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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...
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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

Greg S. Reid testimonial

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

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”

Thomas Kruczek testimonial

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

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

Gavin Duffy testimonial

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dependence on Tech Crutches Threatens our Cognitive Abilities

Long before the advent of the smartphones permanently attached to the end of our arms, we had to use our brains to solve problems. We had to give our undivided attention to a book or a lecture to discover a solution. Our brains had to function! We’d be forced to...

With a Little Help from Our Friends at USF

We had the honor of presenting to the MBAs at the University of San Francisco. Professor Thomas Maier gives a unique class on business modeling, research, and development where students form into teams and become their own virtual “consulting” firms. But that’s where...

Problem Solving, Barefoot Style: 5 Steps to Approach Any Problem

The success of the Barefoot Wine brand is living testimony to the problem-solving methods Bonnie Harvey and I employed in our early days. You can use these same methods to help overcome the problems your business faces on its journey from start-up to build-up and from...

Is Your CPG Company on the Right Side of History?

Because we successfully built a popular consumer packaged goods brand, now known the world over, we are often asked about packaging. Our audiences want to know, “What’s the latest in packaging?” and, “What are the new trends?” After all, the “P” in CPG is “package.”...

Immigrants Built Our Economy

Michael’s grandfather, John Francis Houlihan, came over from Ireland in the late 1800s. He was 19 years old. The only passage he could book was above deck on an ocean steamer headed for New York loaded with cattle in the hold. All the immigrants had to make the...

Stop Single-Use Plastic Pollution by Leveling the Playing Field

The European Union finally voted this week on a proposition that's been on the table since May 2018. It's a proposition to ban single-use plastics. How this finally happened at this highest level of European government is a testament, in our opinion, to the more...

Put More Money in the Bank by Treating Salespeople Right!

Salespeople have been given a bad name. It is depicted in The Music Man, the musical decrying the manipulating tactics of a salesman selling horns in a town where no one needed them.  It’s portrayed in old movies like Used Cars, where unsuspecting folks are tricked...

Solve Business Problems with What You Have at Hand

We recently had the opportunity to speak to the Aalto Fellows, a group of the top students from Aalto University in Finland. They were in Silicon Valley for the entrepreneurial tour and we caught up with them at Stanford University. What was most impressive about this...

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.