When you ring up Fathead Threads, a Tennessee -based embroidery and apparel brand, you're greeted with a distinctive Southern drawl on the voicemail.
"If you're looking for Hawk Tuah hats, head to Facebook ," announces the voice of Jason Poteete. He finds himself in the odd position of being the brand manager for one of the most talked-about women in America right now: Hailey Welch, a young, down-home blonde who's become famous for advocating a certain sexual technique.
The phrase "Hawk Tuah" was made famous by Hailey Welch, who became an internet sensation on June 11 after a risque street interview with Tim & Dee TV. In the viral clip, Welch is quizzed about her favorite sexual positions and her ultimate bedroom move.
Her response? "You gotta give 'em that 'hawk tuah' and spit on that thang."
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In just a week, the video has exploded online, catching the attention of celebrities like Joe Rogan, Howard Stern, and even Bryce Harper of the Phillies. While there's a flood of Hawk Tuah-themed merchandise online - including from Tim & Dee's own shop - only Fathead Threads, nestled in Marshall County, Tennessee, holds the official license to hawk the Hawk Tuah Girl-branded gear.
The brains behind the brand, Poteete, a local from Marshall County and long-time acquaintance of Welch, told Rolling Stone that he contacted an astonished Welch shortly after her video blew up on the internet, eager to find a way for her to cash in on her sudden fame.
"Of course she hasn't gotten a dime from the first viral video that went out," Poteete revealed. "Nobody was asking permission for her to do nothing, neither. I just wanted her to get some profit off of this deal."
While Poteete kept quiet about the exact cut Welch is getting from the deals, he did mention that he advised her to trademark the catchphrase and that she's currently consulting with a lawyer. He also confirmed that she has representation from an agent, although the buzz about her signing with big-time agency UTA was just hearsay.
Poteete shared that Welch, who didn't give a comment, is feeling "overwhelmed" by all the buzz and has asked him to keep her personal info under wraps and not to plaster her face on any merch. "There are some crazy people in the world who've reached out to her," he said.
"She's probably one of the most well-known people in the world at this point. But I don't know if she's embraced it." Poteete reveals that Fathead Threads is currently only selling "Hawk Tuah '24" hats, available in 14 different colors and priced at $32.78 each. A signed version with a leather patch, priced at $50, is already sold out.
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The shop has attracted interest from large-scale media networks to WWE, and Poteete estimates they've sold just over 2,000 hats so far. While he didn't disclose the total earnings from the merchandise sales, he hinted that it's easy to calculate based on the hat prices, which would amount to at least $65,000.
"Our largest orders are usually 100 hats, maybe 150-250 shirts. This is way out of the normal for us," he admits. "This is a small family-owned shop. We're all-hands-on-deck right now."
Despite Welch's current unease with her sudden fame, Poteete remains optimistic that she'll eventually adjust to her newfound popularity. "It could be a blessing or a curse," he muses.
"She may be in the right place at the right time or the wrong place at the wrong time. [But] I think she'll do fine in the end." He further describes Welch as being exactly like her portrayal in the viral video.
"She has a bubbly personality. She can be somewhat risque. You never know what she's gonna say," he shares. "I just think the world needed a laugh, and she provided that."
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