Whistlepig Whiskey, Bhakta Farms: Raj Bhakta

In episode 7 of Vermontrepreneur, I get the chance to sit down with Raj Bhakta, founder of Whistlepig  Whiskey and current owner of Bhakta Farms. 

Raj's parents immigrated to the US from India and Ireland, and he was raised to love this country for the opportunities it offered. Raj's father started from nothing, and ended up building a career in the car industry and then the hotel business. Having grown up with a father who possessed a strong entrepreneurial spirit, Raj always figured he'd join the family business, or start his own thing. He never really planned on working for someone else. 

But after working with his father on a hotel development project in Vail, Coilorado,  he realized that "the family business" wasn't going to be his thing. Then his friend told him about an opportunity to be on the Apprentice, the reality TV show hosted by Donald Trump, and he ended up getting the gig. After the show, he used his newfound fame and confidence to  run for public office, start a ".com" company, and eventually founded a successful spirits company. And he's still going. 

Join me on an inspiring journey of a man who refuses to doubt himself and believes that optimism is the best medicine for good business. To be fair, it really has worked out for him. You have sipped on Whistlepig, right?