Free Advice! (you get what you pay for)

Yeah, that’s me, taking the bull by the horns. It’s how I handle business. It’s a metaphor. But that actually happened, though.” – White Goodman, Dodgeball

Since I launched my own business, I have been flattered that many people whom I respect and admire have reached out to ask me how I have managed to be successful in such a short time.

First of all, the grass is always greener – if I make it look easy it’s because I’m good at my job. I have faced plenty of ups and downs over the last year, while I’ve been working non-stop to bring a new business to life. Like many winemakers, I am a perfectionist control freak. Giving myself the space to figure new things out has honestly been the hardest part of the process. But I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to work with people I love on projects that I find rewarding.

And so, for anyone who is interested, here are my top 10 pieces of advice for anyone who is self-employed and working as a contractor/consultant:

10. Define your mission

When I launched my consulting business in April 2023, it was very clear to me what I wanted to do. Prior to a brief foray into the corporate world in 2022, I had spent my entire career working in family-owned small business. First at St Francis and then at Pride, I was able to be deeply integrated into every aspect of the business, from sourcing grapes and every winemaking decision all the way through to engaging with consumers, understanding market trends, managing library wines and more. Now, thinking about my skillset and what I have enjoyed the most over my 25+ year career, I decided on a mission statement that summarized all this for me: “Supporting family-owned fine wine brands with winemaking expertise and passion.” Building my business on a clearly-stated foundation has helped me to understand which projects are a good fit for me.

9. Define your style

A couple of months into my adventures as a consulting winemaker, my dear friend Thaddeus Buggs (The Minority Wine Report/Wine in Black and White) asked me a thought-provoking question during an interview. He wanted to know whether I had a singular winemaking style, or modified my approach based on my clients’ desires. This is a big question and deserves more consideration – maybe the topic of a future blog post? What immediately came to mind for me at that time is that I see myself as a craftsperson. I enjoy the process of getting to know different sites, clients, production facilities and consumers. I want to make distinctive wines that taste great while satisfying the desires of my clients, not to make similar wines in all settings. Quality is always paramount, but I enjoy the process of designing individualized winemaking protocols for each of my specific projects, instead of treating all fruit the same way. I used this realization to craft my vision statement “As a winemaker, I strive to blend classical techniques and scientific training with an open mind and an eye to the future.”

8. Define what you do and do not do; outsource what you do not do

Some of my projects are with established brands that have been around for decades. Others are start-ups where everything is new. I find the variety to be invigorating, but I’ve had to define for myself what my strengths and weaknesses are. I want to focus my efforts in areas where I can add value. I realized quickly that I cannot be all things to all people. In accepting this, I’ve been able to drill down on my core skillset, fine winemaking, which is what brought my clients to me in the first place. And, in identifying the areas where I am not qualified add value to my clients’ projects, I have been able to assist my clients with referrals to exceptional people in the diverse areas of winery compliance, business management, sales, distribution and fulfillment, people I’ve worked with myself and whom I trust to do a great job for my clients in their own areas of expertise.

7. Lean on the people in your life who have skills and want to support you

Every career is an evolution. Whether you are working for yourself or are part of a larger organization, every professional needs a support network. In my case, I spent 15 years making wine on the top of a mountain, connected to my AVA but with little involvement beyond our region. When I transitioned down from the hills into Napa Valley proper, I reached out to my industry friends for support, which they quickly provided (another big question, deserving of its own blog post: what makes the Napa Valley wine industry so unique in its strong sense of community and willingness to collaborate?). As I transitioned to working for myself, I took the same approach, hiring my husband (who works for free, or, as he puts it, “for the glory”) as Creative Director, and my parents (who work for wine, and have business knowledge gleaned through their own former careers) as Director of Business (mom – Linda Johnson) and Finance Manager (dad – Bob Johnson). I reach out to friends all the time, whether to ask questions or to brainstorm solutions, and my friends know that I’m available to them to provide that same support.

6. Whenever you can, say YES

Part of my success has come from being open-minded towards every potential project that has come my way. This has led me to consider some very outside-the-box projects that I might have initially thought were not a good fit. I’m glad I did, because some of these projects have turned out to be a lot of fun, as well as great opportunities for me to develop new skills. For me, what really draws me in is identifying areas where my involvement with the project can add value that may not previously have been captured. Factors that I consider when evaluating a potential project include: a personality match with the on-site team and owner(s), the quality of the fruit source, the equipment and winemaking facility, the budget, my existing workload, and how steep the learning curve will be.  

