Episode 17: Distilling Success: How Joe Baker Built a Moonshine Empire

Listeners will learn how a hyper-local retail experience in Gatlinburg provided the "engine of growth" for a global wholesale distribution network. Joe Baker, the "serial entrepreneur" behind Ole Smoky Distillery and Yee-Haw Brewing Company, joins Cathy Ackerman to discuss his unconventional career path. Joe reveals the high-stakes risks of mortgaging his law office to fund a startup, the intense pressure of scaling up to meet Walmart's demands, and his strategic pivot into the hand sanitizer business during the COVID-19 pandemic. He also shares why he believes the relationship cultivated with customers at a physical location is the most powerful marketing tool a brand can possess. Hit play to hear Joe Baker’s masterclass on entrepreneurial resilience and brand loyalty.