SE01 E08 The Power of Listening I Doug Miller

Doug Miller’s journey from energy trading at Enron to entrepreneurship in the distilling industry is a powerful story about resilience, mentorship, leadership, listening, and giving back. In this episode of The Dona Kapp Show on Business Life and the Ripple Effect, Dona Kappmeyer sits down with Doug Miller, Chief Executive Officer at Wildcat Brothers Distilling, to explore the lessons behind his entrepreneurial journey and the relationships that have shaped his life and leadership. Doug shares what it was like to leave a successful career in energy commodities trading and enter an unfamiliar industry just months before the COVID-19 pandemic changed everything. He discusses the challenges of launching a distillery during one of the most difficult periods for businesses, adapting when the original business plan no longer worked, learning from mistakes, restructuring leadership roles, and building a smaller but more productive team. The conversation also dives deep into the importance of mentorship and continuous learning. Doug explains why one of his core philosophies is “two ears, one mouth, used proportionately,” and how listening can help leaders make better decisions, discover new ideas, and build stronger relationships. Doug also shares lessons from more than three decades of involvement with Theta Chi, including his experience mentoring college-age men and passing forward the guidance he received from his own mentors. Other topics discussed include: • Entrepreneurship and taking a leap of faith • Leadership lessons from business challenges • Learning from mistakes and adapting during uncertainty • The importance of listening as a leader • Finding and building meaningful mentor relationships • Why great mentors give more than they receive • Developing the next generation of leaders • Collaboration instead of competition • Building relationships within the distilling industry • Supporting Louisiana’s distilling community • Giving back through business • Supporting veterans and military communities • Building a business with purpose • Creating a lasting ripple effect through leadership and mentorship Doug’s message is simple but powerful: keep learning, stay curious, listen to others, build genuine relationships, and pass forward what others have given you. What ripple effect will you create? Subscribe to The Dona Kapp Show on Business Life and the Ripple Effect for more conversations with entrepreneurs, leaders, and changemakers about the experiences, relationships, and decisions that shape their impact. Guest: Doug Miller Chief Executive Officer at Wildcat Brothers Distilling LinkedIn:   / dougmillerenergy   #TheDonaKAPPshow #Entrepreneurship #Leadership #Mentorship #BusinessLeadership #SmallBusiness #Entrepreneur #DistillingIndustry #BusinessGrowth #LeadershipDevelopment. I hope you enjoy this episode! Please like, share, and subscribe so more business owners and leaders can discover the show. — Dona and The Dona KAPP Show Podcast Team Connect with Dona LinkedIn:   / donakappmeyer   Website: https://donakapp.com/ Listen to The Dona KAPP Show Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033XgUl... Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/th... Amazon Podcasts: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/559... The Dona KAPP Show features honest, engaging conversations with business owners, entrepreneurs, executives, and community leaders about business, life, and the ripple effect created by the choices we make. Hosted by business coach, consultant, speaker, author, and entrepreneur Dona Kappmeyer, each episode goes beyond job titles and accomplishments to explore the experiences that shaped her guests, the challenges that tested them, and the lessons they learned along the way.