The long and winding road to success is filled with challenges and stumbling blocks. There’s so little room at the top — and the climb to get there can change people. A once powerful visionary bends to the will of his or her investors, losing sight of his or her narrative and purpose in the name of profitability. It’s a common story.

But Fawn Weaver, CEO of Grant Sidney Inc. and Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey, took the road less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.