Most business content only shows the outcome.

The revenue. The growth. The success story.

But almost nobody talks about the cost.

In this first episode of Built the Hard Way, Joshua Pies sits down with Brandon McCraney, founder and master whiskey blender behind Old Raleigh Distillery, to talk about what it really took to build a craft whiskey company from scratch.

Brandon shares the full journey: leaving corporate leadership behind, risking his family’s future on an SBA loan, renovating a distillery during COVID, nearly running out of money before opening day, and ultimately building one of the most unique whiskey brands in the country.

This conversation goes far beyond bourbon.

It’s about entrepreneurship, resilience, creativity, leadership, craftsmanship, community, and the mindset required to keep building when failure would cost you everything.

If you’re an entrepreneur, operator, creator, or founder trying to build something meaningful, this episode will resonate deeply.

00:00 – Why most business content is misleading

01:25 – Meet Brandon McCraney & Old Raleigh Distillery

04:40 – Chamber of Commerce & community leadership

09:15 – Leaving the corporate world behind

14:52 – Discovering whiskey blending

20:18 – Starting a whiskey company

25:40 – Construction delays during COVID

32:05 – Running out of money before opening

38:40 – Opening Old Raleigh Distillery

44:15 – Building an audience through virtual whiskey classes

49:50 – Founder resilience & adaptability

55:12 – Why Brandon focused on blending instead of distilling

1:00:40 – Creativity, artistry, and long-term vision

Connect with Joshua Pies

👉LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuapies/

Connect with Brandon McCraney

👉LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandonmccraney/

Want to be a guest? Explore Built The Hard Way Podcast https://c47films.com/about/bu-business-podcast-network/built-the-hard-way/

🔔Follow Built the Hard Way on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartradio, Deezer and etc., for honest conversations with founders, operators, and builders who know success is never as simple as it looks online.

Because behind every great business is a story nobody talks about enough: what it cost to build it. #BuiltTheHardWay #Entrepreneurship #FounderStory #BusinessPodcast #WhiskeyBusiness #StartupJourney #CraftWhiskey