could potentially be something that could become a part-time job upon retirement, but nothing truly stood out. While continuing these discussions, I asked my husband, “if you could do anything in the world, what would you do?” His reply was, “to own a tequila company,” but he thought there was no way that it was possible. I asked him, “why not?”.
At the time, we were active tequila enthusiasts, whereas, we were trying different tequila brands that were not well-known and educating ourselves as much as we could about tequila. What truly enticed me about tequila early on, is its low sugar content. I am a 16-year pancreatic cancer and 9-year breast cancer survivor and because of pancreatic cancer, I am pre-diabetic. I found that with tequila, I do not have the same after effects while consuming it, that I typically do with other spirts, because of the low sugar content.
After more discussions, a tequila company seemed like a perfect fit for us and we looked at the possibilities of creating a small-batch tequila brand to see if it was truly something that we could do. I put together a plan, crunched some numbers and within a few days, I found a distillery in Mexico that we could potentially work with. This was the beginning of something that would change our lives forever. Within 11 months, on August 27, 2018, Anteel Tequila was on the market and on the shelves.
Anteel Tequila is a multi-award-winning brand that has grown tremendously since first launching in 2018. Our initial launch was only in the Michigan market, but as of Oct. 2021, Anteel Tequila is available in eight states, MI, CA, GA, TX, FL, CO, NY & NJ, is available nationwide through online ordering and is available in the Bermuda, with Bahamas following in early 2022.
We are looking forward to the future of Anteel Tequila and growing it into a nationally recognized brand!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Launching our tequila brand has definitely not been a smooth road. Neither my husband nor I had any previous experience in the spirits industry, so we did not know what we did not know. We had to learn quickly and on the fly while building this business. Luckily, we had previous business experience from owning other companies in the past and we had skills to be able to understand the basic principles of building a company.
While building this brand, we have encountered just about every obstacle or challenge possible and nothing has come easily. Logistics, selling out of product, lack of funding and capital, hiring challenges and more. It seemed that every time we turned around, there was another problem to account for and solve.
In early 2020 we had plans to expand to additional states, however, Covid thwarted those plans, so we had to shift our game plan within a short timeframe. We had product sitting in several warehouses that was not moving, as the country was in a bit of a panic and uncertainty. Slowly but surely, we began to get placement in stores in California and Florida, solely by word of mouth and social media marketing. This led to Total Wine & More stores picking up the brand and then more locations followed. California became one of our biggest states for sales during Covid and it continues to grow. We have now expanded to several other states and continue to grow.
Obstacles and challenges will always arise, but how you handle them can make or break your business. You have to take a minute to step back, analyze the situation, adjust and take action.
We’ve been impressed with Anteel Tequila, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
There are several things that set the Anteel Tequila brand apart from other brands in the industry. Nayana Ferguson, Co-Founder and COO of Anteel Tequila is the first black woman in the world to own or co-own a tequila brand. Anteel Tequila has the world’s only Coconut Lime Blanco Tequila, as one of its expressions and our Reposado Tequila aged 8 months in Tennessee whiskey barrels is different than industry standards.
Anteel Tequila has three expressions in its portfolio, the world’s only Coconut Lime Blanco Tequila, a Reposado Tequila aged 8 months in Tennessee whiskey barrels and a smooth, 2x distilled Blanco Tequila. All of these expressions have won multiple awards in major international spirit competitions, amassing a total of 27 awards/accolades (and counting) since 2019.
To continue with being a brand that is different in the industry, in July 2021, Anteel Tequila released a small batch, limited-expression, Anteel Blood Orange Blanco Tequila.
What does success mean to you?
I would define success as accomplishing any goals that you set for yourself, big or small. When building a company or a business, you have to be able to take the many steps needed to accomplish the big goal at the end. Each step that is completed deserves acknowledgement. I see that as continuing motivation to accomplish whatever goals you set for yourself.
Contact Info:
- Email: contact@anteeltequila.com
- Website: www.anteeltequila.com
- Instagram: @anteeltequilas
- Facebook: Anteel Tequila
- Twitter: @anteeltequilas
Image Credits
Maddi Ibanez
