08/17/2026
I think one of the greatest gifts of getting older is realizing that being a good person and being liked by everyone are two completely different things. I used to worry so much about how I came across. Did I say too much? Was I too loud? Too opinionated? Too proud? Would someone misunderstand what I meant? Would somebody judge me for trying something and failing publicly? At some point, that started to feel exhausting. So I stopped. Not caring about people. Not caring about kindness. Not caring about how I treat others. I stopped caring about performing a version of myself that might be easier for everybody else to approve of. There is a difference. I can respect you without agreeing with you. I can celebrate where you come from without apologizing for where I come from. I can listen to your story without changing mine. And I can be incredibly proud of this veteran-owned little company weāre trying to build while still knowing that Bad Luck Bourbon Co. isnāt going to be everybodyās cup of tea. Or glass of bourbon, I suppose. š„ And thatās okay. We started this thing knowing absolutely nothing was guaranteed. Maybe one day there really will be a bottle of Bad Luck Bourbon sitting on shelves across this country. Maybe there wonāt. But Iām not going to reach the end of this adventure knowing I watered myself down because I was afraid somebody on Facebook wouldnāt like me. Life is way too short for that. Bad Luck Bourbon has never been about pretending everything works out. The name should probably give that away. š Itās about what happens when it doesnāt. Itās about carrying the things life hands you, laughing when you can, surviving when you have to, and continuing to bet on yourself when the odds arenāt exactly impressive. And maybe thatās why Iāve become more comfortable showing the messy parts of building this. The shirts that donāt sell. The ideas that donāt work. The ridiculous moments. The beautiful ones. The bad decisions. The long shots. The moments when we look at each other and wonder what the hell weāre doing. Because if this actually becomes something someday, I donāt want to rewrite the beginning and make it prettier than it was.I want people to know we were here. Trying. Learning. Failing. Laughing. And trying again. Iām proud of who we are. Iām proud of what weāre building. Iām proud of the veteran standing beside me building it. Iām proud to be an American, and Iām equally grateful that this country is filled with people whose lives, backgrounds, beliefs and stories look completely different from mine. Thatās kind of the whole damn point. You donāt have to agree with me to sit at my table. You donāt even have to like me. Just donāt expect me to become somebody else so youāll be more comfortable sitting there. So hereās to reaching the age where you finally realize you donāt need permission to be yourself. Start the business. Take the trip. Post the embarrassing video. Say what you mean. Change your mind when you learn something new. Stand your ground when you havenāt. Be kind. Laugh at yourself. And remember that somebody elseās opinion of your life doesnāt actually get a vote in how you live it. Weāre still here. Weāre still betting on this crazy little dream. And weāre still carrying the bad luck pretty damn well. š„ For the unlucky. By the unlikely.
