Conor McGregor Discusses Entrepreneurship & Success of Proper 12

You won’t find Conor McGregor pouting and feeling sorry for himself following his loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229. McGregor remains indisputably the most financially successful athlete in the sport and he is only growing more affluent by the day with his foray into the whiskey business. But McGregor did not just happen to stumble into this market; the former double champ told entrepreneur.com that this venture was destined to happen:

“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.”

Thus far, the business has gone the same way Conor McGregor describes his whiskey: strong and very smooth:

“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.”

As successful as Conor McGregor is in multiple arenas, there is more than enough success to go around for anybody who is hungry enough, says McGregor, who offers advice to all readers:

“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.”