Monday Challenge: Smarter, Faster, Better

This week’s Monday Challenge is as easy as can be. Buy a copy of Smarter, Faster, Better by Charles Duhigg and read it. This book is transformative, and every chapter has incredible relevance to all aspects of our industry. Broken into eight concepts that are discussed with surprising facts and entertaining stories to back up Read More…

Monday Challenge: Values Assesment

This week’s Monday Challenge is a doozy. It’s not quick, it’s not painless, and it’s not easy. Time to assess the values you hold versus the life you are living. It’s a myth that career paths travel in straight lines. Holes are in the road, diversions are necessary, and many people have experienced years or Read More…

Monday Challenge: The Idea Notebook

Monday on VineThinking is all about a tweaks, pushes, and challenges to help you get better at what you do in the wine sales world. This week: The Idea Notebook. It’s an innocent enough idea. Today, go and buy a notebook. A nice one. I prefer Moleskine Cahir Journals or Fabriano Ecoqua Stapled notebooks myself, for Read More…

Monday Challenge: Your Email Signature

This week’s challenge is easy to work through but long reaching in impact. It’s your email signature, and I’m sorry to say that it’s probably not optimized for 2017. Email signatures have grown in effectiveness and impact for one simple reason: more and more email clients and operating systems are using information from your emails to Read More…

Monday Challenge: Listen to yourself

Every Monday I throw out a challenge, something to keep in mind for the week. This week’s challenge was going to be called “Don’t say anything stupid.” Then the title changed to “#AlternateReality.” In the end I decided to stick with something more simple: Listen to yourself. After an amazing weekend of strange communication with Read More…

Monday Challenge: 1.92%

Good day and welcome to another great week! Every Monday I throw out a challenge, a wee bit of a push to get you on the right track, and occasionally a nudge to knock you off the track and see things from a different angle. This week: 1.92%. What does this mean? What is this Read More…

A good day to ask (the right) questions

Happy New Year! Every Monday I throw out a challenge to the readers, something to push you a bit into an uncomfortable place (that place where growth occurs). This week: A good day to ask (the right) questions. I suggest you print this page and handwrite your answers. How are you going to look back Read More…

Monday Challenge: End of Year Planning

Welcome to the final Monday Challenge of the year. Five more work days ahead for 2016, then this chapter is done and we collectively move into 2017. What to do? Just like Santa, make some lists and check them twice. List One: Do you have the opportunity to invest in your work life for 2016 tax deductions? Read More…

Monday Challenge: Ask for help

Every Monday I throw out a challenge to put readers into a position of growth, which can sometimes be uncomfortable at first.  This week: Ask for help. We are not wired instinctively to ask for help. Some people, by virtue of whom they work for, are downright terrified to ask for help, thinking it will Read More…

Monday challenge: The Supermoon Effect

Every Monday I throw out a challenge to readers. Something to push you into an uncomfortable spot, to make you see things in a new light or direction, with the goal of growth. This week’s challenge: The Supermoon Effect. Last night more people than ever before paused what they were doing, walked outside, and watched Read More…

Monday Challenge: Your best customers

Welcome to the Monday Challenge! This week: Your best customers. Who are they, and why are they the best customers? This has nothing (or at least little) to do with money and sales. That’s the easy way out of the challenge. Rather, take ten minutes today to figure out who your best customers are. Base Read More…

Monday Challenge: TMI

Every Monday I throw out a challenge to the readers. Something to think about during the week of wine work. This week: become conscious of TMI, too much information.  Over-explaining and over-detailing a wine is all too common. I see it all the time when reps are trying to train the servers at a restaurant, and Read More…