Interview with Kate Shapira Latts, April 26, 2021

CISSELL: Hello, my name is Madison Cissell. As a student in Dr. Fernheimer's Bourbon Oral History Course in the spring of 2021, I am conducting this interview as a part of my work for that class and the Women in Bourbon Oral History Project. Today is April 26, 2021, and it is my great honor and pleasure to interview Kate Shapira Latts, using TheirStory here in Lexington, Kentucky. Thank you so much for joining me today, Kate.

LATTS: Absolutely. Thank you.

CISSELL: Um, I wanted to start off just asking you, um we're over a year into the pandemic now, so how are you doing?

LATTS: I am doing well. I think we are feeling a little bit of normalcy. I'm excited. I'm double vaccinated as is my husband and my kids, so we just have a lot of peace of mind now at least that we can feel a little bit more comfortable. A little bit more comfortable that we're a little safer.

CISSELL: Um-hm. I feel the same way. I just recently got double vaccinated, too, so it's--

LATTS: --oh, that's good--

CISSELL: --now we're in this weird transition where you're trying to figure out everything. (laughs)

LATTS: Exactly, exactly. And we are very keen on trying to encourage our friends, family, employees to, to get vaccinated because the sooner everyone does we can really get life back to more of a sense of normalcy for sure.

CISSELL: Um-hm. And I'm going to be asking you about this later, but I am interested to hear what um, you know work has looked like in the past year if you all have been in the office or at home.

LATTS: As you can see, we're doing this interview today um, here with me in my dining room, which has been my office for now, I guess, fourteen months. Um, I have taken over the dining room. My husband, who is chief operating officer of Heaven Hill, he is down the hall in his office most days. And we go into the office from time to time but really for a specific reason, but most of our employees who can work remotely have been asked to continue to do so. 00:02:00So, we will see.

CISSELL: Yeah. Um, well, to-- let's get started and learn more about, you know, before you came to Heaven Hill. From my understanding, you attended Duke University from the years 1989 to 1993 and you majored in economics. I'd love to hear um, you know, what made you decide to go to Duke and what made you decide to major in economics?

LATTS: Sure. Well, I always wanted to go into business. When other little kids were playing with their dolls or playing house, I was playing store. So, being, being--doing something in a business field was, was definitely my plan. Duke, is--as a liberal arts school, does not have an undergrad business major, so economics was the closest thing to it. But I really am a believer in liberal arts education, so I was able to take a wide range of course work. I took a lot of language classes, both Spanish and French. I took a lot of art 00:03:00history, some education classes, sociology classes. So, it was really uh, a great opportunity for me. And how I decided to go to Duke, I spent the summers going to summer camp and loved camp, loved the being outside and wonderful weather. And I remember after having gotten in Duke, I stepped out of the car and I looked at the beautiful North Carolina blue sky on a mid-April day and I knew right away this was where I wanted to spend the next four years of my undergrad.

CISSELL: Nice. And that was um, was that like during a college visit after you had learned you'd been acc--accepted?

LATTS: Right, exactly.

CISSELL: Nice.

LATTS: Yeah.

CISSELL: So, you know, was it--what were the kind of values about Duke that stood out to you that made you want to apply um, and then eventually go there?

LATTS: Right um. Well, I applied to a range of schools. I actually 00:04:00was really interested in Georgetown and maybe thought I was going to go there. I loved Washington DC. I loved their international business program. But like I said um, once I got in Duke, Duke was the only school I actually had not seen before I applied. And my parents said, "Oh, you should go look at it." And I just fell in love with everything about it. You could tell it was a--it was going to be a really warm, collaborative place. Um, Duke is not like in this college town where people are spending more of their time in the city than they are on campus. Ninety-two percent plus live on campus all four years. So, you could sense that it was going to be life happening on campus, not a dynamic where you maybe live in freshman dorms and then you go off and live in the city and it becomes more of a commuter situation. Duke was going to be a real four-year college experience. And that certainly transpired as I'm so 00:05:00close with my college friends, and the people you meet in college from all over, all different backgrounds. Is really the best part of college for sure.CISSELL: Yeah. It sounds like you really admired that immersive college experience and that leads me right--I was just wanting to ask you, you know what did that college experience look like for you specifically? Um, I saw--it seems like you were involved with Alpha Delta Pi and Phi Beta Kappa. Um, I guess tell me about those experiences. Any other clubs or organizations you were a part of too?

LATTS: Um, sure. Well, you know, as a marketing person I think I got my um, early experience marketing because I was a tour guide at, at Duke and loved selling the university and selling the campus. So I worked with the admissions office a lot. That was one of um, my main activities. Also, I was really involved in community service, doing Big Brothers Big Sisters program throughout my time there. And then also, I've been very involved in not-for-profit development, which I also got my first taste of in my undergrad years 00:06:00at Duke, working really closely with the um, development office and the annual fund program at Duke and helping with the marketing efforts within that program, specifically talking to students about giving back to Duke. So those were some of the spe--the, the specific extracurriculars. And again, just the relationships and conversations and dialogues that I had with my friends is really so much of what you get out of the college experience for sure. I also studied abroad, which to this day is one of the best things I ever did. I spent the semester in Paris and traveled all over, and that really immersive experience is really, truly, a life-changing experience for any young college-age um, student who has that opportunity. I highly recommend it.

CISSELL: I, I actually studied abroad in Israel in the spring of 2020, but I had to come home because of the pandemic.

LATTS: Oh.

CISSELL: So, I didn't get that--[audio cuts out]--experience--

LATTS: --I'm sorry--

CISSELL: --but I completely agree with what you're saying. While you were abroad was there a specific like, academic focus or courses you were taking?

LATTS: Uh, not specifically. It was really more of a French immersion program so taking French, French architecture, French art history, um French history, things like that.

CISSELL: And when you say you were able to travel all over, were you able to go to other countries while you were there too or was that more like just in France?

LATTS: Both. Every weekend you would hop on the train. And back then, we had these things called Eurail passes and you could hop on the train and go wherever. So, you, you go to Florence for the weekend, you would go to Prague, you'd go to, go to Madrid. So we, we went everywhere. And you know, we would hook up with friends who were also studying abroad and just saw all of Europe. It was really fantastic.

CISSELL: It sounds incredible. And um, you mentioned living in the dorms, maybe, while you were at Duke. Did you live in a dorm all four years or?

LATTS: Right. Um, so I actually--we had on campus apartments that you could live in when you were an upper-class uh, man, so I did that. And then my last year I actually did live off campus, um right off campus with a group of my friends.

CISSELL: Nice. Um, I guess, moving past getting your undergrad, it seems like you decided to stay at Duke for an additional time to get your MBA in marketing. Uh, can you tell me more about that?

