What being remarkable really means

There is no goal other than to be remarkable at what you do. Everything else falls into place after that. Yes, there are highs and lows, unexpected roadblocks and accidentals holes you step in. That’s called being human. But if you are remarkable, the highs, lows, roadblocks, and holes don’t impact you as much as 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…

Practice does make perfect

There is no short cut around practice. Simple as that.  Does U2 just jump up on stage one day and pull off a perfect show? No way. Does an olympic swimmer casually decide to just swim really fast for that week? Of course not. Does a great restaurant built on customer experience just assume the new Read More…

Do you know …

… what you are doing every day of the upcoming week? … who you need to reach out to, listed in an easy format to check them off? … which wines you need to concentrate on, make sure you know the details of, and know a good story to tell about each one? … who Read More…

Hiring Great Wine People

How do you hire the top performers for your wholesale operation, restaurant, or retail shop? How do you find the wine energized people out there, the ones that can do their job extremely well without thinking the wine world revolves around them? (Which is a monumental problem in the wine business.) How do you, as Read More…

What’s the goal?

What are you REALLY trying to achieve? If it’s simply “more money” and “more sales” then guess what … that’s how you come across. It’s a bit desperate and people see through it. It’s not a bad thing to go after the dollar, but true growth can only happen when the purpose is higher. Here’s a Read More…

You’re writing a story

Every interaction you have with your customers is another chapter in the story. And the more chapters there are in the story, the more complex and intimate and important it can be. But don’t forget it’s an evolving narrative, that should pick up where the previous chapter left off. Each interaction (chapter) is not a Read More…

Identifying Doctor No

Every organization seems to have one. The curmudgeon, the naysayer, the one who resists change with every atom in their body. They don’t want the new software. They don’t want more training. They don’t want more accounts. They don’t see the value in group effort. They are Doctor No. Maybe they don’t say no to Read More…

I can’t do that

I don’t have the time. I don’t have the skill set. It’s out of my pay grade. I’m busy enough already. I don’t see how that would benefit me. I can’t do that. When you get in the habit of saying no, are you doing it for the right reasons, or are you making excuses? Read More…

Once it’s gone, it’s gone

There is only one thing you can’t replace in your life. Only one thing that gets spent continuously and no app, innovation, planning, savings, or checkbook can bring it back. And that’s yesterday. Time spent. Once time is gone, it’s gone. What happened yesterday can’t be changed. The only things that can change are today Read More…

Minimum needed knowledge

Is it better to know a lot about a few things, or a little about a lot of things? It depends on who you are and what you do. A server or bartender at a restaurant better know a little bit about all the wines by the glass. It’s an easy quiz to give them. Read More…

How to be a Wine Leader

There are very few Wine Leaders out there. There are a ton of wine managers, and in the scope of this idea a wine manager is defined as somebody who controls, regulates, checks on, and makes happen the flow of wine through the commercial transactions of our business. Most wholesale reps, retail buyers, restaurant buyers, Read More…

What is you real goal?

What is your real goal in life? If you had to pick one goal, what would it be? To me, it’s simple: be happy. Happiness involves lots of factors, but since that is my core goal, I always work toward it. Some ways I move closer to my goal everyday: 1) I choose to not deal Read More…

Polo, Sailboats, and Top Level Wine

Briefly think about these three worlds: professional polo, recreational sailboat racing, and the upper crust of the wine world (I’m talking Grand Cru Burgundy, first growth Bordeaux, Cult California Cabernets). What do they have in common? They have a tiny audience. I’m not just talking about a small audience. This is not the 1%. This is Read More…

The three types of vacation time

Vacation time is something more and more important as you have deeper commitments in the world, especially if you work in a creative industry or in sales. The battery recharge truly helps your performance when you return. But it does beg the question: what does “vacation time” mean? To me there are three types of Read More…

Stay healthy with your wine

The wine business is full of tasting opportunity, gatherings with wine friends, and intense blind tastings and discussion for those working toward sommelier certification. In other words, there is A TON of wine to taste on any given week. Be careful. Too much wine can creep into your system. Before you know it, the edges Read More…

Time counts down, not up

You never know how much time is left. (Sorry to sound dire. Sorry to also speak the truth.) This doesn’t mean you have to work like there’s no tomorrow, because as far as you know there is always a tomorrow (until there is not). What this does mean, however, is that you need to always remind Read More…

Make a NOT to do list

Grab that pen and paper, close your eyes, clear your mind. Deep breath. Now think about your wine work life. What are the deepest negatives? The people, places, things, and experiences that suck the soul out of you, ruin your confidence, and instigate frustration to the point that you think about leaving the industry. What Read More…

Do first what you fear most

Sales reps all have their own personality quirks. For years one of mine was actively avoiding things I feared the most. I was great at avoiding the tough conversations and the difficult phone calls. Many of us are. Fear is powerful stuff. “Fear” brings up images ahead of the interaction. Images of high pressure, intense Read More…