How the founder of Merica Bourbon used his years of professional experience to start his own product line

When Marine Corps veteran Derek Sisson entered the wine and spirits industry, he had virtually no business background. He studied using his GI Bill benefits but never completed a degree. His previous business experience was running an ecotourism company that had nothing to do with beer or spirits. He began his industry experience importing Italian wines, but the wineries he worked for only paid him in wine.

“They told me they didn’t have any money to pay me, so I said, ‘Well, it’s really good wine,'” Sisson told Military.com. “It’s just crazy where things take you in life, isn’t it?”

Today, Sisson is CEO of Texas-based Famous Brands, which owns a range of other spirits in addition to its flagship Merica Bourbon. He also just launched Merica Beer, an American pilsner that he describes as a “worker’s beer.”

“Let me just throw it out there: It’s similar to the beers that captured the hearts of Americans early on,” Sisson said. “We started in the South, and when you’re out mowing the lawn or having a barbecue with friends, a cold pilsner seems to quench your thirst.”

Sisson founded Merica Bourbon in 2017, but his road to entrepreneurship was a long one. He joined the Marine Corps in 1985 and served with the 2nd Air-Naval Gunfire Liaison Company (ANGLICO) and the 2nd Force Recon Company. He left the Corps in 1992 and founded Eco Action Tours in Puerto Rico (which still operates). He soon returned to Texas, where he began doing what he calls “the traditional job.”

“I was working as a sales manager for a fitness company and just didn’t feel good about it,” he said. “I started a part-time import company that specialized in Italian wines. I was transporting containers to Texas and representing these wineries. Then I said, ‘You know what? Why don’t you try to get my distribution license?'”

Sisson did just that. For five years, he distributed products for larger companies and helped build brands. After building them, he passed them on to larger distributors as a broker. He also built a large professional network. With his years of experience as an incubator for small liquor brands, he began to think about starting his own company. Under Texas law, he could not be a trademark owner And a distributor, so the step was not without risk.

“It was insane,” Sisson laughed. “Wine was a very, very competitive space, but back then, the selection of bourbon wasn’t quite as great as it is today. … But I saw a niche, I saw better margins. I already had a passion for it, and I had built those relationships on the distribution side. I had pretty much done every aspect of the business myself, from demos to delivery. But I learned the business, I had built those relationships. I realized early on on the distribution side that it was definitely a relationship business.”

It was a difficult decision. Sisson had a family to support and his job provided him with a steady income. His years of professional experience gave him valuable insight into when to take the “total leap,” as he calls it.

“I started part-time. It was that whole crawling-walking-then-running mentality,” he said. “I didn’t make the big jump until I had enough income to be able to take the risk.”

He offers similar advice to new entrepreneurs who are deciding when to quit their jobs and focus full-time on growing their startup: Build up at least a year’s worth of savings, test your concept in the market, get the funding you need to launch the product, and find a mentor to guide you. His most important advice is to go into business with everything you have.

“When I was in the Marine Corps and served in Force Recon, I always said, ‘If you jump out of a plane, you can’t jump back in,'” Sisson said. “So my philosophy is, if you’re going down the path of self-reliance, jump out and don’t plan on jumping back in. Just let it rip.”

To learn more about the veteran-owned and operated Merica brands or to find a store, visit the Merica Bourbon website.

Want to learn more about jobs for veterans?

Get the latest news on post-military careers, plus important information about veteran jobs and all the benefits of military service. Subscribe to Military.com and get personalized updates delivered straight to your inbox.

The story continues