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Rob Schultz testimonial

“Inspiring talk… and will further enjoy figuring out how to apply your insights to my own journey!” –Rob Schultz, Senior Technology Executive, Persistent

Nancy Munro testimonial

"The reaction from our members was nothing less than superb!" --Nancy Munro, Chapter President, Chicago MIT Enterprise Forum; CEO & Founder, Knowledge Shift

Thomas White testimonial

C-Suite Network “Voted #1 Best Speakers at the C-Suite Conference!” – Thomas White, CEO C-Suite Network, Radio Host - Nationally Syndicated “Business Matters”

Martha O’Gorman testimonial

“Ingenious marketing tricks at a low cost price tag will make you see how to create a story and buzz around your brand. Fabulous and real, Michael and Bonnie inspire others to win and have fun doing it!” –Martha O’Gorman, Chief Marketing Officer, Liberty Tax...

Patrick Snyder testimonial

“Our entire group benefitted from their wisdom. The fact they were so entertaining was simply icing on the cake. We are having them back!” -- Patrick Snyder, Executive Director, USASBE

Greg S. Reid testimonial

"A Standing ovation is how Michael and Bonnie left our audience chanting for more." --Greg S. Reid, Founder Secret Knock

Jason Hull testimonial

"I love Michael and Bonnie's outlook and approach. Refreshing, authentic, and useful." –Jason Hull, Chief Executive Officer, Balanced Edge

Brenda Kelly testimonial

“ It was an inspiration to hear Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey's (founders of Barefoot Wines) story of how they broke all the rules to become the country's #1 best selling wine! From the laundry room to the board room, theirs was an inspiring story of determination...

Travis Prince testimonial

"Many people agreed that their presentation was the most intriguing and valuable to the entrepreneurs in the audience!" --Travis Prince, C-Suite Conference Attendee

Jeffrey Hayzlett testimonial

C-Suite Network "Michael and Bonnie’s speech gives a whole new meaning to going Barefoot!!— it now means Entrepreneurial Success at its finest! They rock!" --Jeffrey Hayzlett, Chairman, C-Suite Network

Jeany Park testimonial

“I'm still thinking about your talk and your amazing story! I find you both incredibly inspiring.” Jeany Park, Videographer, MBA attendee

Thuy Thi Nguyen testimonial

Community College League of California "Thank you so much to the Barefoot Spirit team!  I sure enjoyed the talk." --Thuy Thi Nguyen, Interim President and CEO, Community College League of California

Adam Hartung testimonial

"Michael and Bonnie's story tells the audience the all-too-brutal truth about what one really has to do to succeed." Adam Hartung, Contributing Author, Forbes

Martha Ann Woods testimonial

“Thank you for your fresh prospective on how to succeed in business! Loved it!” –Martha Ann Woods, OEA attendee

Mike Black testimonial

PIE “We're going to implement the concepts shared in all our marketing pieces and how we approach sales going forward.” Mike Black, CEO, Mappify.co, and attendee at PIE

Marjorie Bynum testimonial

"Great keynote! It was wonderful working with them" --Marjorie Bynum, CAE Vice President, Education & Communications

Gavin Duffy testimonial

"An excellent and inspiring presentation!” -- Gavin Duffy, Entrepreneur, Dragon's Den television show panelist

Josh Schieffer testimonial

"Being a Veteran with a service disability, you guys have inspired our small family business to give back in a big way." –Josh Schieffer, EBV Member

David Torrance testimonial

"We enjoyed listening to the lessons that they learned. The worthy cause marketing concept was worth the evening by itself." –David Torrance, President, Executive Forums Dallas, Member, Dallas Area Chamber of Commerce

Thomas Kruczek testimonial

"Your work at the EBV National Conference was outstanding." -Thomas Kruczek, Dean of College and Business, Lynn University

Michael Zacchea testimonial

"Michael & Bonnie are effective speakers. The Veteran Entrepreneurs appreciated their talk on '7 ways to Reduce Your Need for Capital and Get More Bang for Your Buck'." --Michael Zacchea, Program Manager, Entrepreneur Bootcamp for Veterans

Robert Reiss testimonial

The CEO Show “OUTSTANDING speech! Better yet, PERFECT. What an incredible way to end this conference.” -Robert Reiss, Host & CEO, The CEO Show

When The Hospitals Fill Up, The Economy Shuts Down

It doesn’t matter how you view the pandemic. It doesn’t matter if you believe in crowd immunity, if it’s political, or whose fault it is. It doesn’t matter if you think it’s an imposition on your freedom. What matters is whether or not you can get medical treatment...

Health and the Economy are Inseparable

Michael’s mother was a young girl in 1929. He asked her about The Great Depression which most folks think started right after the Crash. Surprisingly, she said things didn’t really get bad for a few more years. When asked why, she pointed out that it was how long it...

Selfishness is Self-Defeating

In the 1960’s, Walt Kelly, referring to the Vietnam War in his comic strip Pogo said, “We have met the enemy and they are us!” Nothing could be truer than the current “war” we find ourselves fighting against the pandemic. We are our own worst enemy. The virus, and the...

Build Team Spirit in Your Remote Work Force

It’s hard enough to build team spirit and promote a positive company culture in an office environment. But now, with the virus-induced mega-trend toward working from home, it’s an even greater challenge! Soon you will be hiring folks to represent you and your company...

Pandemic Mentality Drives Older, Big Brand Growth … at First

According to Thomas Heath writing for the Washington Post, an interesting anomaly is taking place in the brand world. Older big brands are taking off again. This is a trend we didn’t see coming, but we should have. When people are uncertain, they seem to gravitate...

The Best Business Minds Interview

M&B were interviewed on "Best Business Minds" by host, Marc Kramer. To watch the interview, please visit Best Business Minds               

Kirkus Reviews – The Barefoot Spirit

“An irreverent, eye-opening business memoir. Novice winemakers upend the industry’s pretensions while taking on the jungle of the retail beverage sector in this rollicking business saga.” "Novice winemakers upend the industry’s pretensions while taking on the jungle...

Too Much Screen Time? Give Your Eyes a Break!

The Virus has profoundly changed the way we work, socialize, shop, and communicate. Now everything is on screen! Plus, most of us are spending less time in our cars and have more time for, you guessed it, the screen! It’s a wonder we are not all suffering from tech...

Who We Are

Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey co-authored the New York Times bestselling business book, The Barefoot Spirit: How Hardship, Hustle, and Heart Built America’s #1 Wine Brand. The book has been selected as recommended reading in the CEO Library for CEO Forum, the C-Suite Book Club, and numerous university classes on business and entrepreneurship. It chronicles their humble beginnings from the laundry room of a rented Sonoma County farmhouse to the board room of E&J Gallo, who ultimately acquired their brand and engaged them as brand consultants. Barefoot is now the world’s largest wine brand.

Beginning with virtually no money and no wine industry experience, they employed innovative ideas to overcome obstacles, create new markets and forge strategic alliances. They pioneered Worthy Cause Marketing and performance-based compensation. They built an internationally bestselling brand and received their industry’s “Hot Brand” award for several consecutive years.

They offer their Guiding Principles for Success (GPS) to help entrepreneurs become successful. Their book, The Entrepreneurial Culture: 23 Ways To Engage and Empower Your People, helps corporations maximize the value of their human resources.

Currently they travel the world leading workshops, trainings, & keynoting at business schools, corporations, conferences. They are regular media guests and contributors to international publications and professional journals. They are C-Suite Network Advisors & Contributing Editors. Visit their popular brand building site at www.consumerbrandbuilders.com.

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.