Founder’s Friday featuring Mark SoRelle @ Pioneer Branded Spirits, Inc (Saint Liberty Whiskey)

Please provide a brief description about your company.

We are the producer of a distilled spirits, called Saint Liberty Whiskey. Saint Liberty Whiskey is proud to celebrate the untold stories of pioneering, Prohibition-era women bootleggers from all over the country. Inspired by the American ideals of independence, justice, and liberty, Saint Liberty honors the courageous, industrious women who pursued their happiness and provided economic freedom for their families through hard work, and sometimes maybe a little shadiness. The company supports the women of today via its commitment to return five percent of gross sales to women’s empowerment, entrepreneurial, and educational efforts. Guided by a female board of advisors, these efforts strive to create opportunities for women like the ones that Bertie Brown fought, and died, for. Saint Liberty Whiskey is a part of the Pioneer Branded Spirits family and will launch additional whiskeys later this year, including an 8-year rye celebrating another pioneering bootlegging woman. Saint Liberty Whiskey, the only company honoring the stories of pioneering women bootleggers, launched its Bertie’s Bear Gulch Texas Straight Bourbon Whiskey in 2019. Our second bootlegger Josephine Doody is set to launch in Texas in early February. Both women are part of the Montana Bootlegger’s Collection, Bertie’s Bear Gulch Bourbon Whiskey is a 4yr Texas Straight Bourbon and Josephine’s Flathead River Rye is 5yr Tennessee Straight Rye. Both whiskies are finished in Montana using the same pure Rocky Mountain waters sources these women used almost a hundred years ago. Our third bootlegger, Mary Curley, hails from Marble, Colorado, just outside of Aspen. Mary’s Four Grain Straight Bourbon is crafted in Texas and will be finished in Marble by Master Distiller and owner, Connie Baker. Our mission is to honor these pioneers of whiskey and the distilled spirits industry and shine light on the untold colorful stories.

Two hashtags that best describe you (i.e.: #driven, #fierce, #mom, #dad, #roadblockcrusher, etc.)

#liveyourpassion #father

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Personal – My children first and foremost. Career – Saint Liberty Whiskey.

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Warm sun on my face, sand between my toes and turquoise water.

What is your greatest fear?

Not being able to find a solution to a problem.

Whom do you most admire?

My wife.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

Become a better listener and save my input for the end of the conversation.

What are your top tips for balancing work and life?

A good nights sleep and when your mind needs a break, take it.

What is something new that you learned about running a business this year?

I learned a lot about contracts and company boards.

What is your most marked characteristic?

Perseverance

What is your greatest regret?

Not being a better brother to my younger sister.

What is your motto?

Live Your Passion!

What is a legal mistake you wish someone warned you about?

Non-competes.

When running your business, what do you struggle with most?

The need to raise more money.

What advice would you give to yourself at 25 years old?

Get that MBA now, don’t wait.