Dispelling Myth About Women - A F(W)ine Example

Chances are you wont find two women competing for business side by side at the same event. But to declare there is no support just doesn’t seem right. The statements below compelled me to add my two cents.

“It’s a dirty little secret among women that we don’t support one another,” says Susan Shapiro Barash, author of Tripping the Prom Queen: The Truth About Women and Rivalry and professor of gender studies at Marymount Manhattan College.

To the contrary

“The iVillage ‘Women Like Me’ study clearly validates that women’s communities engender an unmatched level of trust among their users,” says iVillage EVP Jodi Kahn, “and are ideal places to go for product and brand information.” 

Look what happens when you combine Wine, Women & Motherhood – You get one very successful Facebook page, Blog and a thriving income generating business. 

http://www.omgisoneedaglassofwine.com/press/

My newest Northern California neighbor is rocking at a global level.  See what a healthy glass of wine will do for you.  I can’t wait to meet her.

For full article dirty little secret http://bit.ly/fq1y8m

For full article Women Like Me http://bit.ly/epGOH4

Beware of Impotent Goals

An impotent goal will not lead you to success rather disappointment.  But a goal with passion at the root will get you where you want to go. If you are working for money, why?  There is rarely a passion for money – rather it’s how you will use the money.  What is it you are so passionate about you are willing to sacrifice?

Example 1

Impotent goal: I will double my income in 2011.

Passionate goal: I will double my income in 2011 to achieve the top sales award and take my husband on a dream vacation to Italy’s Tuscan Wine Country.

Example 2

Impotent goal:  Run 8 miles to get/stay in shape.

Passionate goal:  Run 8 miles so that I can open and drink my last bottle of limited production 2006 David Bruce Petite Sirah, guilt free. 

In my case it was running eight miles through rough terrain to simply enjoy a glass of wine.  The first four miles meet my daily calorie burn.  The next two help me burn more calories than I consume. But the last two miles of calorie burning agony are exclusive of all goals because my passion for wine has driven me to this point.  I can now enjoy a “calorie free” glass of wine this evening.

Beware of impotent goals.

Working Women Want Wine

It's true - based on my personal experience, working women want wine.  Networking events typically offer hors-devours.  For years food has been a determining factor when choosing one event over another.  This works well to magnetize men.  But if you expect working women  on the scene, include the word wine in your event invitation.  We ladies are forever working on our Wine-Waistline(c). Women have gone so far as to include wine under the fruit & vegetables category to replace the food otherwise offered.  Consider this when planning your next business networking event.

Search For Existing Research

The hobbyist with an entrepreneurial spirit will eventually come around to the idea of turning the hobby into profits.  What often stops them are the words "I don't know." Why not find out by getting the facts from credible research often available online?  Are you curious about the costs and realities of starting up a winery?  I did a little research and here is a quick easy snapshot posted to my website: 
    www.divinitatis.com/wineryinvestment.pdf
Notice that wineries small and large turn a profit within 3 years.  Research like this can be used when presenting your dream to investors.  Use existing research and jump start your hobby turn business dream.  Use your answers to "I don't know" into a profit.

Another Start-Up Tries to Sell Wine Online

Any article or story about balanced entrepreneurs interests me.  When it is wine industry related you've got may full attention.  Claire Cain Miller hooked me with the title above.  Below is part of an article she wrote about not just the business but the driving force, Lloyd Benedict.  Enjoy!

Despite all the other products we now buy online, Web sites selling wine have struggled. Consumers don’t automatically think of the Web when they want to buy wine, and labyrinthine laws complicate the shipping of wine between states. During the dot-com craze, several wine e-commerce start-ups were born and died.

A new start-up, AmericanWinery.com, is betting that the time for online wine has finally arrived.

The site, which was founded in 2007, has the requisite Web 2.0 tools for wine aficionados. Winemakers can post their tasting notes and tips for tourists who want to visit their vineyards. Wine drinkers can buy, rate, review and discuss wine. A blog offers recipes with wine pairings and interviews with winemakers, and a wine encyclopedia defines terms from “abboccato” to “zinfandel.”

AmericanWinery.com’s founder, Lloyd Benedict, is also tapping into the latest foodie craze: buying local. Three-quarters of the 435 wineries that sell on the site are small vineyards that produce fewer than 1,000 cases of wine each year and sell in few or no stores. These winemakers don’t have other ways to reach customers beyond those that visit their tasting rooms and don’t always have the resources to set up their own e-commerce sites, said Mr. Benedict, who wears a “Support Your Local Winemaker” T-shirt to trumpet the cause.
 "Take me to this leader."

or continue this article...

“People in the United States are producing fantastic wine, but they are barely making it,” said Mr. Benedict, who has seen wineries go out of business in Walla Walla, Wash., where the company is based, because they can’t reach enough customers. “Direct sales are a turning point for them.”

