Meet Jon Skubis | Founder of Sierra Whiskey Co.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jon Skubis and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jon, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Risk is something that a lot of people do not think deeply on. Typically, people want to avoid risk at all costs and with good reason, they associate it with negative consequences; however, the upside is the better place to look. When a person fails to look at the potential upside they leave the best possibilities on the table, the fruits are left only to those daring enough to venture outside of the norm. What many may consider safe, a steady job, a quiet neighborhood, a retirement fund, etc. are not immune to loss and tragedy. I was once a sales director in an industry where I excelled, a high performer who was doubling revenue year over year. That’s a classically “safe” place to be, i.e., without risk. Turns out that it wasn’t that safe, I asked some ethical questions about some things that came onto my radar and within the blink of an eye I was terminated. I had started my company, Sierra Whiskey Co., the prior year and that was a calculated risk worth taking. Starting your own company is a risk, though once you get it off the ground, it’s a much less risky future than being at the behest of an employer. You are the captain of the ship, not a lowly deck swab. Taking mitigated risks where you can cap the downside and leave potential for extraordinary upside is a great strategy, though it is one that the vast majority of people will never take. It requires them to move out of their comfort zone, in other words reach the bounds of their preferred and perceived risk tolerance and push past them. In reality, not taking that risk is a bigger risk, but we’ve deluded ourselves into thinking it’s “safer” because that’s the norm in our society. That’s why I would encourage anyone with a dream and the drive to see it through to take the risk, you may find it was actually the safer and more liberating choice.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I started Sierra Whiskey Co. with a few things in mind. I wanted to make clothing where form follows function and we started with men’s underwear in our UNDERTAC Underwear line. I had previously worked very closely with military, law enforcement, Army Special Forces, Navy SEALs etc. and saw a need for a better option. You see in that line of work, the people who are allowing us to sleep peacefully at night and protecting our country, they face many dangers. One of those dangers would be abduction. That’s why our design includes an Escape & Evasion Pocket on the waistband that appears only to be a tag, even when fully loaded up. It was designed so you can carry a few hundred-dollar bills, a handcuff key, a handcuff shim, a ceramic razor blade, diamond escape wire, and Kevlar cord. All of these implements would be vital to have in case one was abducted. We also have what we call our Quick Release Ambidextrous Fly that makes it super easy to use the facilities when you’re wearing body armor or other gear associated with those jobs. This feature is also great for travelers when they go to more dangerous areas or even if they just want to carry some extra money that won’t be found if they were mugged. If all you’re carrying is money then you can have up to $700 in the Escape & Evasion pocket. So, a better product was one. The next thing was we wanted to give people an option from a company that is more in alignment with their personal values. There’s a lot of companies out there that will take your money and then turn around and give it to organizations that are actively trying to undermine the things that you hold dear. We’re not like that. We’re for free speech, we support the rights of the people to have access to all the things outlined in our United States Constitution. We hold true to our values and morals, and won’t change those with the shifting winds of pop-culture opinions. Lastly, we wanted to find a way to give back, that’s why we’ve pledged a portion of our profits to veteran-run, non-profit organizations that help to fight human trafficking. It’s something that most people ignore because it’s too horrific to acknowledge, but it’s a problem that we must face to keep our children and our communities safe.
I’m proud of the progress we’ve made, starting a business isn’t easy and you must wear many hats on a daily basis, but it’s worth it. Perseverance, faith in something greater than yourself, and a worthy cause are all parts of the equation. I’m very blessed to be allowed the freedom to do what I do. I owe that to our customers and this great country we live in.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Colorado is such a great place that it’s difficult to limit yourself to a few areas or activities, but I’d have to say hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park. It’s a true gem in our beautiful country! Grabbing some sandwiches from the little roadside stand called Scratch in Estes Park would be a good start. We’d then hit the trails. Dream Lake, Emerald Lake, The Loch Vale, Sky Pond, are all beyond-words beautiful. You can spend weeks just exploring the area. Another great little spot to eat is Boss Burgers and Gyros, unassuming exterior, but they make one of the best gyros I’ve had! Being that I’m very interested in everyone learning how to properly defend themselves we’d have to get some training in. Colorado is the training mecca for Martial Blade Concepts. Michael Janich, the founder of MBC, and many of his fine instructors live around the Denver / Longmont area. We’d then have to cap it off by attending a knife making class taught by Ted Thompson, owner of Hooligan Kustoms. Ted is an expert knifemaker and appeared on the TV Show Forged in Fire in season 2, becoming a Forged in Fire champion.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The road to creating a successful company is filled with a lot of questions and an inordinate amount of self-doubt you must overcome. The following people have inspired me, some friends, some mentors, but all good people. Michael Janich founder of Martial Blade Concepts, Jim Kauber President of The Site Training Facility, Dave Rogers founder of Dave’s Guitar Shop, Matt McPherson founder of Mathews Archery and McPherson Guitars, and most importantly of all, my mother, Halina Skubis, who always believed in me even at times when I didn’t believe in myself.

Website: https://www.sierrawhiskeyco.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sierrawhiskeyco/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sierra-whiskey-co

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SierraWhiskeyCo/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTFZji95LXRmVcwP74NRkBw