LATTS: Sure. Well actually, I left um, Duke because it's not very common for people to go straight through to their MBA, so I actually graduated from Duke in 1993 and then moved to Washington DC and worked for a consulting firm. So, it was really there that I came to realize my passion for consumer marketing and consumer packaged goods, as I was working across a number of clients. But one specifically was for Procter & Gamble where we were doing a lot of their competitive intelligence actually through some of their European 00:09:00operations. So, it was through that experience that um, I knew I wanted to go ahead and apply for going back to business school. So, I ended up going back to Duke for um, that MBA. And it was right at the beginning of that experience when I met my husband who coincidentally had also been working in Washington DC. He likes to say I was following him around, because he went there for undergrad too, and was two years ahead of me. So, he was at Duke, then in Washington, and then we finally met when we were getting our MBAs.

CISSELL: Wow, that's a really nice coincidence. Um, I'm wondering, when you were at that um, consulting firm what about that work made you realize you had a passion for consumer markets and what about that excited you?

LATTS: Right. Um, I think it was my first opportunity in the workplace to really understand what a consumer packaged goods company was, you know, 00:10:00working across all the different sectors of Procter & Gamble and studying their competitors, whether it was Colgate-Palmolive or Henkel or Johnson & Johnson, to understand how these big consumer packaged goods company have beauty care and they have laundry and they have healthcare all within one um diversified company. And they are all these tangible things that you bought in the grocery store that you bought at Target. And you could be involved in the packaging and the promotion and the advertising, and then literally go watch somebody buy it. Um, just, I realized, was really energizing. And oh by the way, I connected the dots because I realized, Oh, I grew up with that kind of a business, being in uh, clearly a family involved with Heaven Hill. So, all of a sudden, it started to come full circle like, Oh, that might be something I want to do longer term.

CISSELL: Um-hm. And I'm wondering um, what was life kind of like for you living in Washington DC after uh, getting your undergrad at Duke?

LATTS: Uh,it was great fun. I lived with two college friends and we lived right outside DC in Northern Virginia. And a lot of Duke grads go to DC so 00:11:00we had lots of friends. And I worked in a very young organization, so we made lots of friends. And it's your first time, you're out on your own, and you actually are making money and you are having dinner parties. And it was, it was a lot of fun. Worked really hard, but also had a lot of fun.

CISSELL: Nice. And then, what did life look like, you know once you came back to Duke for your MBA?

LATTS: Sure. Uh, well, being a grad student at Duke is definitely very different from being an undergrad. It's a pretty separate experience, which was good because I wouldn't have wanted it to be exactly the same. So, going back and getting an MBA is kind of like going back to high school because unlike in college where you have all these different buildings and your schedule is going all across campus and, and you're never in the same place for more than an hour for your class or whatever, in business school it's all kind of one 00:12:00building --(laughs)-- so--and you have a locker. (laughs) So, it really feels like going back to high school um, in that regard. But also so much, uh, teamwork in business school. Um, Duke's business school, the Fuqua School of Business pride itself-- prides itself on being known for Team Fuqua, so really instilling in its students the importance of teamwork and collaboration. So, everything you do is within a team unit. So, and and it's a different team for every different cor--class and project, so an amazing opportunity to know lots of people, again, from all over the country with all different kind of work backgrounds and interests um, for post-Duke.

CISSELL: Nice. And did you enjoy that kind of team-oriented aspect that they had?

LATTS: Definitely, definitely. Because there were always people who are better at maybe getting the presentation organized and thought through, and then there were the people who were better at the analysis piece or assigning tasks and holding people accountable. So, everybody really could find what they were good at and rely on one another to take up the slack of something you're 00:13:00maybe not as good at, which is very real world because in the real world we all have to rely on one another to get a job done, and nobody is a Michelangelo and can, can do everything by themselves. So, it really sets you up um, to be successful in the workplace.

CISSELL: Yeah. If you don't mind me asking, what do you think um, your strengths were that you would bring to these projects that maybe even translate to today?

LATTS: Right. Well, it was a very, very long time ago. Um, I definitely think I was good at, at mobilizing and organizing the group to understand what the tasks were at hand and identifying you know, what our overall strategy was and how we were going to get the project done.

CISSELL: Yeah, it sounds very impressive. (laughs) Um, I'm wondering um, would you--or what would you consider to be the first job you got after you had gotten your MBA?

LATTS: Right. So a big thing when you're in an MBA program is your 00:14:00summer internship between your first and second years of business school. And as I said, I knew when I went back and got my MBA that I wanted to do marketing in a CPG [consumer packaged goods] company. So I was lucky enough to get a job with Procter & Gamble for that summer. And most people get a job at the end of your internship for full-time employment once you graduate. And that was my experience. So I knew that I wan--was going to go back. And um, it makes for a very lovely second year of business school, for sure, knowing you already have a job. And at that point um, Allan, my husband, and I knew we wanted to get engaged and get married and so we were able to um, get access for him to actually apply to work in finance at P&G, which was not uncommon for people, so that all worked out really well. So, after we graduated with our MBAs, we moved to Cincinnati and both worked for Procter & Gamble.

CISSELL: Wow. Um, what did your responsibilities look like as an intern? And then did the--how did those change when you were hired full time?

LATTS: Sure. Well, when I first started as an intern, I was supposed to work on the NyQuil brand as an intern doing summer projects. And I don't, I don't know exactly what because on my like third day of my internship, the person who hired me who had also been a Fuqua grad said I have been placed on this special project to identify if P&G wants to acquire this um, adult and--adult nutrition brand. And so, I was his um, intern for the summer putting together the analysis and consumer marketing and consumer insight to understand if we wanted--if P&G wanted to buy the brand, so it was really exciting. So, I, I didn't have the typical intern experience of doing analysis and maybe developing a coupon and other things like that for uh, one of the name brands, but I got 00:16:00amazing one-on-one experience with my manager and a lot of high-profile exposure, so that was really awesome. So then when I went back, I actually did start on the NyQuil--Vicks, NyQuil, and DayQuil brand. And, you know when you first start off you--o, on a really big brand like NyQuil, you do a range of things. You know, being in brand management at P&G is very much learning how to run business. You are sort of the hub of the wheel, coordinating any projects with operations, developing the programs that the sales organization then goes and sells, working with ad agencies, develop the advertising, working with market research to develop the consumer insights, um, all while maintaining and delivering for the company a certain profit. So, it is a really varied job. You get to do a lot of different things and it was a great experience.

CISSELL: That's lovely to hear. Um, how do you feel like your university studies kind of prepared you for your internship or you know, um full-time 00:17:00then working for NyQuil or the NyQuil brand?

LATTS: Um well, I mean I think that, you know a, an undergrad liberal arts experience really teaches you how to think and communicate, how to be a writer, how to be a communicator, so that really set me up to succeed with my MBA. And then during my MBA really learning more specifics in the marketing space, understanding the importance of, of, of, of studying consumer insights to um, how to think about brand strategy and those sorts of things. So, all those things came together um, that were really important. And at Procter & Gamble leadership is very, very, very important. So, showing experiences where you had really shine--shined as a leader were very important because as a brand person you have--you are that leader. You're that hub of the wheel that has to influence and engage and, and enable people around you to, to get a job done or to be a part of a team on the same page to deliver a common goal.

CISSELL: Yeah. Do you feel like that um, value of leadership helped you um, become the leader you are today at Heaven Hill?

