We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Karen Locke. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Karen below.

Karen, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. The more we talk about good leadership the more we think good leadership practices will spread and so we’d love for you to tell us a story about the best boss you’ve had and what they were like or what they did that was so great?

The most impactful “boss/mentor/leader” I have ever had is not a singular person but a “Collective” of unique, strong, smart, tenacious, fearless, gracious, and creative women found in the Spirits Industry. Each one of them brings their own special qualities to the table, making the Collective a force to be reckoned with.

They freely share the lessons learned from their triumphs and failures, knowing that in the sharing, great things can happen. They innovate and reinvent not only their products but the industry in which they operate, constantly pushing the boundaries of what is possible. They continually have one hand on the ladder rung above their heads while reaching back with the other to someone coming up behind them. They demonstrate persistence in the face of headwinds, and I thank them every day for the examples they set in the pursuit of their passions.

At 61, I was inspired and empowered by this group of women to learn a technology new to me that would enable me to establish a space for them to connect, collaborate, educate, encourage, and enlighten. My hope is that this project will foster lasting relationships and partnerships that will uplift the individuals and the Collective and provide opportunities to scale ideas through collaborative partnerships. But more than that, it has the opportunity to “distill” their multiple voices into a powerful single voice that can have a significant impact on the industry as a whole.

The resulting not-for-profit, “Spirited Women Collective”, is my legacy passion project and a direct result of their generous guidance and encouragement.
Launched August 10, 2024 – https://spirited-women-collective.mn.co/share/Itdl2pk04C-RZSPb?utm_source=manual

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am and have always been an observer seeking a deeper understanding of the world and people around me. I glory in nature and am both appalled and inspired by humanity (lessons to be found in both). My childhood and early adulthood were filled with significant challenges that shaped how I approach things even today, and it these decades old events that developed in me a need to find those who are struggling with similar challenges and provide them with the community that they need to resolve those challenges. I seek to provide the community needed to help them reach the pinnacle of achievement for themselves and by extension, others. “Be what we want to see” is my daily mantra.

In this last leg of my life, I have become fascinated by the Spirits Industry and by the Spirited Women who occupy that space like Warrior Queens. This fascination led to my first book exploring this topic, “Bourbon Belles and Whiskey Women: A Culinary and Cocktail Journey with the Women of Whiskey”. I derived so much joy from the journey involved with the writing of that book that I almost simultaneously began work on the second installment. This writing spun into my social media as I began to become more diligent in my pursuit to elevate these sometimes relatively unknown women to the attention of Spirit lovers.

My continued interaction with these women taught me so much about the process of developing, producing and marketing their products. Coincident to this practical education, it also educated me about the sacrifices that they sometimes are required to make in order to BE SEEN and VALUED in an industry that has been male dominated for decades (but not centuries … more about that later).

And so, I temporarily pivoted (with the help of many of these women) from writing the second book to developing a platform for them exclusively. This resulted in the recent launch of the Spirited Women Collective noted above.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Reputation is so critically important.

When I first began engaging with the industry, there was a hesitancy to speak with me because I was an unknown entity and they were, understandably, reticent. I addressed this by making myself visible and available at the events that they attended so that they could experience firsthand my sincere wish to learn and understand the industry and issues they encountered in their work each day.

I made a personal commitment to be that “boulder in the stream” that stayed put regardless of the speed and temperature of the water. My hope was (and continues to be) that over time they would come to know that I genuinely care about their individual journeys and the community that surrounds them. The Spirited Women Collective platform is an extension of that commitment.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Prior to Covid, I owned a large format printing company. We closed during the pandemic, but I have used those industry connections, and the knowledge gained from running (and losing) that business to assist me with the writing and publishing of my books.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.powerof3publications.com
• Instagram: @bourbonbellesandwhiskeywomen
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556623025416
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-locke-4bbb9814b