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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

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

Thomas Kruczek testimonial

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

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

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

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

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

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

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”

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

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

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...

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

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

Marjorie Bynum testimonial

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

Jason Hull testimonial

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

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

Martha Ann Woods testimonial

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

Greg S. Reid testimonial

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

Gavin Duffy testimonial

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

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...

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

Guy Raz’s How I Built This

Guy Raz’s How I Built This is one of iTunes' most-listened-to podcasts, where he interviews the creators of major brands, from LinkedIn’s Reid Hoffman to Virgin Media’s Richard Branson. Raz explores their journeys, highlighting the love, loss, failures, and resilience...

There Are No Glass Ceilings When You Are the Entrepreneur

In business, "glass ceilings" represent the unseen barriers that limit career advancement, especially for women and minorities. However, when you are an entrepreneur, you have the power to shatter these ceilings entirely. As an entrepreneur, you control your destiny....

One of the biggest lessons we learned in brand building…

One of the biggest lessons we learned in brand building is that relying on distributors alone to execute your marketing strategy often leads to wasted resources. We discovered that tons of expensive, well-designed materials were ending up in dumpsters rather than on...

The 7️⃣ Hallmarks of Leadership From Ideation to Monetization

1. Sensitivity: Leaders recognize opportunities, see beyond the present, and embrace input from others with more expertise. 2. Innovation: Leaders create solutions to problems and continuously innovate to keep products market-ready. 3. Tenacity: Leaders persevere...

Women’s Equality in the Workplace is Just Good Business!

Sheryl Sandberg, chairperson of Lean In, has pointed out that there has been virtually no progress in the past decade regarding women's representation in top management positions. She highlights the persistent perception that women are less competent than men for...

MSU Entrepreneurship Center | Bonnie Harvey

In early April, Michael Houlihan and I had the pleasure of traveling to Mississippi State University to speak at their Entrepreneurship Summit brought on by the MSU Center for Entrepreneurship & Outreach. It was a fantastic experience! We also were able to sit...

Know the Metrics that Make Your Brand an Acquisition Target 🎯

Where am I going and WHY? Entrepreneurs are brand builders aiming for capitalization events like mergers, IPOs, or acquisitions. To maximize your brand's value, plan for acquisition from the start. Growth demands significant investment, and brand equity attracts...

7 Rules for Couples in Business

“There are 5.5 million family-owned businesses in the US. They generate 57% of our nation’s GDP, employ 63% of the workforce, and create 75% of all new jobs,” says Sheila Neisler of Catalyst Marketing Company. Here are our top secrets to maintaining a healthy...

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.