Book Review: The Barefoot Spirit

 How does walking barefoot on the beach relate to being successful in the wine industry?  You need look no further than The Barefoot Spirit written by the founders of Barefoot Wine: Bonnie Harvey and Michael Houlihan.  Along with writer Rick Kushman, the entrepreneurs who started Barefoot Wine just published a book.  It is about how Bonnie and Michael started out in the wine industry completely naive and ended up building a very successful business.   They took a new approach to creating a wine brand and steadily built their business.  They used new marketing approaches, injected a lot of fun into their brand and worked tirelessly to build customer loyalty. 
Over the years I have had the pleasure of meeting Michael Houlihan at many wine industry events, and he has always been a gracious and engaging man.  I have also known Rick Kushman for a few years now--running into him at local charity events and wine related functions.  I also read his articles in the Sacramento Bee regularly.  Together Bonnie, Michael and Rick have put together a story that is a quick and fun read that subtly gives you great business insight.  

The Beginning:  Bonnie and Michael started up Barefoot Cellars in the late '80's somewhat accidentally.  With a good amount of bulk wine needing a home, they went about building a new wine brand from the ground up.  While that bulk wine sat, they quickly learned everything they could--talking to winery owners, store owners and anyone they could find who would explain how things operated in the wine biz.  Maybe that is what allowed them be so successful--being comfortable asking questions and then figuring out how to use that information to build their company.

I know a little about a lot of things in the wine business, and this book gave me some helpful insight and interesting color regarding how wine is marketed and sold.   Why does that bottle end up costing the consumer $20 versus $5?  Why can you find some wines in almost every store you stop in, but you stumble upon a new brand when you shop at a locally-owned store?  How do wines go "on sale"?  What does it take to make wine that so many people end up liking?  The Barefoot Spirit explains it using fun anecdotes.

College Dinner Party Wine:  I do have a soft spot for Barefoot Wines.  One of the first wines I really experienced was Barefoot's Cabernet Sauvignon in the 1.5 L bottle in college.  My friend Susi, who was practically raised in her family's Italian restaurant, brought it to one of our rare dorm homemade dinners.   If an all knowing Italian restauranteur was offering it, I knew it had to be good.  That wine remained with us through 4 years of college--and through many deep philosophical wine powered nights.  When I first met Michael I told him this--and he said that so many people tell him similar stories.  

Treat Your Customers Right:  The wines have a lot of fans to this day, and a fan base is what Barefoot worked very hard to build.  The fun wine world we are in today is much different than the wine world Michael and Bonnie found themselves in at first.  To just name their wines Barefoot and have a fun looking footprint stamped on the label was unheard of.  They really went after building a marketing program that reveled in individuality and a commitment to their consumer.  Putting a 800 number on their corks allowed customers to contact them--and contact them they did.  Often it was to tell Michael and Bonnie they couldn't find the wine at their local stores, or to talk about a problem--but often it was to sing the wines' praises.  Barefoot didn't just listen to these calls, they responded to the calls and worked to turn them into consumer loyalty opportunities.

So with my fondness of the brand it was kind of fun to read this book right before hitting the beach where I could walk barefoot in the sand and unwind.  I wrapped up the book on the final approach to the Belize airport where my husband and I were headed for a week of much needed relaxation.  My husband was reading parts of the e-book over my shoulder.  He said to me, "Anyone thinking about going into the wine business should read this book first."  Might be a good plan.

Treat Your Employees Right:  As a recruiter, I appreciated the comments on how to humanely manage people and how important your staff is to your success.  They were constantly learning how to build and manage their business, and they clearly state that they were successful because of the hard work and dedication of their employees.  I know the two owners were also very hard workers dedicated to their business and their employees.  The advice they offer to other business owners is valuable. 

Management Book In a Memoir:  I enjoyed Rick Kushman's writing style,  keeping it light and conversational while making strong connections between Michael and Bonnie's experiences with business strategy--while never hitting you over the head with business jargon.

Being Barefoot:  Appropriately, Barefoot's logo was created to celebrate being footloose and enjoying yourself.  Having just escaped a bad winter storm and enjoying myself in Belize I reflected on the book while walking barefoot in the white sandy beaches.   I can appreciate the Barefoot Spirit and am happy it is living on with both the brand and with the brand's creators.  The last comment from Michael in the book is very touching.  "When you see a footprint on the beach, you don't know if it was made by a man or a woman, or someone who is gay or straight or black or white.  You can't tell religion.  It doesn't matter.  It's just the impression a human makes when they walk on the earth.  That's what matters.  We're all on the beach together."

