Today we’d like to introduce you to Mark Rucker.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us how you got started?
The Bourbon Life started as an Instagram site in December 2018. I was looking for a creative outlet to escape the mundane work of being a real estate attorney. My wife suggested that I combine my passion for photography and my love of Bourbon into The Bourbon Life.
In February 2020, I started The Bourbon Life Podcast with my friend and co-host, Matt Hughes, as a way to share the stories of all of the amazing people in the Bourbon industry, in Kentucky and around the country.
Today, The Bourbon Life has over 52,000 Followers on Instagram and The Bourbon Life Podcast has grown to become the #2 Bourbon Podcast in the world with over 200,000 downloads worldwide.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The biggest struggle that I faced at the beginning of the Podcast was figuring out how to do everything. At 52 years old, I was pretty savvy with tech and social media, but I had no idea about how to start, record, and promote a Podcast.
I spend many hours on YouTube and Google searching for information about how to do everything. The learning curve was extremely steep but I figured it out through trial and error.
It’s a story but the 1st Episode that we released took me over 12 hours to edit and mix. I had no idea what I was doing and ended up staying up all night long trying to figure it all out. I managed to get it all done and get the Episode released but it was quite a struggle.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am actually an attorney by profession and have been for more years than I care to admit.
But my passion is in sharing the stories of the Master Distillers, Master Blenders, Owners, and all of the other incredible people who make the Bourbon industry so unique.
I see myself now as an ambassador for the industry – sharing my passion for Bourbon with people across the globe through the Podcast.
It’s a small role but I really enjoy it.
So maybe we end by discussing what matters most to you and why.
The thing that matters the most to me is being able to get the stories of all of the people we interview on the Podcast to the masses. To let our listeners see beyond the brand name and marketing and to really gain an understanding of what drives the people who are creating Bourbon.
Contact Info:
- Website: thebourbonlife.net
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_bourbon_life/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebourbonlife
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYH4LY0p-WUCs8bh1v43d4g
- Other: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bourbon-life/id1498387060
Image Credits
Bill Cole Photographics