Many start-ups tried something similar during the dot-com bubble.Wine.com, a major online wine seller, has imploded and rebuilt itself several times in the last decade. Other start-ups weren’t so lucky. Wineshopper.com, which sold a 45 percent stake to Amazon.com in 1999 when it first tried to enter the wine business, didn’t succeed and merged with Wine.com in 2000.

Wine will never be easy to sell online, said Barbara Insel, chief executive of Stonebridge Research, a consulting firm for the wine industry. Wine purchases are driven by recommendations from trusted friends or salespeople, a visit to a winery or a special experience at a restaurant, she said. “You don’t get that just from going to a Web site. It’s the ultimate experiential purchase.”

Still, consumers’ interest in buying wine online is growing, said Jeremy Benson, president of Benson Marketing Group, a Napa Valley wine marketing agency. In the last 30 years, he said, the number of wineries in the United States has bloomed to 6,000 from 300, while the number of wine wholesalers has shrunk to 200 from 12,000. As a result, more and more people visit vineyards, can’t find the wine they want in the store and go online to buy it.

Nonetheless, Mr. Benson said, only 10 to 20 percent of most wineries’ business comes from the Web.

AmericanWinery.com hopes to fill that void. The site is free for customers and vintners. When a winery sells a bottle of wine through the site, AmericanWinery.com processes the payment and the wineries are responsible for shipping. Shipping is $15 for one to three bottles and $25 for a case.

Wineries set the prices for the wine, which range from $5 to $1,000 a bottle. AmericanWinery.com keeps 10 percent of that and returns 90 percent to the winemaker.

That is a crucial difference between his business and other e-tailers, Mr. Benedict said. Many of them operate as re-sellers or wholesalers, keeping the wine in warehouses and handling the entire transaction. A typical distributor gives the winemaker 50 percent of the sale price, according to Mr. Benson.

For example, Amazon.com, which is reportedly starting a wine e-commerce service sometime soon, is said to be using a fulfillment service called New Vine Logistics to store and send wine and will give winemakers 47 percent of the retail price. (Amazon did not respond to a request for comment.) Wine.com operates nine warehouses.

Mr. Benedict said it was important to him to leave distribution up to the wineries — a lesson he said he learned from the travails of wine e-commerce start-ups during the dot-com bubble. “Looking at the bust, I’m dead set on never touching the product,” he said.

One advantage of using a service like New Vine Logistics: it will navigate the maze of confusing shipping laws that govern whether and how out-of-state wineries can ship wine to each state. Thirty-five states allow wine to be shipped into their states, but each has different rules, and most require winemakers to buy licenses, pay sales tax and fill out paperwork, said Mr. Benson, who is also the executive director of Free the Grapes, an organization that advocates easy, direct wine purchasing.

Mr. Benedict said he planned to have a system in place by December to coordinate these shipping licenses so that winemakers on AmericanWinery.com can sell to customers in the majority of states.

Mr. Benedict, who at 24 has only been able to legally drink for three years, said he first became interested in wine when he moved to Walla Walla to attend college in 2002. The region is a burgeoning wine destination.

He started the site with $2 million from angel investors as a free service for winemakers to post information about their wines online for other vintners or for visitors planning a trip to the vineyard. Winemakers quickly asked him to add an e-commerce feature so that consumers could buy wines. He did that a year ago, and 35 to 40 new wineries sign up each month.

Dictate Your Own Schedule, Business & Life

You dictate your schedule, your business and life. This is the powerful mindset you need to successfully be a leader. I caution anyone that sees it the other way around. If you WANT to give your control and passion to someone or something else this is not the blog for you.

Yesterday the sun was shining and was the warmest day of 2010. I had planned to be in the office all day. Tuesday coaching sessions start at 6am and wrap up by around 11. I develop new business the rest of the day. That can mean a networking luncheon, follow-up calls, writing this blog or my ezine. Sometimes I schedule my own personal development.

Given the beauty of the day and the call of the convertible I made some adjustments to my plan. Why couldn’t I write, network and research in the wine country? I checked in with my boss (that would be me) and declared it an excellent idea!

I ventured to Bucks County Wine Trail, PA. This was a work day and I planned to do it my way. The beauty of a vineyard is my place of inspiration. As I sat in the sun and sipped wine I focused on all the same tasks I would have in the office.

The people I met either worked at the winery or were business owners in search of a release. It gave me a chance to connect within my niche. Everyone we meet can use your expertise or services someday. Who knows maybe you need there’s, right?

Don’t be afraid to change up your business day. Resentment, longing and frustration are clear indicators you need attitude adjustment. Talk to your boss (that’s you) and get a new perspective on how to get a handle on your schedule, business and life.

WINE ENTHUSIAST RECOMMENDATION:

If you ever get to Bucks County, PA, be sure to visit Crossing Vinyards & Winery. The property is majestic, they have award winning wines, and Mary is absolutely delightful.

