Meet Morgan Salsman of LQD Assets, LLC

Today we’d like to introduce you to Morgan Salsman

Hi Morgan, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up in Bardstown KY, the bourbon capital of the world, so I’ve been around bourbon all of my life. If you have ever met someone from Kentucky, they’re quite proud of where they’re from–myself included. I was presented with the opportunity to invest in bourbon barrels when I was in college, which was a fun and meaningful way for me to stay connected to my heritage back home while I was away at school. It also allowed me to learn, firsthand, the mechanics of business and investment strategy.

Out of college, I put my degree to work at a civil engineering design firm for several years while I continued to pursue opportunities in the bourbon industry. Eventually, I reached a fork in the road where I had to choose between the two industries. Did I want to pursue a life of entrepreneurship in the bourbon industry, or continue on my engineering path? I ended up choosing the entrepreneurial opportunity, and the rest is history. I’d like to claim that I have always been an entrepreneur at heart, and the opportunity to build a business in an industry I am truly passionate about was a no brainer for me.

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?
As any business owner would say, entrepreneurship is challenging. You don’t often hear about the long hours, setbacks (both major and minor), and the moments where you are thinking, “Did I really make the right choice?” or “Is this actually going to work?” but those are some of the most real aspects of being an entrepreneur. It takes a lot of discipline and self-motivation to push through the challenges that present themselves–and many entrepreneurs often tackle these challenges alone. Most people see the flexibility of travel and time and think that entrepreneurship equals freedom–which is true to some extent–but there are still responsibilities and goals that have to get accomplished no matter where you are or what you are doing. You are on the clock 24/7, which makes work life balance an exceptional challenge.

As a young entrepreneur, I always gravitate toward the saying, “You don’t know what you don’t know.” The presence of unknown challenges, opportunities, and risks are unavoidable in the journey of building a business. No matter the experience level, all entrepreneurs have to navigate through uncertainties and blind spots in their understanding of operations and industry dynamics. This requires openness and humility toward continuous learning, diverse perspectives, feedback, and new ideas. I am constantly learning– from my own mistakes, from my peers, and from my mentors– which is also one of the most rewarding parts of this lifestyle.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
At it’s core, our company buys, ages, and sells bourbon barrels. We provide an investment program for accredited investors to diversify and grow their portfolio with a tangible appreciating asset. It is a way to hedge against other typical or alternative investments. The barrels are acquired as new fill barrels (0 days old), moved to our warehouses where they will be aged for several years, and then sold to sourcing brands. This program allows investors to diversify their portfolio with an investment that is uncorrelated to typical stock market, interest rate, and real estate indicators.

We also provide partnership to sourcing brands or non-distilling producers, so they are able to scale their business. We hold the financial responsibility of the aging process, so that brands have cash flow to market their products, grow their brand, and generate consumer excitement. The majority of brands do not have hundreds of thousands of dollars to park in inventory that needs to age for several years before they can even put it in a bottle to see a return on their investment through product sales. We offer consistent mash bills (or recipes) from consistent distillery partners that allow a brand to confidently plan out their production and inventory for years to come. We offer flexible sales terms as well as futures contracts to allow brands the confidence to grow. We also offer consulting services for these brands to subsidize any gaps in their teams. This includes barrel storage, brand development, new and used oak barrel sourcing, bottling partnerships, compliance, dry good sourcing and more.

What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
There are many, many lessons that I have learned over the years, but one that can apply to almost every aspect of my career is that organization is key. It is always worth it to spend the extra time (and money) to get it right the first time, rather than having to revamp a whole system, process, or business structure shortly down the road. There is always room for improvement adjustments and changes over time, but a strong core foundation is key to building a fruitful, healthy business or process. Consulting a professional (whether it’s a lawyer, accountant, marketing agency, or other) is a great way to ensure you are building a sustainable environment for your business to flourish.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://lqdassets.co
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lqdassets/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556752067498