Unbridled Spirit

Famous for college basketball, horse racing, bourbon, coal, and bluegrass music, the Commonwealth of Kentucky is also home to industries and opportunities not normally associated with it. Compiled by the Kentucky Entrepreneur Hall of Fame, Unbridled Spirit shares the success stories of twenty of its members—business leaders who dared to think beyond the region’s best known institutions—to encourage the next generation of entrepreneurs from the Bluegrass State.

In this inspiring second installment of the Amazon bestseller, Unbridled Spirit, the Kentucky Entrepreneur Hall of Fame recognizes and celebrates the contributions and accomplishments of 19 entrepreneurs across the state. Unbridled Spirit Volume 2 shares the success stories of seasoned entrepreneurs who continue to redefine what it is to be a Kentuckian.

These Hall of Famers have overcome the odds, stepped up in the face of adversity, and built innovative, prosperous ventures. The Kentucky Entrepreneur Hall of Fame is proud to recount their stories and hard-earned wisdom in this exciting second volume of all-American success.

Kentucky’s history of being a small impoverished state didn’t stop entrepreneurial Kentuckians like tech inventor and DataBeam founder Lee Todd and former Milwaukee-Bucks-superstar-turned-restaurant-franchiser Junior Bridgeman from overcoming adversity, pursuing their dreams, and achieving their goals. These Hall of Famers, and the others profiled in this book, have built prosperous careers that have redefined what it means to be Kentuckian, inspiring others in communities throughout the Commonwealth to step outside the box and create their own business legacies in twenty-first century America.

Stories inside include:

  • What Jim Host (Host Communications) did after going from having $1,800,000 to being in debt $560,000 (inflation adjusted) in 1967 when he was 28 years old. - page 50
  • The investment Bill Gatton (Bill Gatton Motors) made when he was 8 years old - page 192
  • What nine Harvard business professors told John Y. Brown Jr when he asked for advice about running KFC (hint: the conversation was short) - page 36

About the Author

Founded by Kentucky entrepreneurs Brian Raney, Luke Murray, Nick Such, and Bobby Clark, the Kentucky Entrepreneur Hall of Fame is an organization that shares and celebrates stories of Kentucky’s most successful entrepreneurs. The Hall of Fame’s mission is to raise awareness and shine a spotlight on the impact entrepreneurship has on the Commonwealth of Kentucky, while encouraging others to pursue similarly ambitious endeavors. This volume was compiled by Garrett Fahrbach, who manages the Outreach and Storytelling programs at Awesome Inc. He maintains the relationships between the Kentucky Entrepreneur Hall of Fame inductees and Awesome Inc along with team members Brian Raney and Keith McMunn.


Check out samples from the Audio version of Unbridled Spirit:

Pick up a copy of the audio book here:

For inquiries about using the book for a class on business, entrepreneurship and/or Kentucky history, please email garrett.fahrbach@entrepreneurhof.com

Gold Sponsors


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Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development
University of the Cumberlands