What’s most humbling is that they had absolutely no idea what they were doing at first.

From the start, with virtually no money and no wine industry experience, they had to employ innovative ideas to overcome obstacles, create new markets and strategic alliances.

Having learned the hard way, Michael and Bonnie fell forward into success.

The lessons they taught me were invaluable.

1. Stop thinking about following your passion, and start thinking about following opportunity passionately

Michael and Bonnie had absolutely no experience in the wine business. They were both business coaches who happened to have a lot of clients in the wine business. One of their clients was a grape grower, and this grape grower hadn’t been paid by a particular client for three years. Michael went straight to the delinquent company to collect funds for his client, only to find out that the company was bankrupt. Makes sense why they couldn’t pay!

To read the complete article, please visit The Business Journals 

The post ​10 timeless lessons about business from the founders of the biggest wine brand in America appeared first on The Barefoot Spirit.

Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey do not fit the stereotype. You probably wouldn’t even expect them to be wine-lovers, let alone the co-founders of Barefoot Wine, the largest wine brand in the world. But according to them, the reason they’re so successful is precisely because they knew nothing about the industry going in.

Houlihan and Harvey never planned on going into the wine business, but when the opportunity presented itself, they jumped on it.

To read the full article & listen to the audio interview, please visit Foundr Magazine 

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.

The post foundr Magazine Interview appeared first on The Barefoot Spirit.

One of the big changes for us is that for the first time, we actually get to go to and enjoy wine events as guests rather than as hosts! It’s nice, after so many years, to be on the other side of the tasting table. We didn’t realize until now how much fun the wine country can be with all of its wonderful events! We were head down, doing our best to help produce these events and were active participants. As one of our reps put it, after a particularly long day serving wine at a tasting event in the ballroom of the Drake Hotel in Chicago, “It’s hard to be congenial after standing on a marble floor for 10 hours!” But stand there we did for hours on end in hundreds of tastings and events all over the country. Now we attend events as guests. Imagine that?

We supported hundreds of non-profits with our wines and sent our people to set up, pour and break down. We often didn’t have time to go ourselves. But now we do! Recently we attended the Mountain Play production of The Sound of Music in the Cushing Memorial Amphitheatre, at Mt. Tamalpais State Park. They have been producing live outdoor theater for 100 years. The amphitheater sits on the top of Mt. Tamalpais and has an incredible view of San Francisco. The Mountain Play is a cultural non-profit, surviving on donations, ticket sales and volunteers. What a treat that was!

When we attend a wine tasting event now, we have the utmost appreciation and respect for what it takes to pull it off. Aside from all the licenses and permits required to serve alcohol, wine is heavy, perishable, and requires special handling. You need glasses, ice, towels, openers, trash boxes, signs, tables, tablecloths, and don’t forget the indispensable duct tape! You need to get there early to set up and stay late to clean up after the guests have left.

What we do miss about those events is the great feedback we got that helped us improve our products, and the messages of support that kept us going when the times were tough. We also miss the camaraderie of the wine people themselves. Unlike many industries, the wine industry is cooperative and friendly toward their so-called competition. If we needed a pin or a pen, an opener or strips of, yes, duct tape, our colleagues from the other wineries were always there to help.

It really is a hospitality business and requires many hours of planning and logistics before any event happens. Then, at the events, many hours of standing and being congenial are required, along with responsible vigilance.

As we go into the full swing of the wine tasting season, let’s offer a toast to the people that make the wine events happen: the winery representatives, the pourers, and the volunteers. Thank you for your tireless hospitality! Cheers to you!

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.

The post The Wine Business is a Hospitality Business appeared first on The Barefoot Spirit.