If all this sounds unachievable consider giving me a call for Life Coaching.

If you would like to inspire others with your own success stories use this blog to COMMENT!

Leadership Perspective - Fresh Mondays!!!

Fresh Start for Monday - Pay & Plan.  Unlike Garfield the Cat - I like Mondays.

I begin by paying bills.  There is nothing like a sense of completion when closing your checkbook for the week.  Major ahhhhhh, right?

Next I reward myself by finding a wine event (you can choose any activity) and write it in on my calendar.  No time for attending the event or its too far away?  Write it down anyway.  You never know if your schedule will open up for an activity that interests you.  Now your prepared for possibility.

Now your bills are done and you're prepped for fun.  The rest of the week is yours!

Brandywine Trail:  Wine & Chocolate Month

February 2010
Bring your sweetheart and come celebrate with the wineries of the Brandywine Valley Wine Trail as we present delicious wine and chocolate tastings and other romantic activities throughout the month.


See you on the trail?
Monday Inspiration

Reflections of A Leader

Observe the maneuvers of your critical mind (as well as your critics) and decide what role they will play in your Leadership Success.

Rather than working against your inner-critics consider observing them. Meditation is considered a powerful method for turning-in for clarity. However, in our ordinary (or extraordinary) waking moments the pointing finger, angry and doubtful voices cry out for attention.

By observing their manoeuvres, you can “distance from your (my) own inner condemning, critical voices, literally encouraging you (me) to "watch" these voices as if they had no more importance than other thoughts passing through your mind.” To be able to regard these critical voices as the "antics" of the mind, to train yourself to simply observe their maneuvers, you achieve greater peace of mind and leadership Success.

The wine enthusiast may want to venture out to Artesa Winery in Napa California to begin just such a journey.

Aretsa is one of the most architecturally stunning wineries in Northern America. Sitting on 350 acres, this ultra-modern winery offers panoramic views of Napa Valley, the Carneros growing region, and San Francisco Bay. Steeped in the property’s modernistic, minimalist look and surrounded by contemporary sculptures, fountains, and reflecting pools, the Visitor Center and Tasting Room are a delight to behold.

They are known for their sparkling wines, but the winery has since found its niche in still wines, especially their Estate Pinot Noir and Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon – according to Barbara Scott-Goodman author and fellow wine enthusiast.

Observe the maneuvers of your critical mind (as well as your critics) and decide what role they will play in your Leadership Success.

By Appointment Only

When a winery or vintner states that tasting is “by appointment only,” GO! For years this turned me off because I assumed the winemaker pretentious. Growing up in an open-door policy lifestyle, I didn’t understand why they were closed to the public when all the other wineries were open. I changed my mind in the spring of 2000.

My husband and I were on a quest to taste ALL the wines of the California Central Coast before we moved to Germany. We had only a couple of weeks to hit all the wineries, including those that were “by appointment only.”

We discovered these to be quaint mom & pop set ups with a small inventory. We called on a winemaker located on the outskirts of Paso Robles. His wife was most friendly when we called and set a time within the hour. Just enough time for her to bake us a loaf of bread to enjoy with our wine.

When we got there her husband, a man in his 70s greeted us on the driveway. He was a retired engineer from Italy turned winemaker. After showing my husband his prized Alfa Romeo we were invited into his home to enjoy the fresh baked bread, wine and listen to stories from Italy to America. It was their story that brought the flavors of the wine to perfection.

I never looked at my watch. It didn’t matter that we had many more wineries on our list. By Appointment Only: “Wherever you are, be there.”

If you could schedule an appointment for somewhere special, where would that be?

Integrity as a Leadership Base

If I’ve said it once I’ve said it hundreds of times “Leadership is not any one method taught by an instructor. Leadership is developed from within with the support and guidance of an expert.” As a Leadership Coach I challenge people already in leadership roles, to reflect on integrity. That’s right; I want them to start with the core of what is most important.

Does it really surprise any of you that I wouldn’t sidestep the hard stuff? If you want to ruffle my feathers just question my integrity. When my client said, “Jake, Intention… Integrity… Ingenious!!! Thank you for listening & finding the “I’s” in me.” I opened an excellent Syrah and smiled. That’s how much I value integrity. It is the foundation for leadership – and we all have it in us!

”The glue that holds all relationships together -- including the relationship between the leader and the led is trust, and trust is based on integrity.” --Brian Tracy

Ahhh, well said Brian!

Here’s a quote you’ll want to read, wait, read again, ponder, re-read and then entirely agree:

”Achievement of your happiness is the only moral purpose of your life, and that happiness, not pain or mindless self-indulgence, is the proof of your moral integrity, since it is the proof and the result of your loyalty to the achievement of your values.” --Ayn Rand

See what I mean?

If you are struggling with work-life balance, use integrity as your starting point for your personal and professional development journey.