In the heart of Vail Valley, Ryan Thompson and Sean McNeill run 10th Mountain Whiskey & Spirit Co., a distillery paying tribute to the legendary 10th Mountain Division — soldiers who fought Nazis, came home, and laid the foundation for modern skiing and mountain recreation.
From bartending in small-town Colorado to building a nationally recognized whiskey brand, Ryan and Sean share the grit, hospitality, and entrepreneurial spirit that drive their work — and how honoring history can guide the future of business.
They Talk About:
🔴 Building a whiskey brand from the ground up while staying true to your roots.
🔴 The lessons of service, grit, and perseverance learned from the 10th Mountain Division.
🔴 Why running a business means working in service of something bigger than yourself.
🔴 How Main Street businesses preserve history, culture, and community.
🔴 The hardest lessons learned from failure — and why they pale in comparison to the challenges faced by those who came before them.
Real stories. Real ownership. Real lessons from the field.
This is American Operator.
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Tactical insights and behind-the-scenes stories from America’s operators:
- Website: www.americanoperator.com
- AO In Action: https://www.youtube.com/@AmericanOperator
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theamericanoperator
- Newsletter: https://americanoperator.substack.com
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