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 Platform
https://www.thekimgroup.com – The Kim Group
📱 Instagram:
@thekatiekim
@thekimgroup
💼 LinkedIn:
Katie Arnholt Kim, CCIM
The Katie Kim Educational Platform
The Kim Group
📘 Facebook:
The Katie Kim Educational Platform
The 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 boss
01:01 – 02:24 → Felicia’s early ranch life & grit lessons
02:50 – 05:34 → Teaching in Alaska & the leap into aviation
05:34 – 07:40 → Becoming the first female in Bushmills program in 32 years
07:59 – 09:16 → Moving to Ireland with her boys after her husband’s passing
09:16 – 11:25 → Launching Alaska’s first distillery with no outside capital
11:25 – 13:51 → Family, ranch life, and teaching her kids entrepreneurship
13:51 – 15:55 → Bootstrapping small, scaling later, and always selling out
16:32 – 17:36 → “No means maybe. Maybe means yes.” — Felicia’s mindset
18:11 – 21:29 → Why Felicia moved the distillery from Alaska to Nevada
22:25 – 23:58 → Mentors, learning, and the power of being coachable
25:00 – 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 net
33:09 – 33:55 → How to scale without losing control
34:27 – 37:46 → Investors want in, but Felicia protects her company
38:35 – 42:51 → Birth of the Barrel Investment Club
45:28 – 47:23 → $15M contracts waiting + 98% repeat investors
47:58 – 50:50 → Barrel parties & building investor community
51:15 – 57:22 → Why her investors feel like family & exclusivity at events
57:38 – 59:34 → Summer & Christmas barrel investor parties
59:55 – 1:02:14 → The ranch expansion vision & Katie’s aha moment
1:04:50 – 1:09:14 → Felicia on working with Katie & being heard
1:09:43 – 1:13:18 → Katie & Felicia on building boldly and dreaming big
1:13:39 – 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