LATTS: I'd like to think so. I mean, also at Procter & Gamble there's so much amazing leadership training that they give you. And as I was sort of alluding to, they believe very much in the three e model of, of leadership, which is about envisioning, enabling, and enrolling. S--and I try and think of those three things throughout even my days here at Heaven Hill and as I train and develop my team. Those are really important aspects of leadership.

CISSELL: Yeah. Uh, could you describe kind of the work culture while you were at Procter & Gamble?

LATTS: Sure. Um, you know people--I think we were at Procter & Gamble at an amazing time. We had, I felt like, really great work-life balance. We 00:19:00worked really hard, you know fifty, fifty-five hours a week, but everybody did that. That's just what you did. Yeah you took your computer home and you did work, and it--but what else did we have to do? (laughs) I mean, we were actually very involved in the community. We got very involved in the Jewish community when we lived in Cincinnati. So, we ha--we traveled all the time. We had plenty of time. We didn't have any kids. You know, we were living what--I don't know if they still refer to this, but we were living that DINK lifestyle, dual income no kids lifestyle--

CISSELL: --Um-hm--

LATTS:--and it was, it was you know, work hard play hard kind of environment. And at P&G, you know it is, it's an amazing, amazing company. I can't say enough good things. But it is, indeed, a big company, and there's a lot of levels. And it--there's a lot of data. And you can use data to tell almost any story that you want to tell. And, and and that was a dynamic I was excited to not have in play when I came back to Heaven Hill where it was going to be a smaller organization and less--a little bit less hierarchy and politics as far 00:20:00as doing something because someone thought it was the right thing to do, and you needed to prove that point or prove that case. But rather, really doing what's, what's right for the brands, one hundred percent.

CISSELL: Um-hm. And I, I think that opens up a really good um, segue into, you know, your experience uh officially entering the distilled spirits industry. Uh, can you tell me more about that?

LATTS: Sure. Um, well, when I left Louisville for college in 1989, I swore I was never going to live in Kentucky again. And as I said, somewhere in between the end of my undergrad years and when I was getting my MBA, my tune had changed and I realized it would in fact be not only great to work at Heaven Hill and be a part of this family business enterprise but also raise my kids in Louisville. So in 2000, Allan and I had our son, Jake, and we started thinking--we had been at P&G for almost five years and it was maybe time to go back to 00:21:00Louisville. So, we--my dad always felt a wee bit pressured to come back to work at Heaven Hill by his father and never wanted me to have that experience. So we actually approached, I think, my mom first and she was like, "Oh my gosh, your dad's going to be so excited." And so, one thing led to another and we were able to identify opportunities that the company really um, had needs for that met our skillset and interest areas. And we came to Heaven Hill almost exactly twenty years ago.

CISSELL: Yeah, cool. Nice. Can you tell me your experience working at Heaven Hill?

LATTS: Oh well, it's uh, we don't have all day. It's uh, it's a twenty-year experience. Um, but it's beem--(laughs)--it's been a great experience. Um, when I first came back to the company, I worked part-time and I was 00:22:00director of marketing strategies, so really bringing a lot of my strategic leadership and analysis and problem-solving skills that I had developed through my MBA and at P&G to helping assess and identify opportunities across a number of our core brands at Heaven Hill. So when we came in 2001, we had just recently bought Christian Brothers Brandy, which at the time for us was a really meaningful acquisition and a really important brand with a lot of opportunities, specifically in the multicultural space. So, one of the first things I did was to help identify the strategy for balancing the legacy consumer of Christian Brothers who tended to be more middle American, upper northwest with the emerging multicultural Hispanic and African American target audiences. So, that was really a great way to sink my teeth in straight away. And then, there--we, we--I, I tended to get involved in s--in some of our newer brands, I'd say, because there maybe weren't as many resources to work on them. We 00:23:00ended up making an acquisition the next year of a rum brand, so I was able to get involved in that. And then in 2003, the woman who was director of marketing left the company, and that's when I assumed the leadership of the um, full marketing team.

CISSELL: Nice. And um, I'm curious, you know, back to the pandemic, what has that looked like? Um, you know I guess from February or March 2020 to now.

LATTS: Well, um, Heaven Hill's very much a family company where everybody relies on everybody and sees everybody almost every day in the office face-to-face, hears about everybody's loved ones, pets, dogs, family friends. And, you know, straight away in the pandemic, we all had to pivot to work from home. And we've done a really great job of being able to preserve as much of that 00:24:00culture as we can without people being able to see each other one-on-one. We are very, very um reliant on video conferencing, video calls, not just um, audio. And I think it's really made a difference because--like the other day, I was in the office and I saw our head of recruiting and I'd not laid eyes on him face-to-face in fourteen months right? But I see him on video calls. And it actually was like, "Oh, hey Josh." Like, it didn't even feel weird or anything. So, I think we've done a really good job um, preserving our culture even in this really weird dynamic. Um, I think we've ha--we've been able--we've tried really hard to extend grace and be flexible to people as they've had childcare challenges and quarantine challenges and all of those sorts of things. So that's sort of been the experience on the managerial, employees side of the business. And then, of course, managing our plants has been a whole other area 00:25:00of challenge and stress as you know, COVID cases came and went and super spreader events you know, in the towns around our plants and needing to quarantine. And hiring people but having to hire people where the hot--the employer--the, the interviewer had on a mask, everyone was wearing a mask, you're hiring people, you're training people out in a production line with masks and goggles. It's been a real challenge for our production team. So, hats off to them for sure.

CISSELL: Yeah. I, I hadn't even considered you know, that level of it. Um, I'm curious. You mentioned your work-life balance earlier um, when you were married with no children. I'm wondering what that's looked like since you've had children. And then also,you know, in the pandemic, and um, I'm not sure of your children's ages but you know, did they have to come and move back home with you--

LATTS: --right, yeah--

CISSELL:-- during the pandemic?

LATTS: Alright, well so many questions there, so backing up. So as I 00:26:00mentioned, when um, my kids were little I worked part-time. And that was really one of the great benefits of working for my family. And I actually, when I um--after I had my son at Procter & Gamble, I worked part-time there as well.

CISSELL: Okay.

