Ep. 8: From Bush Pilot to Bourbon Boss: Felicia’s Playbook for Female Founders

From Bush Pilot to Bourbon Boss: Felicia’s Playbook for Female Founders Felicia’s journey is proof that grit and vision can break barriers in any industry. From teaching in rural Alaska to flying bush planes to becoming the first woman to own and operate a distillery in Alaska and Nevada, her story is one of resilience, bold pivots, and saying yes when the world says no. In this episode, Felicia and Katie unpack the lessons every female founder needs to hear: How to scale a business without millions in the bank Why “no” really means “maybe” in business The mindset shifts that turn setbacks into springboards How to build a legacy brand while balancing family and growth This isn’t just Felicia’s story—it’s a playbook for female founders who want to start, scale, or expand into real estate without getting overwhelmed. 🥃 Master Class on Investing in Bourbon🚨 BONUS: Learn how to grow wealth with bourbon barrels + get insider access to this unique investment strategy.💥 Type “bourbon” below (or click the link) to save your spot →https://www.katiekim.com/bourbon 🔗 Connect with Katie Kim 🌐 Website:https://www.katiekim.com – The Katie Kim Educational Platformhttps://www.thekimgroup.com – The Kim Group 📱 Instagram:@thekatiekim@thekimgroup 💼 LinkedIn:Katie Arnholt Kim, CCIMThe Katie Kim Educational PlatformThe Kim Group 📘 Facebook:The Katie Kim Educational PlatformThe Kim Group 🔗 Connect with Felicia Keith-Jones 🌐 Website: https://www.highmarkdistillery.com 📱 Instagram:@HighMarkDistillery 💼 LinkedIn:Felicia Jones / High Mark Distillery 🥃 https://highmarkdistillery.com/pages/barrel-club ⏱ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 – 00:39 → Katie’s intro: teacher → bush pilot → bourbon boss01:01 – 02:24 → Felicia’s early ranch life & grit lessons02:50 – 05:34 → Teaching in Alaska & the leap into aviation05:34 – 07:40 → Becoming the first female in Bushmills program in 32 years07:59 – 09:16 → Moving to Ireland with her boys after her husband’s passing09:16 – 11:25 → Launching Alaska’s first distillery with no outside capital11:25 – 13:51 → Family, ranch life, and teaching her kids entrepreneurship13:51 – 15:55 → Bootstrapping small, scaling later, and always selling out16:32 – 17:36 → “No means maybe. Maybe means yes.” — Felicia’s mindset18:11 – 21:29 → Why Felicia moved the distillery from Alaska to Nevada22:25 – 23:58 → Mentors, learning, and the power of being coachable25:00 – 26:42 → “There’s no such thing as failure if you don’t quit.”27:30 – 31:36 → Risk, resilience, and why she never wanted a safety net33:09 – 33:55 → How to scale without losing control34:27 – 37:46 → Investors want in, but Felicia protects her company38:35 – 42:51 → Birth of the Barrel Investment Club45:28 – 47:23 → $15M contracts waiting + 98% repeat investors47:58 – 50:50 → Barrel parties & building investor community51:15 – 57:22 → Why her investors feel like family & exclusivity at events57:38 – 59:34 → Summer & Christmas barrel investor parties59:55 – 1:02:14 → The ranch expansion vision & Katie’s aha moment1:04:50 – 1:09:14 → Felicia on working with Katie & being heard1:09:43 – 1:13:18 → Katie & Felicia on building boldly and dreaming big1:13:39 – 1:15:02 → Katie’s outro: grit + vision + integrity 🔑 WHAT YOU’LL LEARN How to scale a business without getting buried in debt. The power of grit + vision in breaking barriers. Why bourbon barrels are becoming a unique investment class. The importance of protecting your vision (and finding the right partners). Special Mentions🎵 Ray Scott – Country music artist, Grand Ole Opry performer🎤 Jimmy Wayne – Country music singer-songwriter, philanthropist, author📚 Lindsay Smith – Author of No One Needs Another Company Mug: Stop Branding. Start Experiencing. Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/One-Needs-Another-Company-Experiencing/dp/B0DTGQ4V7X?utm 🎯 NEXT STEPS💻 Missed the last webinar?Katie’s FREE LIVE MASTERCLASS returns this October!📅 Tuesday, October 14th at 7pm CST and     Thursday, October 16th at 12pm CST → Learn how to use real estate development as a tool to scale your business. 🚨 BONUS: Submit your deal for a chance at live coaching with Katie!💥 Type “masterclass” below to save your spot.👉 https://www.katiekim.com/masterclass   🚀 NEXT BOOTCAMP: October 10th from 11:00 am – 3:00 pm CST💬 Comment “BOOTCAMP” to sharpen your Buy Box LIVE (only 5 seats).👉 https://www.katiekim.com/bootcamp   🤔 Not sure what your next step is?Book a call with our team to discuss the best option for you.👉 https://www.katiekim.com/booking-page   #FemaleFounder #BusinessGrowth #BourbonInvestment #RealEstateDevelopment #KatieKim