Making Lemonade is a series of conversations with young entrepreneurs who have overcome obstacles, embraced change, and turned lemons into lemonade.
Today’s guest is former NFL defensive back and Super Bowl Champion, Will Blackmon! Will retired from the game in 2017 and has since been making a name for himself in the wine industry, including launching his wine concierge business, The Wine MVP. While his client list includes big names like Reggie Bush, Matt Ryan, and Josh Allen, Will remains humble and dedicated to his mission of making wine more approachable for millennials through his monthly subscription box. I chat with Will about his 12-year NFL career, his pursuit of starting a business, and his journey toward becoming a Master Sommelier. We touch on the importance of hard work and financial literacy for successful entrepreneurship and about the power of education when it comes to building a business.
“The one thing I took away from football [and that applies to entrepreneurship] is that there’s going to be a lot of days that suck, and you’re going to have to just deal with it. You just have to keep going.”
-Will Blackmon
This episode of Making Lemonade is part of a partnership between the Singleton Foundation for Financial Literacy and Entrepreneurship and the NFL Alumni Association, the most recognizable national organization of retired professional athletes. Together our two organizations will create and share original and curated content to amplify the importance of breaking the taboo of talking about money and encourage young people to think with an entrepreneurial mindset which leads to better financial futures. Read the full press release about the partnership here.