LATTS: So, P&G was always on the very cutting-edge of flexible work agendas or work experiences and there were many women that were taking advantage of it in the early 2000s, myself included. So, when I came back to Heaven Hill I worked three days a week. And, you know, that certainly meant that I'd have calls on the days I wasn't in the office. I was often on a Friday night on e-mail you know, until 9:30 at night, and that was okay because that was the right balance for me. And now, I come to talk about that I think the concept of work-life balance is really kind of bunk, and, and technology has really, really further enabled that concept of, it's not really a work-life balance but work and life permeate throughout everything that you do. And, you know again, 00:27:00technology has really enabled that. Like, we didn't have smartphones and um, anything like that when I first came to Heaven Hill, but even then we somehow managed. But it's so much easier now. So, anyways as my kids got older and went to school, I just gradually was able to lean in and work more. And so over time, as they were then in school full-time, then that's really when I um, transitioned back to working full-time, which was a great opportunity for me. So, I think that the hardest years of work-life balance are the years that your kids are the busiest and they don't drive. (laughs) So, sort of in that, sort--and homework matters. So, those years between kind of like nine and thirteen, fourteen, those were some of the toughest years in um, my roles and responsibilities and travel certainly picked up in those years. And 00:28:00there were many times where I'd be on a business trip, you know quizzing my daughter on vocab words or making a practice math test in between um, my you know, changing clothes getting ready to go to dinner and coming, you know, coming back in from meetings and getting ready to go to, to dinner. But that's just, just what I always did and, and loved being there for them and, and doing all of those things. The other thing that I always say that's really important is to invest in childcare. Um, invest in childcare. It really does take a village. And don't be bashful to ask friends for help, but having the peace of mind to be able to lean into your work and not get overwhelmed when you're missing work because you have a sick kid, or other things that come about, helped me certainly have peace of mind. So now, my kids are big kids. I don't even have kids because one just--the youngest just turned eighteen and the oldest is about to turn twenty-one. So, they are big kids. My oldest 00:29:00is um, supposed to be a sophomore at Yale. He was a freshman last year, and indeed came home in March and took a gap year this year and has been here this whole time. And my daught--our daughter, Lindsey--our son is Jake, he's the almost twenty-one-year-old. And our daughter Lindsey is eighteen, she's graduating. So, she's had in and out of virtual school, in-person school throughout this year, mostly in person, mostly in person. And so, she's about to graduate and is actually going to be a freshman at Duke next year. So, we're hoping things will be kind of back to normal by then.

CISSELL: Oh, wow. I'd love to hear more about, you know, her deciding to go to your alma mater.

LATTS: Well, she has always wanted to go to Duke. Um, our son, who is a theater um, and music major, it was not going to probably be the right fit for him so he had different ideas in mind. But um, our daughter was always destined 00:30:00to be the Dukie of the two, so we're really excited.

CISSELL: Yeah, that is exciting. And you said she'll be starting in the fall?

LATTS: Yeah.

CISSELL: And she'll probably also be living on campus?

LATTS: Yeah, yeah.

CISSELL: Nice. That's really exciting. Oh, does she know what she wants to major in?

LATTS: Well, she wants to do something business related too ultimately. Um, so she's considering her options.

CISSELL: Okay.

LATTS: Yeah.

CISSELL: Um, I'm wondering, circling back more to Heaven Hill things, um if you would mind describing the work culture at Heaven Hill.

LATTS: Sure. Um, well as I was saying, Heaven Hill's work culture is very much like a family and it starts with the leadership of my dad, who is very hands-on and accessible. And all of our leadership is very accessible and caring about our employees. It's not uncommon for my dad to pop into the cube of a 00:31:00junior marketing person and just sit down and start talking with them. He's often found to be walking along the production line. He knows everybody in our eight hundred person production teams' names.

CISSELL: Wow.

LATTS: And it's, it's, it's really amazing. So, the culture is--we're very lean. So, people wear lots of different hats but um, our employees are very loyal, have been with the company for a long time. We've been--as we've grown, we've been able to give people lots of opportunities for growth and development and promotion. And we are just doing more and more things to even further enhance the employee experience from training and development and employee appreciation and um, compensation and benefits and, and all of those things. So, the employee experience is really important to us.

CISSELL: Yeah, and along those lines, I remember you mentioning in 00:32:00your last interview um, how the work culture at Heaven Hill had a lot of female and women players in it. Um, I was curious, you know, what does that actually look like? Um, how many women are involved? Um and, you know, I think that interview was five or six years ago, so how have things changed since then?

LATTS: Sure. Well, that--this is indeed true that we um, have done a great job with um, balancing our women in the organization. We actually have 36 percent of our nonproduction team are women in some areas of the company, in particular marketing that number is even a lot higher than that. Um, it's our sales organization where we continue to be a little bit challenged in bringing on um, a greater percentage of women. You know, alcohol sales has not always been the most attractive of industries to, to women, and so that's an issue across the industry at the supplier and distributor level, um, but with the 00:33:00marketing we have a lot of women. And then our leadership team is actually fifty--four of our nine people are, are women, on our executive leadership team--

CISSELL: --wow--

LATTS: --which is really, really, really amazing, and um, I really do think informs our culture. And you know, the women in the organization just bring a different perspective. Every person brings a different perspective, right? Um, but certainly, just offering different ways of thinking, different needs, different conversations, um, it really, it really has made a big difference for sure.

CISSELL: Yeah. Um, and do feel like, you know, your position as an executive member, that you've had a bit of an influence on this influx of women in the business?

LATTS: Um. Well, I mean, we really do--I mean we, we're, we always want to hire the best pers--people for the job, right? That is always, always very 00:34:00high on the criteria list. So, so we've been fortunate to, to, to be able to identify talent within the organization and groom them into, into various leadership roles. Um, I think it was natural for me, having come from Procter & Gamble where there was so much flexibility given to moms and dads from a work-life balance perspective. And my team of people has lots of children among them, so we've really been able to be flexible. And I think that that's been a key factor in keeping a lot of our women in the workplace and being able to continue to develop and groom them as they get to more senior, senior levels. So that's been an important dynamic, for sure.

CISSELL: Yeah. Um, how do you feel like Heaven Hill as a company compares to the broader uh, bourbon or distilled spirits industry?

LATTS: Right. Um well, that is a good question. I think within the 00:35:00sales organization, a lot of the industry has some of the same challenges we do at the senior level within sales organizations, and it's something the industry is really trying to work on for sure. Um, I think within our executive leadership team, it would be hard-pressed for many organizations to, to have more representation of women in it, so I think our industry is doing--I think industry in general is doing a, a a pretty good job. I mean, there are a lot of companies, male-dominated com--or uh, industries where you look at the executive leadership team and it's all men, right? Um, but I think our industry's done a pretty good job. Marketing in general, you know, does have a tendency to attract a lot of women, and I think that is true across a lot of industries for sure. But it's really exciting in our industry the number of women that are getting involved on the production side. And we know that's, that's very much true at Heaven Hill. And there's been a lot of studies that show from like a 00:36:00whiskey tasting perspective, women are actually better tasters than men. They, they, their their, --women are wired to have--yes, it's true. Women are wired to have better olfacts--um no, olfactory senses, which then is a big part of what you taste. So, um, it, it is, it is a true thing. Our master tasters are female at Heaven Hill.

CISSELL: Wow. I had no idea about that. That's really interesting. Do--does science know why that is, that they have -----------(??)

LATTS: I don't know, I don't know. I'm not sure.

CISSELL: Well, that's really interesting. Um, I'm wondering if you could just tell me, you know, more about your job now. Um, I think you might have mentioned a few of the projects that you're working on, but I guess whatever you're excited about or you know, you haven't mentioned and I haven't asked about yet, Um, I'd love to hear more about that.