I'm glad we're on this beach together.  Cheers!

Book Review: Daily Decadence by Sherri Dobay

Towards the end of summer this year I had the pleasure of meeting Sherri Dobay at Envy Wines in Calistoga.  Sherri Dobay is a multifaceted woman, being an accomplished artist, a graphic designer, a marketer, a businesswoman, and a true equestrian.  Along with all of that she also has her own wine label, Ruby Kurant.  This year she wrote and published her book Daily Decadence: The Art of Sensual Living.  Having met Sherri briefly at a wine industry event, it was nice to sit down with her and find out about her and get a copy of the book.

Who wouldn't love a book about decadent, sensual living.  She had me at the title!  Sherri's book is a mix of personal reflections, recipes, wine/food pairing ideas and funny advice on life.  I do enjoy her advice on entertaining--from the types of people to invite to the type of ambiance to create.  She also gives advice on how to look at life by relating how she has done things--in life, in love and in the home.

The book was a fun romp through Sherri's life--her love affairs--her adventures--and her dreams.  I do really enjoy the recipes.  They are made for real cooks--the kind that cook for their friends, their families and themselves.  Most of the recipes are unfussy and allow you to start something early and come back to it when you are ready to eat.  Reading the recipes is often a kick--start the cooking at lunch time, let it simmer and come back when you can.  Add a few finishing touches, put some music on and open a nice bottle of wine.  Perfect--that kind of cooking will work out just fine on most of my days. 

I also enjoyed Sherri's wine pairing advice and her tasting notes.  From the short ribs that I made yesterday which she likes to cook with Syrah she had tasting notes for her own red wine, Ruby Kurant's The Archer,  "butter cookies, blackberry jam, rich and spicy layered on top of earth and crispy salmon skin, cacao nibs, yes, that is dark chocolate!"  A lot of different descriptors come into her tasting notes--and it is fun to think of what triggers certain notes she writes.

So far I've tried the roast chicken (delicious and well received by the entire family--3 times so far--and great the next day), the short ribs (last night--made some adjustments due to supplies on hand--food was gobbled down by the family), Nutella (already a huge fan--do buy it in bulk), slow beef stew (very hearty--yummy), beef barley soup (like my mom makes),  and savory scones (very nice and light--a bit too chic for my teenage boys).  I've got a few of those recipes dog-eared because they were so good--and also I am looking forward to making the lobster very soon.  One thing that would help me with the book would be an index--but I can handle looking through the table of contents for the information--reading it again also reminds me of Sherri's reason for including the recipe.

Sherri's advice to live everyday with a bit of decadence is great to hear.  Want real butter on that fresh bread--do it.  Want to sample some champagne midday--go ahead.  Feeling unproductive and want to get away from work--walk the dog, call a friend or take a long soak in the tub.  We are all going a million miles an hour--including our highly talented wine maven/artist/website developer/horseback rider/marketer.  It is nice to allow ourselves little pleasures during the day.  Stop and read a quick entry in her book and you can get a peek into what Sherri enjoys doing--and maybe incorporate some of that into your own life.

Can You Sue A Wine Writer?

Rob McMillan of Silicon Valley Bank put this post up on his blog recently:  SVB on Wine: Can You Sue A Wine Writer?
There are some great points about managing your social media presence and managing your brand as well.  Some of these items I've talked about on this WineTalent post.

Ruling on Employers and Social Media

Companies Should Reexamine Their Social Media Policies In Light Of Recent NLRB Decision On Costco, Says Attorney - PR Newswire - The Sacramento Bee

What are Employers Looking for These Days?

Recently Nick Schulz wrote "Hard Unemployment Truths About 'Soft' Skills" in the WSJ.  While I know many people have been hard hit by the recession, I do also know that sometimes the littlest things make the biggest differences.

Non-Technies Need Not Apply? Nick Schulz reported on the struggle manufacturing companies face to find qualified applicants for open jobs.  With manufacturing becoming more high-tech, it is easy to believe that the work force needs to be more computer savvy and technically competent.  It may come as a surprise to many that the biggest challenge many employers have is finding applicants with the "soft" skills you may take for granted.  These skills include being polite, motivated, enthusiastic, and able to answer a phone professionally.  The hiring managers also noted that sometimes it is hard enough to even find applicants that can pass the drug test.

