Morgan Salsman of The Gulch on Life, Lessons & Legacy

Morgan Salsman shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Good morning Morgan, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
Honestly, just getting out of the house and moving my body has been bringing me a lot of joy lately. Sometimes it really is that simple! I spent a couple months in New York City this summer, which was such a shift from my usual Nashville pace—and I loved it. Whether it was grabbing dinner or drinks with friends, attending founder’s club events, walking for miles through the city, hitting a workout class, or doing a sauna/cold plunge session, I found so much peace in simply having something outside of work on the agenda most days. It’s reminded me how much clarity and energy I get just by changing my environment and being in motion. It has also served as a reminder that if something in your life isn’t working, you have the power to change it—and sometimes that shift is exactly what you need to find yourself again.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Morgan Salsman, founder of LQD Assets. I work in the bourbon industry, specifically in the behind-the-scenes world of barrel investment, storage, and brand building. I started this company after realizing how disconnected a lot of new and emerging whiskey brands were from the inventory, logistics, and financial structures they needed to actually grow.

Today, I manage a portfolio of about 10,000 barrels and have helped developed over 110,000 square feet of bonded warehouse space in Kentucky where we age barrels for our investors as well as other distilleries, investment groups, and brand partners. To date, we have helped over 25 brands develop, source and scale their whiskey programs. What makes LQD special is that we operate at the intersection of tradition and innovation. We’re rooted in Kentucky heritage but think like entrepreneurs. I’m passionate about bringing more transparency, access, and long-term thinking into an industry that can feel opaque from the outside.

Right now, I’m focused on expanding our consulting arm and developing new tools to help brands and investors navigate this space more confidently. Although I grew up in bourbon country, I came into this with an engineering background and have built LQD from the ground up, so I’ve always approached it with a builder’s mindset.

Okay, so here’s a deep one: What relationship most shaped how you see yourself?
My relationship with my dad plays a big role in how I see myself. He always told me I could do anything I set my mind to. Whether it was building a shed in the backyard, buying my first iPod touch, or building a business plan for a fake restaurant we never opened. Solutions weren’t handed to me, I was taught how to find the tools to figure it out. He really fostered my engineering and entrepreneurial curiosity. That shaped how I see myself to this day. If there’s a problem, I trust I can find or build the solution. It’s the same mindset I bring into my work now—resourceful, capable, independent, and solution oriented.

What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Suffering teaches humility in a way that success never could. When things are going well, it’s easy to think you’re in control—that your pace, your plans, your wins are what define you. But suffering strips all of that away. It humbles you and makes you question your identity, priorities, and path. It re-roots you in what actually matters: people, presence, perspective.

For me, success has become a much more well-rounded metric as I have gotten older. I used to think it was just about career momentum and financial freedom: growth, expansion, forward motion. But when walking through loss and discomfort, it allowed me to realize that real success is also about deep relationships, emotional steadiness, and being able to weather the storms with grace, gratitude, and humility. I ask myself: Am I happy with the relationships in my life? My body? My mind? My daily, mundane routines? Those are the foundation that gets you through the hard times and they need TLC as much as the business your building does!

Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? What truths are so foundational in your life that you rarely articulate them?
I think I can share a few of these:

1. Ethics are the strongest foundation.
I come from an engineering background, where ethics are top of mind all the time. That mindset guides how I build in business too. Trust and reputation are earned quietly over time, and I want mine to be built on something solid.

2. Freedom is worth sacrificing for.
I’ve walked away from comfort and stability more than once to protect my freedom. I’d rather take the long road on my terms than follow someone else’s shortcut that leads nowhere I want to be.

3. You’re allowed to evolve.
Change isn’t always clean or easy, but it’s often necessary. I’ve learned that it’s okay to shift, to outgrow things quietly, and to move forward without having to explain yourself to everyone along the way.

4. Clarity comes through action.
I’ve learned that waiting for the perfect plan usually leads to more waiting. Taking the next step (or any step) always teaches me more than overthinking ever could. You figure it out by doing, not by sitting still.

Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. Have you ever gotten what you wanted, and found it did not satisfy you?
I feel like there’s a unanimous “absolutely, yes” that comes with this question as an entrepreneur. You chase something for months (maybe years) pouring time, energy, and belief into it. Then you get it, and for a moment there’s a high, but it fades quicker than you expect. The goalpost just moves further away and there is a new shiny thing to work toward!

One of those moments for me was when I landed my first barrel purchase contract. At the time, new-fill production was incredibly scarce—everyone was contracted out years in advance. I’d spent so much time building toward that deal. It was the thing that would make it all real. And it did. But it also marked the moment I let go of something else I thought I wanted: going to business school. That had been the plan. Sign the agreement, quit my job, go to school, and learn how to build a company. But suddenly, I had one to build right now in real time!

Instead, I got the best education I could’ve asked for: real-world experience. When one door closes, another opens, just maybe not the one you expected.

Moments like that have been realigning. They’ve helped me reconnect with what truly matters and reminded me how easy it is to get swept up in the momentum of chasing what’s next and setting big goals. I’ve learned to pause and ask myself: Is this something I genuinely want, or just something I want to prove I can do? There’s a big difference. For me, real fulfillment comes from alignment, not just achievement. The goal is to build a life you don’t feel the need to escape from, one that feels good to live in every day.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://lqdassets.co
• Instagram: @lqdassets, @mosalsman
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/morgan-salsman-82046a178/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556752067498

Image Credits
Blacklight Group