LATTS: Sure. Well, we have--we're always very busy. Over the twenty 00:37:00years I've been with the company, we, we--the company has grown so much. When, when I fir-- came back to the company in 2001, the bourbon category was nothing like it is today. In fact, it was always the heart and soul of the company but we were focusing on almost every category but our American whiskey portfolio. And, you know, through the twenty years of my time, we have seen the proliferation of flavored vodkas. We've seen the rise of cordials. We now, of course, have had the American whiskey renaissance. We have tequila burgeoning in popularity across consumers across the country. And cordials are coming back. Of course, vodka is not going anywhere. So if anything, consumer tastes have just expanded. So that makes every day super diverse and fun because I might go from one minute talking about the next hip hop artist who's going to be 00:38:00promoting our Hpnotiq brand to talking about the partnership we have with um, one of our um, barrel cooperage producers on a lager sustainability program and everything in between, right? So, it's--that's what I like most about my job is just the variation in things that um, I work on. And quite honestly I spend a lot of my time with my team. Um, I've got an amazing team of people who I spend a lot of time growing and developing and helping them manage their teams and hiring and um, resourcing where, where, the opportunities are most needed.

CISSELL: Yeah. How many individuals are on your team?

LATTS: Well, that is a great question. We have um--within marketing, we have our brand teams and we have corporate communications. We have a creative services, kind of an in-house agency team. And across that group of people, 00:39:00we're about fifty people. And then, we have field marketing people, which is another half a hand, half--another handful. And then we have our visitors' centers too. We have our um, Evan Williams Bourbon Experience in downtown Louisville. We have our Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience, which is just re-- it's just the expansion of it is opening next month, which is going to be an amazing new tourist attraction in Kentucky, and then our Deep Eddy Visitors' Center tasting room in-- outside of Austin, Texas, so that all then adds a whole other big swath of people. So, it's, it's a terrific team across the country.

CISSELL: Yeah, those are--I hadn't heard of this, um, I think you called it like the Heaven Hill Experience. Um, is that kind of--LATTS: --well, you might have heard of the Bourbon Heritage Center in Bardstown, right, which is being renamed as the Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience with, with the um, very large, 00:40:00exciting expansion of that facility.

CISSELL: Okay.

LATTS: You'll have to check it out, this summer.

CISSELL: I will. Yeah, I, I turn--well, I'm twenty-two now but I turned twenty-one right before the pandemic, so--(laughs)--um and now I'm in this bourbon class and I haven't been to any you know, centers or distilleries, so I, I would love to check it out -----------(??).

LATTS: Absolutely, absolutely.

CISSELL: Um, are there any achievements or accomplishments um, that you've had at-- while you've been at Heaven Hill that you'd like to talk about?

LATTS: Well, one of the most fun things that I got to be a part of was a long time ago now, um, but I worked with a team at Heaven Hill where we created our brand PAMA, pomegranate liqueur. Which was really exciting because it was definitely an example of seeing a consumer trend, seeing an emerging consumer interest, and recognizing that we had the ability and opportunity to create a new-to-the-world brand in, in PAMA. So, from naming the brand to 00:41:00creating the packaging and the launch strategy was really an amazing experience. And getting to then actually be part of the roadshow that was doing the launches--this was in 2005--was um, really, really such a great experience, and still to this day something I'm super proud of. And then, you know, beyond that, there's just, just so many things. I think having been able to grow our team to be at the right place at the right time to capitalize on the bourbon opportunities that we have today, to be able to integrate the Deep Eddy Vodka acquisition, and help the team that we acquired down there um, take advantage of um, the capabilities that Heaven Hill could bring to their marketing and selling efforts, to um, flavor development on every brand from Carolans to Black Velvet to fir-- the first flavors we launched on Evan Williams. So, there's 00:42:00been a lot of innovation along the way, uh, a lot of consumer insight, and it all just collectively has, has been such a great journey.

CISSELL: Yeah, that, that's a lot of projects. And I was thinking as you were talking about, you know, making this um, PAMA liqueur. Um, you know, as a student, I just write, I feel like I just write a ton of papers and you know, my accomplishment and achievement is that I have this paper that lives on my computer, but to be able to, you know, go to a store and, you know, have the ability to see and purchase, you know or acquire your product, that must be a really uh, almost invaluable experience, to you know, say, "I did that." So, that, that's really neat to me. Um, I'm wondering, you know, uh you just spent a lot of time talking about you know, the numerous products that you all are involved with um at Heaven Hill and the decisions you're making. I just wanted to open up the floor to you to talk, you know, about more products or 00:43:00more decisions you've made that um, you know, you haven't already mentioned, if you'd like.

LATTS: Well, certainly there is so much innovation in the bourbon space. And uh everyone in the bourbon industry wishes that we had more bourbon than we have because there's so many opportunities and so many consumer interests that quite honestly, none of us have quite enough bourbon to bring all of them to life. So, we're really focused um, at Heaven Hill on continuing to grow and develop our flagship bourbon brands, those being Evan Williams, Elijah Craig, and Larceny. And that's really, really been where most of our innovation has been focused and growing those franchises. So, within Evan Williams everything from, as I mentioned, Evan Williams--the Evan Williams flavored line, where the most recent one was, I think, two years ago back when we launched Evan Williams Apple, to now we are just releasing a premium version of Evan Williams, called 00:44:00Evan Williams 1783. It's, it's a small batch product. And then within Elijah Craig, so many opportunities for innovation, whether it be a uh--our, our private barrel program, our barrel strength, and of course we have just launched an, an Elijah Craig rye, which um, is expanding across the country. Last year, we launched it in four markets. It's now going to be in nineteen, so that is um, a really great expansion of that product. And then, of course, Larceny, which we created from our legacy brand of Old Fitzgerald, where it's really the, one of the greatest examples of um, us taking one of our old trademarks, our old brand names, and bringing it to the consumers in a more contemporary way. And then, last year, our Larceny Barrel Proof, which had just launched last year, won Whiskey of the Year by Whiskey Advocate, which was-- it's always 00:45:00great to do all the things you're talking about, launching your product and seeing consumers buy it, and then even that much better when the--it's recognized, worldwide, with, with that kind of award, which is great. And then, of course, um, in addition to those three core products, we have our Heaven Hill line of products that we are really focusing on. And um, very special products that go into the Heaven Hill brands, so we're very patient and waiting for our whiskey to age and doing that in, in um, just the right time, when that whiskey's ready. Of course, our Parker's, where each year we have a new expression--one year, we had a twenty-seven year old that really took a lot of patience and perseverance, which is a hallmark value of Heaven Hill for sure. So, that's all just within the whiskey space. So, lots of, lot's of um, things going on at Heaven Hill, always.

CISSELL: Um-hm. And before we uh, potentially move out of that 00:46:00whiskey space, I'm interested to hear, you know, from your marketing perspective, what has that looked like um, with the ki-- the boom of rye and then also you know, that award for the Larceny? What does that look like for your job?

LATTS: Uh, well, when we get those sorts of awards, like on Larceny, there's a lot of scrambling to figure out how we can make sure everybody knows that we, we got the award, whether it be creating merchandising opportunities and publicity to further promote the product. So, that's always a very exciting opportunity. And then, the decision around um, launching something like an Elijah Craig rye involves a lot of people and a lot of discussions because obviously Elijah Craig was--has historically been a bourbon. So, we have discussions around um, is it on brand strategy to also have a rye, and will it distract from our growth on the bourbons. So, we--a lot goes into those sorts of discussions and decisions. And then of course where it's going to get launched um, as an initial launch and then how we decide if it--when and if we want to expand it. So, 00:47:00there's a lot of things that go into the decision-making.

CISSELL: And is that um, a similar process when you move out of whiskey, too?

LATTS: Uh, well, interesting. Um, as I said, bourbon has always been the heart and soul of the company, so there's usually that many more interested and invested--vested people in um, in decisions around the bourbon portfolio. But yes, lots of people get involved in a lot of our decisions for sure.

CISSELL: Nice. And I'm wondering um, from a marketing perspective, too, what does it look like um, you know, specifically targeting women as a potential audience for Heaven Hill's spirits?

LATTS: Well, I wouldn't say we specifically target women, per se, but I think the increase in women drinking specifically bourbon has been n things that have happened in the industry, that has just made bourbon that much more 00:48:00appealing and accessible to women, whether it be the creation of flavors, the popularity of mixology and cocktails within bourbon. You know, it kind of gives more options of how women want to drink bourbon as opposed to just thinking, "Oh, well gosh, I can't be a bourbon drinker unless I want to drink it straight or drink it on the rocks." Um, so, a lot more options. I think, also, the, the um, increase and fun in bourbon tourism has really ex--um, exposed more women to, to bourbon and made it be such a fun thing to experience. So, when you're experiencing it, of course you want to drink it too. Um so, I think those are some of the, the key things across the industry that have attracted more women. And today, I want to say like thirty percent of all American whiskey is drunk by women, which is huge.

CISSELL: Yeah, that's--

LATTS: --such a big number--

CISSELL: --that's incredible to me. Um, I, I want to move into more, you know, the industry as a whole. So, I'm wondering. Um, you know you obviously grew up with this background in the bourbon industry, but I am really interested to hear your thoughts about how the industry has changed, you know, since then but also since uh, you've entered as a professional.

LATTS: Right. Um, well, how has the industry changed? Um, well, the big companies keep getting bigger for sure. There continues to be a lot of acquisition of smaller , smaller companies by bigger companies, and then you also have, sometimes, bigger companies selling off certain of their brands to go to more of a mid-sized company, which has been how, over the years, we've acquired a number of our brands. So, I think the pace of innovation in the industry just continues to increase as younger consumers just want that many more products to try. They are a little bit more fickle, so 00:50:00their--everybody's wanting new things all the time. So, that pace of innovation has had to pick up, for sure. Um, consumer, or convenience rather, has also been something that um, consumers are very interested in, whether it be the emerging of cans, these small sizes, consumers are wanting lots of different and new and different things that the industry's having to um, keep up with. And then of course, on the marketing side, communication, like it has in every industry, has completely changed. When I first came into the business, print advertising was really the predominant way we communicated our advertising. So, we would advertise in magazines ranging from Southern Living, to InStyle and Sports Illustrated, Field & Stream, um, Bon Appetit, this, this was the main 00:51:00way we got out awareness and interest in trial. And digital advertising has enabled so much more pinpointing of delivering your message to exactly who you want to deliver it to, and also much closer to the point of purchase. So, there's just so much innovation in the way we communicate our products that has really changed a lot of what we do, and how we do it.

CISSELL: Yeah. And, you know, going back to marketing, um, it seemed like in your last interview you were really excited to talk about Heaven Hill's expansion into other liquor markets, and we've definitely talked about that so far. But um, I'm wondering, what has changed since then? Um, what other spirits have you been marketing and how has that gone? And um, not only the spirits, but the geographical areas that you've been marketing to.

LATTS: Well, Heaven Hill has been, you know, a national and international company for a long, long--pre-dating me, for sure. Um, and Heaven 00:52:00Hill has been a very diversified company since the seventies. And I tell the story when my dad came to the business in 1970, Heaven Hill up until that time had really only been an America whiskey company. And at that point in time, consumers were really preferring to drink lighter spirits. It's when vodka and gin was becoming were in vogue. And he really started that diversification um, you know, fifty years ago. So, as consumer tastes have ebbed and flowed and changed, we had a portfolio for all these years that we've been able to flex and push as consumer tastes change. So, um, we spend a lot of time talking about the rest of our portfolio um, in addition to our bourbons, and probably--well, like I was describing before, I mean so many different brands. Our Deep Eddy vodka brand is um, very, very, very important to us. It's um, based in 00:53:00Austin, Texas. And Austin, or Texas is a huge market for it, but there's so much business throughout the country and so much opportunity for that brand. Its flagship um, core part of the brand is a ruby red grapefruit flavor, a lemon flavor, and an, an original plain vodka. And we just launched a line, so that brand um, has an amazing experiential program. We market it at festivals and events all throughout the country. So, lots of hands-on interest. We have a, a farm truck program. The lemon is actually the number one selling citrus vodka now, which has been an amazing journey for that brand.

CISSELL: Wow.

LATTS: Um, even called the TikTok vodka--(both laugh)--in, in, in many circles. So, uh Deep Eddy is a really important brand to us. Our Lunazul tequila brand, which we own in a joint venture with um, a group in Mexico, part of 00:54:00the Beckman family, is another one of our very intense focus brands, and a hundred percent agave tequila space. And even with-- since the pandemic started, tequila growth has been astronomical. So, we um, have a number of expressions of Lunazul, and innovation is very important on that brand as well. But then, beyond that, um, rums, Admiral Nelson's rum, Carolan's Irish Cream is the number two selling Irish cream. A year and a half ago--or almost two years ago now, we bought Black Velvet Canadian Whiskey, which is the number two selling Canadian whiskey in the country and such a huge brand and so much opportunity within the Canadian whiskey space for that brand. So, you can see, I spend a lot of time across the whole portfolio um, working, working with um, my team to identify what the best opportunities are within each of those brands.

CISSELL: Yeah. And I think that's really neat and really exciting. I'm curious when you mentioned um the--was it the TikTok vodka? Um, is that because of the social media platform or another name?

LATTS: No, no, that's because of the social media platform. I mean there's been an amazing amount of users and user-generated content that has um, shown--recorded their first experience drinking Deep Eddy vodka, and their um, amazing experience and ex--and and over-delivering of their expectations about how good it is when they, when they first taste it. So, that is how it has become the TikTok vodka.

CISSELL: Wow. (laughs) That's really neat. I'm wondering um, you know in 2018 the industry had its first female master distiller since Prohibition, Marianne Barnes, now Eaves. Um, I'm wondering from your perspective, how is the role of women in the industry changed um, you know even since 2016?

LATTS: Well, as I was saying before, you know, there-- we, we have many women in our, um, in, in the bourbon side of our business. Our, um, mar-- the our--from a marketing perspective, our entire portfolio is managed by our vice president of American Whiskeys. Her name is Susan Wall and she's worked with me for a really long time. And then on the production side, uh Debbie Morris is our vice-president, or our chief operations officer. And then, as I was saying before, we have um, our master taster who is a woman. We have these um--we have a woman who is one of our, um, barrel rollers. Her name is Frankie Clark. And she has worked with the company for, I want to say, almost thirty years. And she leads our bourbon rolling team. I don't know that, but during the Kentucky Bourbon Festival, there is the international barrel rolling championship competition, and Heaven Hill has both a men's and women's team. And 00:57:00Frankie, who's one of our warehouse supervisors, the barrel warehouses, um, is one of the few women who has been in this role for so long and, and she's amazing. So, across the barrel enterprises to marketing and tasting, we have a number of women who are part of our organization. And then, we also have our um, national sort of mixologist expert is a woman named Lynn House, who's based in Chicago, and works through cocktail creation and training and education across the whole portfolio, including, including our bourbons.

CISSELL: Yeah, that's incredible. Um, do you feel like you've had any female role models that have helped you along the way, whether that be, you know, specifically in the bourbon industry or outside of it too?

LATTS: Well, I like to say I'm always inspired by my team. Um, I've got this amazing group of women who report to me, and they, you know, every 00:58:00day inspire me with what they--the creativity, the leadership that they bring to, to the work that they do. And you know, there certainly have been other women leaders in other organizations who--you know, I, I feel that I, I'm inspired by them and think, "Oh, wow, how do, you know kind--how do, how do, how do they do all those things?" And um, every--everything is kind of relative, right? So, we--everybody wants to continue to grow and develop and um, learn from other people for sure.

CISSELL: Yeah. And are there any other mentors you'd like to mention that aren't women?

LATTS: Um, well, I mean my dad has been a great mentor to me, being president of the company and watching the little things he does that have helped create such an amazing reputation for him in the industry. He's very um, keen on always writing a handwritten note to people congratulating them on various awards they might have won or having just seen them at an impromptu cocktail 00:59:00event or um, a chance encounter with someone. He, he really takes--goes that extra mile to make an impression. And that's something that I try to emulate um, myself.

CISSELL: Yeah, um, I think I'll be moving onto more like COVID questions. I realize we kind of talked about it, um but how has the bourbon industry been impacted by the pandemic?

LATTS: Well, as you probably are aware, early on during the pandemic a number of not just the bourbon, but um distilled spirit suppliers in general, shifted some of their operations to start making hand sanitizer, which Heaven Hill did here in Kentucky as well as in Austin at our Deep Eddy facility and in Canada at our um Canadian Whiskey facility. So, that was um, an amazing opportunity that we had to give back and help the community when the um, PPE was so hard 01:00:00to get. So, we all felt great about our um, ability to do that. Um, i--as I mentioned, it's been really hard keeping our team's health-- um, uh safe and healthy, and that's been a number one priority for us throughout the year, making sure there wasn't going to be um, spread at our facility. So, we've taken all the health precautions that we possibly could and really intense contact tracing when and if um, there were ever any COVID cases. Um, and I think that these challenges have been very consistent across the industry. And it's amazing how small of a community, specifically in Bardstown, the distilling industry is between ourselves and uh, Maker's Mark's facility and Barton's facility and Jim Beam's facility. You know, there's family members, husbands and wives 01:01:00who work at one and work at the other. And so, there were points in time where we joked that the entire industry was going to be shut down because there were so many people out on quarantine and, and with COVID across the various facilities. So, managing on the production side has been challenging but getting better, certainly getting better at least here in Kentucky. Now, interestingly, the supply chain challenges are continuing ever so um, significantly. And, on, on top of the COVID issues, the Texas snowstorm really has created more than, more than us here in other parts of the country really could imagine, the um natural gas shortages that happened during the storm in Texas impacted that so tremendous whether it be on plastic --(?)-- or the natural gas that's exported to Mexico because they're manufacturers of anything and everything. So, we are now across the industry literally talking about trading caps 01:02:00for glass, um, you know putting black caps on things that were supposed to be a green cap, just so we're not out stock. And that's one thing that's really amazing about the industry is it's so collaborative, that literally that is what's going on. That the various competitors that will compete to have the lower price in Walgreens, you know, for, for anything will be there to help um, literally support with supply chain issues or o--other employee things, and sharing, sharing best practices for how to, how to keep people healthy and safe.

CISSELL: Yeah, uh, many facets to this, uh, pandemic. Um, you mentioned earlier, you know, you're working from home and it seems like you have been for the past year or so. I'm wondering, you know, what has that looked like? 01:03:00Especially since you mentioned your husband who also works for Heaven Hill is just right down the hall. I mean, I guess you all would normally be in the office together, but certainly that's a different dynamic, you know?

LATTS: Well, mostly it's been okay. Um, because I'm here in the dining room, it's a little bit more open, so sometimes I have distractions. Um, but everybody has. And if you look at it on the positive side of COVID, we've all come to know each other's families that much more closely. We've gotten to know everybody's pets, um, all of these sorts of things. It's sort of a silver lining of COVID, and we'll all um, remember that for sure. Um, you know, I'm such a people person and love being with people and the impromptu conversations. And I try and maximize those experiences as much as I can, where if I have a half an hour in between meetings instead of--sometimes this isn't probably the best thing for me to do--instead of catching up on something, I'll just call somebody 01:04:00and check in with them and be like, "Oh I haven't seen you in a few days how's it going? How are you? Just checking in on you." So, I've tried to do things like that. Um, I'll join other peoples' team meetings just to see some of the junior people who I obviously don't now see walking down the hall. So, that's been a way that I've been able to stay connected with people. Um, so, it's, it's taken a lot of creativity for sure.

CISSELL: It has. Um, I know me and my friends, we've had like Zoom parties. And then, you know, I'm a psychology major, so we've actually talked about, in my classes, um you know, this real like Zoom fatigue and Zoom burnout that's happening um, for folks. Uh, but yeah, um, I'm hoping to move into maybe some of the more fun questions um, about you know, your bourbon preferences. So, just to start out um, you know, what's your favorite bourbon?

LATTS: Well, answering what your favorite bourbon is like picking who 01:05:00your favorite child is. It certainly depends on the occasion. Um, you know, two--our our two main mash bills are a rye-based mash bill and a wheat ma--wheat-based mash bill. And I do have a bit of a sweet tooth. So typically, I will opt for our Larceny brand, which is our wheat-based mash bill. And I love a good Larceny Mule, a Kentucky Mule with ginger beer and a little bit of lime would probably be my go-to COVID cocktail, I would say.

CISSELL: That sounds really delicious. Um, do you normally like to make cocktails?

LATTS: Well, we've made pretty many cocktails here during COVID. We've drunk a lot of tequila for sure. Um, we have invested in a very fancy lime juicer, so that has been a COVID appliance purchase among others in the Latts family. And yeah, we all are a little bit--nothing too crazy. We don't get 01:06:00too crazy with like bitters and, and things like that, but um it ha--it has been fun. And certainly our friends enjoy spending time at our house for the range of cocktails that we offer.

CISSELL: Yeah, I, I'm just now starting to get in to try to make cocktails, and they're sometimes a lot more daunting than I expected. But um, I know--

LATTS: --start simple--

CISSELL: --yeah, I know I like Kentucky Mules, so I'm actually--I'm going to try that uh, one day. That sounds amazing.

LATTS: It's really easy. You can handle it. You can do it.

CISSELL: Yeah. (laughs) What do you think makes a good bourbon?

LATTS: Well, we like to say consistency a-- is, is a key, key factor in making good bourbon. You know, we've been doing this for eighty-five-plus years, and we have a tried-and-true method of how we, how we go about it. Our master distiller is um, Conor Driscoll, and from the grains that he buys from local 01:07:00producers through the mashing and distillation and then the aging process all the way to the glass, it's a consistent method with um, tried-and-true recipes and processes. And we like to say that's what makes a good bourbon.

CISSELL: Nice. Um, what bourbon would you recommend to someone who says that maybe they don't like bourbon or they're just starting out uh, to drink bourbon?

LATTS: Right. Well, I would say, you know,starting out with a bourbon cocktail would be the best way. Um, we, you--like a Bourbon Smash or a Bourbon Sour that's going to be a little bit on the sweeter side, I would recommend. And I think um, using our Evan Williams brand or our Elijah Craig would be a great place to start. Um, prob--maybe, maybe Evan Williams that wouldn't have quite as much intensity as, as Elijah Craig would um, it would be, would be great. There's so many fun summer um punches, bourbon punches, bourbon 01:08:00smash, you--favorite is with--like a punch where you have lemonade and orange juice and iced tea and some sugar and then bourbon. You can put it in the freezer and it becomes slushy. That is definitely a, a way--an entry point way to drink bourbon.

CISSELL: Yeah, for sure. Um, you mentioned earlier you know, you would join these other, um maybe, Zoom calls or video conferences to kind of interact with these um, younger team members that you don't have the opportunity to since you're not in person. I'm wondering, you know, what advice would you give to these younger team members or even students who are hoping to enter the industry?

LATTS: Right. um, I would--well, when you're still in school, I would say work hard and get good grades because that's the majority of your experience that you can present when you are going to that first employer. Um, have 01:09:00meaningful internships and experiences that you can be really proud of and talk about where you made an impact. Getting involved in things not to just put on your resume, but where you can really have an impact are, are really important. And, you know, lastly, I would say like, sticking with something. Be committed. Be loyal to something, and not um, have, a knee-jerk reaction when something doesn't go quite accordingly. Um, but stick--show that you have the perseverance and the patience to stick something out, and make the most of a situation. And um, not have the mentality of, you know, get going when the going gets tough, but really show how um, you can be resilient in, in a, in any given situation.

CISSELL: Yeah, I, I think that's all good advice, even for someone like me who's still in school. Um, where do you see the industry in five years?

LATTS: Um, where do I see the industry in five years? I think in five years, there's just going to be that much more cons--choices for consumers. Um, I think, like I said before, consumers are pretty demanding. They want a lot of options um, when they want them. They have different moods and experiences. They don't want to drink the same thing every day. They want to have a different flavor, a different taste for whatever they're doing on any given day. And that um, will require a lot of innovation across flavors and expressions and packaging, and of course accessibility. You know, we're seeing the real growth in the e-commerce space, which we're all interested to see how that plays out in the years ahead given regulations and obviously the need for social responsibility in the distilled spirits space. So, I think e-commerce 01:11:00will certainly continue to grow. I think there will be some changes in, in some of the legislations to enable that. And I think that convenience for consumers will--at home. Convenience for at-home usage so people like yourself don't have to be daunted about making that cocktail, they can have something delicious um, really, really easy.

CISSELL: Yeah. And um, that ties into my next question I was going to ask you about trends you think we should be paying attention to. Is it, you know, this e-commerce, accessibility, convenience, um, something that also came to mind, you know that TikTok vodka. Are there--you know, hat should we be looking at?

LATTS: Uh, well, I, I am very focused on convenience and packaging. I think there's, there's interest in that. Sustainability in packaging I think is going to be a trend. I think responsibility behind what brands stand for. I 01:12:00think consumers are going to increasingly care about what the companies that make their products stand for and do in their spare time when they're not making products. Um, so, I think consumers--that's going to matter more and more to people, for sure. Um, I think cannabis is going to be a factor in, in beverages, in the beverage space. Not everybody totally agrees, but I, I do think it's something that we in the distilled spirits space need to be paying attention to.

CISSELL: I really haven't heard of that. Would you mind telling me more about what that actually looks like?

LATTS: Well, it's not really--there's not a huge market for it yet because it's certainly not legal in Kentucky, or in most places--

CISSELL: --right--

LATTS: --um, well, it's growing in legality in a lot of places, actually. But um, beverages, not necessarily a bourbon with cannabis but just a beverage, it might taste like raspberry but it has cannabis in it. And there might 01:13:00be the version that could um, be ready for a party or for a night at home relaxation, so this is something I think we want to understand, you know, what the consumer um, insight is going to be around that kind of, um of um, experience.

CISSELL: Yeah, that's certainly a very new idea. Um, I'm wondering, you know, what um--as the, you know, newer generation is coming to the industry and the industry is changing and we're talking about the future of the industry, what hopes, dreams, aspirations uh do you hope will become a reality?

LATTS: Well, I certainly hope that consumers will continue to want to drink distilled spirits um, in a very responsible way for sure. Um, I, I think that we as an industry can--should and will continue to promote diversity, 01:14:00equity, and inclusion so there can be more people around the table making decisions that appeal to, obviously, our diverse and multicultural audience and consumers out there. Um, so, I have a lot of optimism for, for the future.

CISSELL: Yeah. Um, is there anything else you'd like to add or make sure is on the official record? Something, you know, that I didn't ask that you wanted to talk about or something that I glossed over?

LATTS: Well, one, one additional thing to mention is just as far as advice for people--and this isn't necessarily junior people. I mean, I guess it is for junior people but people at any stage along the way, um, is to be yourself. You know, always be authentic to yourself. And it kind of goes to what we're talking about with, with consumers and products and authenticity. You know, look for authenticity in your products and um, what you're eating and what you're drinking, what you're buying across every category. And then, you, 01:15:00yourself, um, be true to yourself and what is important to you and what you like to do. Don't try and play a part because you think it's what an organization or boss wants you to do. (coughs) Um, you'll probably, you'll probably get found out and then you won't come across as, as being very um, authentic. And for Heaven Hill, you know we, we're, we're--third generation is here and not going anywhere, and we, we, we are excited to continue to be a family-owned-and-operated distilled spirits company continuing to grow. We have so much runway for growth, both here in the United States, and then of course internationally. We have so much opportunity. Um, and you know, kind of guided by our values. Our values of passion, passionately committed to excellence and integrity, authenticity, and as I went back to my experience at Fuqua, teamwork and um, being focused on the consumer. Everything starts with the 01:16:00consumer, right? If the consumer doesn't care or want what you're selling, then you have noth-- you have nowhere to sell it. So, the importance of our consumer and of course um, our customer. So, those values really help guide us to the future and we, we think it looks really bright.

CISSELL: Yeah, um, I would agree. (laughs) Is there anything else you'd like to add?

LATTS: I don't think so.

CISSELL: Okay, then I'm going to stop the recording.

LATTS: All right.

[End of interview.]