What New Skills Employers Are Looking For?  Earlier this week I was meeting with a sales executive who has worked for many prestigious wineries in California.  He asked me what skills people are looking for in their sales staff.  I paused, and thought about it for a moment and said, "Someone who does their job."  I felt a little flat-footed, but really most often the hardest thing to find is someone who actually does their job and takes pride in their work.  And when you find someone who does, you don't want to let her go.

New Skills Versus Effectiveness:  Yes, it is true that we have lots of new technology and skills that we want our employees to have.  Knowing how to update a Facebook page is important if you are doing social media and having advanced point of sale system experience will make you a hot commodity--but if you waste your time lost in social media sites or don't actually work to make a single sale using the POS system--you aren't worth anything.

A Peek Into the Entry-level Job Scene

What it is Like Out There:  Recently my college-aged son has been looking for a part-time job.  He went to an informational session at a large logistics company and felt very out of place.  As his mother instructed, he wore his nice khakis, an ironed dress shirt, a tie and his best (read only) dress shoes.  He took his resume and reference list along in a folder.  Reporting back afterwards, he said he was the only guy there that wasn't "sagging" and the only white guy who wasn't sporting dreadlocks. (Please, reader, I love dreadlocks as much as the next guy--but thought it was a very interesting remark)

Set Yourself Apart, Nicely:  Today he is going back for a real interview.  Going over his game plan yesterday, I asked if he was going to wear a tie again.  He said, "Of course, I have to set myself far apart from the mirror-foggers."  Now this is a part-time job during college loading boxes into freight trucks.  He's hoping to get a grave shift and work in a 30 degree warehouse during the holiday season.  This isn't the highlight career for most people--but my son is really looking forward to working hard, getting paid and getting lots of extra hours during the holiday shipping season. 

Learning the Ropes:  Two years ago my son went for his first interview with the parks department to help clean up garbage and pull weeds around the city during the summer.  Getting to the interview, he said he again was the only guy not "sagging" and noted that most of the girls there were wearing short shorts and were baring their midriffs.  When he sat down at the interview table, he asked the interviewer if she would like to see his resume.  While she was shocked that he brought one, she took it and conducted the interview.  He got the job and got to spend many 100+ degree days picking up garbage and fixing playgrounds around Sacramento. 

Getting the reference:  Yeah, so maybe these jobs aren't going to find my son living in a mansion and partying on a yacht--but he's a step ahead of a lot of unemployed people out there.  In his summer job he learned how to work as part of a team, a little about money management and how to do the job his supervisor wanted done.  Never missing a day of work--and only forgetting his steel-toed boots once which caused him to be 5 minutes late to work--made his supervisor happy, and she has been a great reference.  He also has a good job to put on his resume, helping him get the next job.

What Can You do to Improve Your Hireability?

Make Sure you Polish your Soft Skills:    Be polite and approachable when interacting with a potential employer.  Make sure you use good grammar in communications with them and follow-up as requested.  Be consistent in your information, especially when it comes to job history and responsibilities.  Dress appropriately for a job interview.  Don't Sag!  Act professional.  Be enthusiastic about the opportunity to meet with anyone at the company and sincere about your interest in working for them.

Know What's Relevant:  Yes, most likely you have more experience than needed to load freight trucks--so make sure you brush up on your specific experience and know what talents you bring to the role.  If you are applying for a job that requires knowledge of sales tracking software--make sure you study up on it so you can talk intelligently about your expertise on it and discover where you might need additional study.  Be honest about areas that you don't have the required experience, but if you can show how you can acquire that knowledge, you are showing you know a lot about the job.

Act Like You Want to be Hired:  It may sound funny, but I can often tell when someone isn't really into the job hunt.  Statements such as, "Well, maybe it would be better if I continued to work for a friend instead of taking a full time role" or "If I take a job I will lose my unemployment benefits"  are interview killers for me. Why are we talking here?  Didn't you apply for the job?  When you are talking to a hiring manager they are listening for little clues about how likely you are to take the job, and also to keep the job.  When you put up little red flags it may give the hirer pause.  Mulling it over they may decide to keep looking, or bring in that other person who seemed to really want the job.  Don't shoot yourself in the foot--if you are interviewing you should be prepared to take the job.  Or at least seriously consider the offer. 

Crossing My Fingers:  Right now my son is in that interview.  I do hope he's been listening to his mother all these years.  And that he wore a belt!  He'd better pass that drug test.