Today we’d like to introduce you to Warren Steury.
Hi Warren, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
When I was a kid I was completley immersed in reading and spending time outdoors, all while absolutely hating school and wanting nothing to do with it. I became entrepreneurial around the age of 14 with a lawn care business, car detailing business, and all the other gigs we come up with when we’re teenagers trying to make an extra buck. Fast forward to today, over a decade later, no matter what type of business I’ve run or job I’ve worked I’ve always had an intense interest in hosting events. They’ve always revolved around conversations on culture and nature, and that’s led up to the founding of Meriwether Academy in January of 2025. Now we’re hosting men’s events and working to build a boys school right here in Tennessee.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Any endeavor worth taking on is not going to be smooth. Theodore Roosevelt spoke about being a “man in the arena” with a face “marred by dust and sweat and blood.” Roosevelt paints the perfect picture in that speech. In my teenage businesses it was knocking on doors, getting rejected, and moving on anyway. With the media business it was showing up at local businesses and facing those same rejections over and over again. With Meriwether it’s about finding the right audience for our events; our programming is niche and speaks to a certain type of guy, so I have to go through a lot of “no”s to fill seats. Our next big mission is our school, running a non-profit is going to bring on a whole new palette of challenges but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Let’s just keep moving forward, in the end we’ll look back on a beautiful journey and realize why it was all worth it.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I started Meriwether Academy earlier this year after hosting events and outdoor adventures for years, but never under a unified brand. Our purpose is cultural revival; we host men’s retreats, dinner events, camping trips, and study clubs here in Nashville. We connect men to the traditions of the past as a way to understand what they came from, where they are now, and how they can move forward and build the future. Our events are marked by their attention to detail, rich content, and the caliber of men who show up (I’ve met some of the smartest and most capable men I’ve ever known through our community). The attention to detail sets us apart. We don’t cut corners; from the locations, the speakers, the food, the material. etc. It’s all aimed at providing an excellent experience to someone, regardless of the effort involved, and not sacrificing class for convenience.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
None of this would ever be possible without people guiding me along the way. For the last 4 years Matt Wilson, Ed Clay, and Scotty Nelson have given me priceless advice on strategy, marketing, and communication that have helped me refine all of my projects. Ryan Turbeville coached me on how to approach cultural and political conversations. Jason Selva on social media strategies. Davis Hunt on prose writing. Through the historical lens; Washington taught me the value of humility, Jefferson and Franklin on reading, Lewis on perseverance, Thoreau and Emerson on the importance of a relationship to nature. Above all however, my mother and father teach me every day how to love others.
Pricing:
- Varies by event.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://meriwetheracademy.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nwsteury/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nwsteury
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nwsteury/
- Twitter: https://x.com/NWSteury
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MeriwetherAcademy
