With a job title of “Go To Girl,” you instantly suspect that Courtney McKee is going to make things happen. She’s an owner of Headframe Spirits in Butte, Montana, and a whole bunch more as you’ll discover in our interview.
What’s the change you’re trying to make in the world?
At present, all of my efforts are directed to revitalizing the economy in Butte, Montana. I own two separate businesses here, which are sister entities. Headframe Spirits produces distilled spirits—vodka, gin, whiskeys, etc. and operates a tasting room. The other, Headframe Spirits Manufacturing, builds continuous-flow distillation equipment into the micro-distilling industry and packages distilled spirits for other brands. We’re growing our company and its footprint—and economic impact—in Butte, which is really exciting.
Word has it that the Go To Girl has more than that going in Butte
I’m also in the process of establishing a nonprofit called Butte Innovates. The mission there, loosely, is to promote economic development in Butte. I see the entity fulfilling that mission through a number of different channels, centered in large part around storytelling and marketing. It’s coming together really beautifully.
How did you develop such a strong passion for Butte, Montana—and why?
“Accidentally” is probably a good answer. I could also say that perhaps it was fate. In the summer of 2001 I drove through Butte on my way to a wedding in Missoula, Montana. As we passed through Butte, I told my friend “What a dump. I feel sorry for anyone who lives there.” As Fate would have it, I met my husband, John, a Butte boy, the next day at the wedding. I quit my job in Connecticut, packed up all of my things and, seven weeks after we’d met, moved to Butte to live with him. I moved here because of John—I would have moved anywhere to be with him. It became clear instantly that Butte, which I’d judged so incorrectly from the interstate, was so much more than I’d realized.
Butte? Really?
I grew to love Butte very quickly—the built environment, the landscape and recreational opportunities, the people. It’s a phenomenal place to live, and it’s hard not to think that Fate may have played a role in it. I’m honest about that story and it’s embarrassing to me that I was so judgmental. I’m proud of it, however, because I learned that I was wrong—really wrong—and I guess I’m trying to earn my way out of my failure there.
One hundred words or less—what’s the history of Butte?
Butte was a former copper mining town with a population of about 100,000 around the turn of the century. The 2nd light bulb to be lit in the world was in Butte, and we provided the copper to electrify the world. Today, we’re a former mining town in search of a new identity. We’ve got about 35,000 residents and some incredible infrastructure just waiting for reinvestment. Our history runs a mile deep in the mines of Butte. Our future is without limitation.
Are you disrupting a market through innovative products or new ways of doing business?
Absolutely! The distillation equipment we manufacture is an industry game changer. There’s nothing else like it in micro-distillation and we’re damn excited to be changing the way the industry thinks about equipment, procedure, quality and more.
Tell us about your role in helping the community change.
From the business side, we’re really vocal about our role in our community. We’re not here to succeed IN our community; we’re here to succeed FOR our community. We take all opportunities to give back—financially, through our time, our resources, our voice, our employees and ourselves. The better each of us does, the better we all do together. That is our mantra, and we look for that philosophy in the partners we choose to do business with. For us, it’s a cultural evolution that works toward the long-term health of our community.
What gave you the drive to become an economic development force for your community?
There are multiple pieces to my answer here. I saw a need and I worked to address that need. Separately, and personally, growing up I had no idea what level of excellence I was capable of. I had never challenged myself, never pushed myself and I love learning about my own capabilities. I’m still under 40 and I’ve made great things happen. If I can do that, what else can I accomplish?
Additionally, I live in a community that I’m passionate about. I think I’ve got an insider/outsider perspective, which enables me to see Butte through a different lens than some folks. My background and life experience put me in a unique place and I want to leverage that to the advantage of my place in the world.
Even better, I’ve got a community of rock stars here who have my back and support me and aid me in my big ideas. It’s a wonderful thing to know that I can ask for help or bounce ideas off folks and have them really hear me and take interest and go out of their way to help make change. Pay it forward. Every time.
What’s a headframe?
Headframes are large steel structures, up to 150 feet tall, which 100 years ago were built in Butte to lower the mining elevators underground. They brought miners up and down, brought copper ore up to the surface and were fixtures all over the Butte hill. Today, about a dozen headframes still stand on the Butte hill, sentinels and testaments to our rich legacy.
The headframes were designed by hand; the pieces were fabricated back east, put on a train and shipped to Butte for assembly. Can you imagine construction like that taking place that long ago? Without CAD software, without videoconferences, without email? Drawings and trains and damn smart people. It’s a testament to our legacy of innovation.
What was the inspiration for the brand names of your products—they make us long for a stool at the bar!
Each of the distilled spirits we produce is named after some of the mines in Butte. There were over 400 mines here in Butte’s heyday, which means we have a whole lot of story left to tell.
At present, we have the High Ore Vodka. The High Ore was a great mine which produced really high-purity ore.
The Neversweat, inspiration for our Neversweat Bourbon Whiskey, got its name from the fact that it was originally one of the coolest mines to work in. It got very hot underground and the Neversweat was a favorite of the miners. Of course, the deeper it got, the more ironic the name became.
The Destroying Angel mine stopped right at the front door of our building in Butte and has a long and interesting history of betrayal and litigation. It was a perfect name for our Destroying Angel Unaged Whiskey—a product deserving of a badass name.
The Anselmo mine yard is still in really great condition and is occasionally used for tours in the summer. It’s the source of the name of our Anselmo Gin.
And the Orphan Girl mine is located on the property of the World Museum of Mining. The museum gives tours underground where you get to see what it was like to be in that dark and silent place. The Orphan Girl is a strong testament to our community’s legacy. We donate a portion of the proceeds from every bottle of Orphan Girl Bourbon Cream Liqueur to the World Museum of Mining.
What’s the biggest change you’ve made in your personal life?
As the owner of Headframe Spirits, we set a policy for our full-time employees that they need to set at least one personal and one professional goal every year. The goals should be challenging, but achievable. Through this process, I set myself a pretty open-ended goal for 2013 “to learn more about what I’m made of.” I didn’t know what it meant at the time, but it’s been awesome to figure it out. For me, it meant saying yes to things—putting myself outside my comfort zone. I didn’t know what to expect from the experience. What I learned was that I’m pretty damn amazing at a whole host of things I didn’t think I could do—public speaking ranking pretty high on the list.
Change is hard—do you have any tricks you’d like to share for making it easier?
Just don’t be afraid. There’s no easier way to put it. Know who your personal and professional mentors are and lean on them. You’ll have a chance to pay that forward in the future.
If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be?
I would wave a magic wand and remove everyone’s idea of their personal limitations. Imagine how incredible each of us could be if we didn’t talk ourselves out of it?
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
Nothing. I’ve thought about it a lot over the years—would I make myself prettier, a better dancer, taller, smarter. What I’ve realized is that if I were to change anything about myself, my past or my present, I wouldn’t be the same person I am today. I’m not perfect, and I still struggle with that to some extent, but if I could spin the wheel and be some other random person, I wouldn’t do it. I’m pretty great just the way I am.
What’s the best thing about your current job?
Everything! I make booze for a living and I spin it into community. How could it get better than that? We’ve hired amazing people that I love sharing my day with. We’ve made an impact on our community that I never could have anticipated and we’re revolutionizing an industry.
Future plans?
Our future plans involve redeveloping a former industrial site in Butte. I get to do different things every day, I get to operate outside my comfort zone (is it possible for someone’s comfort zone to be outside their comfort zone?) and I get to set a great example for my kids. Our daughter Tuesday is 15 and our son Cooper is 9. These kids are growing up knowing that their folks are capable of anything and I love watching how they internalize that mindset.
Do you volunteer?
Absolutely! I’ve had to learn to say no to things, which I feel is really important, and also really hard for me. I’ve developed a set of criteria to help me recognize when it’s appropriate to say yes. developed a set of criteria to help me recognize when it’s appropriate to say yes.
Can you share those criteria?
I select opportunities that I feel add value to my community, which will enable me to use my talents to help my community and where I will have a chance to learn from those opportunities as well. Right now, I’m on the board at the World Museum of Mining, the Montana Preservation Alliance and I’m founding Butte Innovates, a nonprofit designed around economic development in Butte. I also sit on a number of local committees.
What are you reading right now?
This morning I finished reading Startup Communities by Brad Feld. I’m inspired by the vision and am working closely with some amazing people in Butte and around Montana to realize a vision of an entrepreneurial center right here.
I’m also reading Triumph of the City by Ed Glaeser. I’m fascinated to know what kind of thinking is happening out in the world that can be applied right here in Butte.
Listening to?
I listen to lots of podcasts. Freakonomics, The Moth, TED and This American Life are my favorites. For music, I’ve really been digging mashups recently. Bootie San Fran really kills it on mashups. I love the old remixed with the new. That process of reimagining music—reinspiring, reinvigorating and retelling stories—puts me in the right mindset to do those same things in my community.
Watching?
I’ve been watching podcasts that open my brain to new ways of thinking. TED Talks are always big winners, but I’ve stumbled across the Downtown Project’s Catalyst Speaker Series, which is really engaging as well.
Who inspires you?
Everyone, if you give them an opportunity. Truly, some of my favorites recently are other Montana Woman Entrepreneurs. There’s this phenomenal understanding here in Montana that the better each of us does, the better we all do. I’m truly inspired by women like Sarah Calhoun, who owns Red Ants Pants and runs the Red Ants Pants Foundation, which hosts theRed Ants Pants Music Festival each year. Sarah’s mission revolves around women’s leadership and rural and agricultural communities. She’s a transplant to Montana but embraces this state like a true Montana badass.
Elke Govertsen is another amazing woman entrepreneur in Montana. She’s the founder of Mamalode Magazine and started the Mother’s Day Eve program, which has quickly spread around the country.
Favorite color?
Yeah, that’s got to be copper!
Rock, paper, or scissors?
Spock.
Who are you following online?
I guess I don’t follow anyone in particular. I like sites like Fast Company and Gizmodo’s Sploidand other sites that aggregate interesting happenings. Flipboard is another great one. I think that’s my way of preventing myself from locking into a certain way of thinking and staying open to lots of ideas and visions and values.
Who’s the most progressive nonprofit or business leader you know?
My answer comes in two parts: I know he’s everywhere now, but I have to say Tony Hsieh is pretty darn amazing. Marrying the corporate with economic development is brilliant and it makes him a total role model for me. My other answer? Elon Musk. Any person who can stand in front of a crowd and talk with a straight face about the logistics of putting people on Mars is my kind of man. Plus, he speaks to the value of critical mass in brainpower to achieve a truly innovative community. My kinda guy!
What’s one question you’d like to ask yourself—and answer?
Have I been the best me I know how to be? I ask it every day and answer everyday. Sometimes the answer is no, and I know I’ve got to get up the next day and work a little harder at it. No judgment, or criticism, just an onward evolution. I hope, when all is said and done in my life, I’ll be able to look back over my life and know that the world has been a better place for me being there. Not a lot better, just enough.