The Hawk Tuah girl has already sold at least $65,000 worth of merchandise

When you call Fathead Threads, a Tennessee-based embroidery and apparel brand, a deep Southern drawl is on the answering machine: “If you're looking for Hawk Tuah hats, head over to Facebook,” says the voice. The owner of the voice is Jason Poteete, who currently finds himself in the odd position of serving as brand manager for one of the most famous women in the country right now: a young, traditional blonde woman who advocates spitting during the oral sex.

The now immortal phrase “Hawk Tuah” was coined by Hailey Welch, a young woman who on June 11th made internet history during a woman on the street interview with content creators Tim & Dee TV. In the clip, Welch takes such R-rated questions about her preferred sexual positions as well as a “move on the bed [that] makes a man go crazy every time.' When asked this last question, he had this to say: “You've got to give them that 'hawk tua' and spit that custard.”

Over the past week, the clip has gone massively viral and has been quoted by everyone Joe Rogan to Howard Stern at Bryce Harper of the Phillies. And while there's plenty of Hawk Tuah-themed merchandise online — including Tim & Dee's own store — there's only one official seller of Hawk Tuah Girl-licensed Hawk Tuah merchandise: Fathead Threads, a family-owned business business based in Marshall County, Tennessee.

The brand is run by Poteete, a Marshall County native who has known Welch for years. Says Rolling rock that a day or two after the video went viral, he contacted a stunned Welch to find a way to monetize her brand.

“Of course she hasn't made a dime since the first viral video that went out,” says Poteete. “No one was asking her permission not to do anything, either. I just wanted him to make some profit out of this deal.” Poteete declined to share the exact percentage of revenue Welch receives, but says she suggested she trademark the phrase and contacted a lawyer about it. He also says that he is currently represented by an agent, although he was rumored to have signed with the Hollywood powerhouse UTA proved untenable.

Poteete says Welch, who did not answer Rolling rockHer request for an interview, she is “overwhelmed” by the attention and has asked that no personal information about her be shared or her face appear on merchandise. “There are some crazy people in the world who have approached her,” he says. “He's probably one of the most well-known people in the world at this point. But I don't know if he has embraced it.”

So far, Poteete says, Fathead Threads is exclusively selling “Hawk Tuah '24” hats, which are currently available in 14 colors and retail for $32.78 each. (A $50 signed edition with a leather patch has sold out.) He's received interest from everyone from major media networks to the WWE. Poteete estimates the store has sold just over 2,000 hats so far. While he declined to share exactly how much revenue the company makes from its merchandise, he says it's “very easy to do the math.” (For what it's worth, considering the cheapest hat is $32.78, that comes out to at least $65,000.)

“Our biggest orders are usually 100 hats, maybe 150-250 shirts. This is a departure from the normal for us,” he says. “This is a small family store. Right now we are next to the deck.'

Despite Welch's current struggle with the level of attention she's receiving, Poteete hopes she'll eventually settle into her newfound level of viral fame. “It could be a blessing or a curse,” he says. “He can be in the right place at the right time or in the wrong place at the wrong time. [But] I think he'll do well in the end.”

Poteete adds that she is exactly as they portray her in the video. “He has a bubbly personality. She can be somewhat dangerous. You never know what he's going to say,” she says. “I just think people needed a laugh and she provided that.”