5. Whenever you can, say NO

Being hardworking and self-employed is a recipe for having absolutely no life. Add parenting into the mix, and you’re really in over your head. There have been times over the past year where I’ve felt completely overloaded and burned out. This is not a good headspace to be in, and doesn’t lead to good outcomes for me or for my clients. I’ve learned the hard way that it’s important to set limits to my work hours so that I can have the time to recharge and return to work energized. (Ironically, harvest was not the hard part – after 25 years, I’m well-adapted to the seasonal nature of this industry. It’s the “return to normal” post-harvest adjustment that I’ve struggled with the most).

4. Support your onsite teams

Although I am not an employee of any company, I think that all winemakers play a leadership role in the companies they are affiliated with. For better or worse, winemakers get a lot of attention for the part they play in bringing wines to life. As someone who’s reached a certain degree of career success, I see it as my responsibility to “pay it forward,” connecting on a personal level with the collaborators on all of my projects. Whether this takes the form of mentoring up-and-coming winemakers, connecting with leaders in departments outside of winemaking, or engaging with consumers, my enthusiasm for providing genuine friendship and support to my clients, in areas outside of the role that is spelled out in my contract, is part of what has built a strong connection between us.  

3. Be authentic

Early in my career, I struggled with how to talk about my own role in the winemaking process. I never felt comfortable telling people that a wine was good because I was special in some way. I don’t like to be the center of attention, and I don’t think that I have magical powers that result in the creation of great wine. I’ve been able to make what I consider to be great wine because I work really hard at it, and because I’m careful in choosing which projects I become involved in. The message that feels authentic to me is: “I really love this wine, it’s special because of the vineyards, the winery and the team that crafted it (which includes me and a whole lot of other people too), and I love my job because I get to have So. Much. Fun.”  

2. Share information and encourage good communication

If you spend enough time in the Napa Valley, you will likely hear two things. First, that “it takes a lot of beer to make good wine,” and second that “winemaking is not rocket science.”  From what I’ve observed, both of these things are true. And because both of these things are true, there’s nothing better than ending a long workday by sharing a beer with your production team and explaining the thought process behind the decisions that were made. There is no benefit to hoarding information or creating the mystique that the winemaker has special knowledge or abilities that others are lacking. Hopefully, the winemaker has more experience and is willing to teach others what they’ve learned over the years. Passing down the tools and knowledge involved in performing a craft is a uniquely human experience, and something that has been done for millennia in the form of apprenticeships. There’s nothing that pleases me more than to see someone develop their own skills, outgrow their current role, and go on to do great things without me.

  And the #1 Tip that I can share: Remember what you’re doing it for and prioritize accordingly

I spent the first few months of self-employment filling my calendar with as many projects and activities as I possibly could, because I wanted to prove to myself that I was going to be successful as a consultant. One year into this adventure, I’m now reminding myself that it’s ok for work to be just one aspect of my life, not all-encompassing. I’m still working on finding balance, but it helps to remember that my personal priority list includes my family first and foremost, followed by my clients, friends and community. I’m pretty excited to have also joined a gym. Someday I might even have a hobby! 

Wine Recommendation: 

2021 Shypoke Rosé of Charbono 

In my opinion, the Shypoke brand is one of several future-facing brands that are redefining what Napa Valley can be, while maintaining a strong connection to its history. Proprietor Peter Heitz, a fourth-generation vintner and the longtime winemaker at Turnbull Cellars (and a personal friend of mine), has a true passion for old vines, as well as serious winemaking chops. He is an awesome person, and will drop way too many F-bombs when you invite him to visit you at your new work gig.     

Tasting notes:  

Very fresh and lively, with flavors of peach, dried apricot, jasmine, mint tea, candied orange rind, melon and lavender pastilles. The color is spot-on, a delicate salmon, which must have been a challenge to achieve when working with such a highly-pigmented grape variety. On the palate, the wine has fresh acidity and the watermelon/candy/fruity personality that makes the best Rosés a perfect accompaniment to the spring and summer moments of our lives. Thoughtfully crafted, Peter has created a serious Rosé that isn’t ponderous or confusing. Tasty, delicious, complex, classic and lovely!