Forbes Magazine Article

The Incredible Story Of Starting The World’s Largest Wine Brand, Barefoot Wines

I was recently speaking with Michael Houlihan, co-founder of Barefoot Wines. This is the story of how two people overcame remarkable odds and built a beloved brand that transformed the wine industry. It is hard to believe that such an iconic brand as Barefoot Wines began in a laundry room of a rented farmhouse in the Sonoma County hills. Even more surprising is that the people who started it were just an average business couple, Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey. From the start, with virtually no money and no wine industry experience, they employed innovative ideas to overcome obstacles, create new markets and strategic alliances, while pioneering Worthy Cause Marketing and performance-based compensation. They successfully sold the brand to E&J Gallo in 2005 and Barefoot is now the largest wine brand in the world. (ref The Drinks BusinessJune 2014 London)

 

TO READ THE COMPLETE ARTICLE, PLEASE VISIT FORBES

 

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey

Starting in a laundry room with no money or industry knowledge, they built the iconic Best-Selling Barefoot Wine Brand - without advertising. In 2005, they monetized their brand equity and now offer proven business principles and real world experience. Visit our YouTube Channel →

Recent Posts

The Barefoot Spirit: How Hardship, Hustle & Heart Built America’s #1 Wine Brand 🍷

Learn how Michael Houlihan and I built an incredible business and made a lasting impact… Read More

2 weeks ago

Something has to change.

Women’s representation in senior leadership dropped to 18.3% in 2024, down from 18.7% in 2023.… Read More

2 weeks ago

Book Michael and Bonnie!

“OUTSTANDING speech! Better yet, PERFECT. What an incredible way to end this conference.” -Robert Reiss,… Read More

2 weeks ago

How to Recognize Opportunity (and Make It Sustainable) KNOCK! KNOCK!

We often hear, “Follow your passion” as the universal prescription for happiness and success. But… Read More

2 weeks ago

Don’t Hurt Your Brand Image with Single-Use Containers – LOOK WHO’S AT THE TOP OF THE HEAP!

When you brand single-use containers, you are signing your own garbage. These “brand impressions” last… Read More

2 weeks ago

How Barefoot Wine Mastered Brand Positioning and Customer Research to Capture a Market Gap

How Barefoot Wine Mastered Brand Positioning and Customer Research to Capture a Market Gap //… Read More

2 weeks ago