For Kim Harmon, general manager of Maker’s Mark and the brand’s former director of safety and sustainability, leading the industry in sustainable business practices is an investment in the future consumer.

“There is a community of people out there that make choices based on the integrity and the practices of companies—I firmly believe that is what led me down this road,” Harmon said. “Insights have shown through our marketing that it is important to the consumer—not every consumer, but there is a population there, and it’s growing. Our younger generations are more mindful and thoughtful to that. And I believe that [sustainable business practices] will not be something that stands out and is unique 10 to 15 years from now. It will be expected.”

In 2022, Maker’s Mark became the largest distiller to be certified as a B Corp, a designation indicating the Beam Suntory-owned whiskey brand met high standards for social and environmental impact. Earlier this year, the brand’s regenerative farming practices at Star Hill Farm in Kentucky, where its distillery is located, were certified by Regenified, which specializes in such certifications. The brand also started a unique upcycling program for bottles, pulverizing them into a sand-like substance that was donated to community gardens.

Harmon is modest about her role in the process of receiving B Corp recognition, saying she only institutionalized Maker’s Mark’s longtime business practices. “I came in and did the paperwork to validate all that had been done over the decades here,” she said.

The benefits of B Corp status go beyond consumer and environmental benefits, she added. “A big part of that is building relationships with like-minded B Corp companies,” Harmon said. “Think Patagonia ... Ben & Jerry’s—now you are aligned with them. And you don’t have to constantly reinvent the wheel, you’re in a community of individuals who have done amazing things, and you can communicate and learn from one another.”

Which entrepreneur do you admire the most and why?

My stepfather, Jim Smith. He was he was born into a family that had a very lucrative business, and he could have taken over that business. Instead, he decided to go out on his own. He and my mother started a trucking company with one truck, and it became a very lucrative business. And he was always also my biggest champion. He was a huge bourbon enthusiast, and he died the week before I got the GM job. And I would love to have told that man, because he was huge Maker’s fan. He told me he was proud of me more than anyone I’ve ever met in my life.

What’s currently on your bedside reading list?

I’ve always got something that takes my mind off of business. I work hard all day, and I like to read to disconnect. I have the latest Lucy Score sitting on my bed. But then I have Patrick Lencioni books that are completely worn and broken down because I read them over and over.

What is the best career advice you’ve gotten?

Keep yourself uncomfortable. If you’re comfortable, you need to move on.

Another one is “Listen with the intent to learn, versus to respond.” Many years ago, my old mentor told me that I was always sitting and listening and forming my response in my head. And I wasn’t sitting there and being in the moment and listening to learn what I heard. I’ve taken that to heart.

Name one brand, other than the one you work for, that you admire.

Patagonia—all day, every day. They are philanthropic, they’re B Corp, they’re 1% for the planet, they think outside the box, and it’s not all about the bottom line. It’s about community and their people.

What is your secret weapon for business success?

You have got to have passion for what you do. That’s one thing. Nobody can say I’m not passionate, overly passionate, celebrating my wins and learning from my failures. But the big thing for me is realizing I don’t know everything and to be willing to continue to learn. I’m 50, and I still learn something new every day. And if you think that you know it all, you’re more of a liability than a resource to your company.