Lance Avery Morgan
Two Houstonians, Catharine Faulconer and Kim Martin, are the chic dynamos taking the world by storm. One bottle at a time. Their “buzz-worthy” brainchild, Queen Bee Distilling’s Osmia Vodka, beautifully represents the entrepreneurial goals that emerged from the deep-rooted friendship between these East Texas natives living in Houston. Inspired by their shared experiences with allergies and autoimmune issues, they identified a crucial gap in the market: a woman-owned distilling business dedicated to producing allergen-free, ultra-premium, and prestigious spirits. Here, our Lance Avery Morgan, takes a look at the ladies’ inspirationally stylish approach to life.
Three qualities that got me where I am today are…
Cat: 1. Loyalty, 2. Perseverance, 3. Organized.
Kim: 1. Parents’ belief in me, 2. Tenacity, 3. Attention to detail.
Easiest career decision I ever made is…
Cat: Starting Queen Bee with my best friend.
Kim: Work with friends.
I loved creating Queen Bee Osmia Vodka because…
Cat: Working with my best friend, using my creativity, and filling a need where I saw a gap and seeing an idea become a reality.
Kim: I have learned so much, spent time with my best friend, and created something I believe in that is completely new.
Due to my ongoing involvement with Queen Bee, I have found that…
Cat: Mistakes are valuable learning opportunities and not failures.
Kim: You don’t have to know everything. Be curious and listen to others. Give yourself grace and ask questions.
The main reason anyone should try Queen Bee Osmia Vodka is because…
Cat: Quality.
Kim: It is the whole package: it starts with local Houston honey, has zero additives, and it’s delicious.
How I made my first dollar…
Cat: Wrapping Christmas gifts in Tyler Texas for a clothing store at age 15.
Kim: I worked at Karmel Korn in the Longview Mall (in Longview, Texas) at age 15, but even before that, I worked with my mom and grandfather who had booths of trinkets, antiques, and handmade clothing at Canton First Monday Trade Days when I was very small.
Last thing I binge/marathon watched…
Cat: Loki and Disney +
Book that left a lasting impression on me…
Kim: The New Look on Apple+, the WWII drama about Coco Chanel and Christian Dior, and their lives throughout the war.
Cat: Harry Potter.
Kim: Gone with the Wind.
On that note, my favorite fiction character is…
Cat: Elle Woods (Bend and Snap, baby!)
Kim: I have so many.
My real-life hero has got to be…
Cat: My inner circle of friends and family – I find inspiration in them every day.
Kim: Catharine! She is so positive, a great listener & fun friend.
First music I bought…
Cat: Sound Track to Saturday Night Fever (Bee Gees, Baby!).
Kim: Ditto! Saturday Night Fever album.
If I could live in a foreign city it would be…
Cat: London, England
Kim: Vienna, Austria
What everyone/woman should try in her lifetime is…
Cat: Everyone – parasailing. Women – Red lipstick. I look horrible in it but had to try it.
Kim: Love.
If I could compete in, or create, an Olympic sport it would be…
Cat: Organizing. If I had to pick an actual sport – gymnastics.
Kim: Chairing things. I love to get involved and be busy. But, like Catharine, if it is a real sport it would be figure skating – it is so graceful and they have to be so strong, bold, and brave on the ice all alone.
If I weren’t doing what I do I would (be a…)…
Cat: Travel the world.
Kim: Housewife, mom, and gardener – but I am still those things now.
My hidden talent that most people might not guess is…
Cat: I can still do a back bend.
Kim: Just put me on a task. I am a good weeder in the garden, I will pick up trash, a good proofreader. I guess you say I have a healthy dose of OCD. And, I like to throw parties.
If I had a superpower, I’d want it to be…
Cat: Healing. Touch someone and heal them of whatever ails them.
Kim: Invisibility or teleporting.
A simple way to get people to laugh is easy. Just…
Cat: Self–deprecating
Kim: Ditto.
I phrase I might overuse would be…
Cat: OK.
Kim: I don’t think I should say…
My motto? Easy. It is…
Cat: To my kids, “That sounds like a you problem, not a me problem” or “It will all work out.”
Kim: “Don’t be part of the problem. Be part of the solution.” And, “It’s ok if you are going to party with the turkeys tonight, you’ve just got to be ready to sore with the eagles tomorrow.”
Favorite scent these days is (because)…
Cat: Henry Rose Flora Carnivora fragrance (Clean perfume. Founded by Michelle Pfeiffer who is an EWG advocate)
Kim: Chanel No. 5 – a classic and Channel 1932, a gift from a friend.
The beauty essential you’d have to pry out of my cold, dead hands is…
Cat: Mascara
Kim: My skin is terribly dry, so any good moisturizer. I am always on the hunt for a new one. And I love Unseen Suncreeen by Supergoop.
A celebrity I would prank phone call and what I would ask them is…
Cat: Jimmy Fallon…Hey, Jimmy I have Fallon and I can’t get up.
Kim: To many to mention.
My personal style signifier is…
Cat: Pink, pink, pink … bury me in pink. Everyone who comes to my funeral has to wear pink.
Kim: Cowboy boots, I am always going to be a proud East Texan. I guess you could bury me in them, but no one would see my feet.
The classic movie star style I most identify with is…
Cat: Audrey Hepburn
Kim: The same – she is just iconic.
Classic designer I wish was still designing today (and why) is…
Cat: Oh my, that’s toss-up between Coco and Christian. Maybe Christian Dior, no Coco Chanel. No…oh geez, do I have to choose?! Talk about powerhouses…I guess Coco because she broke the barrier for women and what an example.
Kim: Christian Dior. He was imaginative, beautiful, feminine, and ladylike style.
If I had to limit my shopping to one neighborhood in one city…
Cat: Wynn Shops in Vegas.
Kim: London England’s Mayfair.
An artist whose work I would collect (or like to collect) is…
Cat: Vincent Van Gogh, my favorite.
Kim: Liliana Porter, Eleonore Koch, Gego – I collect Latin American Art and my current focus is female artists.
In my fridge you will always find…
Cat: Mountain Valley Glass water bottles.
Kim: Milk, fruit, OJ, bacon, and eggs – I love breakfast.
My perfect day would end…
Cat: It is every day, a goodnight kiss from my husband.
Kim: Watching the sunset from anywhere – mountains of Colorado, over the blue waters of the Florida coast, having a Queen Bee Osmia Vodka soda with a splash of lime, then dinner with my family and good friends laughing and catching up with I need to do more of.
