Month: February 2021

Trust yourself and don’t be afraid to fail: That’s actually advice I gave myself. I’ve learned that being afraid to fail is a construct imposed on you by others who may not trust themselves. I’ve had a few friends who did not succeed in their entrepreneurial efforts tell me to temper my expectations, but at the end of the day, I know I’ll succeed because that’s the only way I can see it.

As a part of our series about women who are shaking things up in their industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Alexandra Schrecengost.

Alexandra is the Founder and CEO of Virtual With Us, curated virtual experiences for Fortune 500 companies, high-growth startups and established NGOs (think gala fundraisers). She designed Virtual With Us to tailor hosted activities to the interests of corporate sales teams — from wine and beer tastings to virtual gaming and cook-along culinary demonstrations. Prior to starting Virtual With Us, Alexandra recently worked at Wilson Daniels as their head of Communications across the national and wholesale fine wine brands, overseeing traditional comms, executive visibility, advertising, corporate events, digital content and social media. She’s a candidate for a WSET Diploma, a two-year wine education program.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?

I’ve been a communications executive in hospitality, wine, and spirits since I graduated with a Master’s in Public and Organizational Relations and paired my passion for PR with my interest in high-end wine and spirits. Those roles led me to in-house communications for a global wine importer, and inspired me to take on a formal wine education in my late 20’s to better serve my clients and colleagues.

Immediately after we all started working from home, I saw what a serious impact these measures were having on the hospitality industry. Being so close to so many wine and spirits professionals, my heart was with them during the most difficult times, and I resolved to do something about it, even if it was very small at first. I spent a lot of time thinking about how I could use all the different aspects of my background to help.

Around this time, my husband who’s in digital sales was also struggling to find ways to stay in touch with his colleagues, prospective clients and customers and Zoom was taking over our lives. It came to me that I could blend my background and network in the wine & spirits industry with technology to elevate Zoom experiences in a way that could still be professional yet more conducive to mingling and socializing. I test drove the idea with my husband’s company Contentsquare, and step by step the business came together. Today, we are servicing Fortune 500 companies, high-growth startups, NGOS for their gala fundraisers and other largescale virtual events that not only include amazing wine selections but also activities like a murder mystery and trivia.

Can you tell our readers what it is about the work you’re doing that’s disruptive?

Breaking the model of pretentious, dry “classroom” wine education, and making tastings fun and interactive by emulating a cocktail party format has transformed the virtual tableside into something that guests actively sign up for and get excited about.

Many of our participants are working from home and are online as a big part of their jobs, so we pay special attention to curating experiences that spark joy and nurture camaraderie and relationship building — be that from the high-quality wine selection that they get in the mail beforehand to the entertaining wine stories told by the sommelier.

What’s most exciting about this disruption is we are also creating much needed jobs for the hospitality industry.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

When I first started tasting wine professionally, especially during the workday, I was very self-conscious about spitting it out. Once, in a winery’s tasting room, I saw another professional spit their wine into the floor drain and was horrified and whispered that they shouldn’t do that in front of the winemaker. They laughed, asked if it was alright to spit into the floor drain, and the winemaker said “Sure, we all do!” I realized the stiff, pretentious attitude you find in the industry doesn’t really apply when you’re among friends, and that has inspired me to sow friendliness instead of pretense.

We all need a little help along the journey. Who have been some of your mentors? Can you share a story about how they made an impact?

Amy Wilkins, Smithsonian Media’s Chief Revenue Officer, taught me the patience needed to deeply understand an organization and its goals in order to build something strong and steady. I also developed a great relationship with Wendy Knight, who introduced me to the culinary world as a junior publicist, and helped guide how I approach telling brands’ unique stories. Chef Nils Noren will always be a confidant and counsel for my ideas, big and small. I’d also like to mention Mary Gorman, MW, for helping me understand the world of wine in a personal and impactful way, and Gail Heimann, President and CEO of Weber Shandwick, who empowers ambition, evokes creativity, and shows support for her team in every way. She changed my outlook on leadership in a big way.

In today’s parlance, being disruptive is usually a positive adjective. But is disrupting always good? When do we say the converse, that a system or structure has ‘withstood the test of time’? Can you articulate to our readers when disrupting an industry is positive, and when disrupting an industry is ‘not so positive’? Can you share some examples of what you mean?

As someone who began studying wine in my 30s, I definitely fit the stereotype of “disruptive millennial” and I’m proud of that. When an industry or product is vulnerable to being disrupted, there is an inherent aspect that needs adjusting in order to appeal to the widest possible audience. During my wine education, I perceived an air of exclusivity that — while definitely still one of the reasons I took on this education as a fine wine and spirits communications pro in the first place — ultimately turned people away or off entirely. Not fixing this problem leaves out a huge population of people who want to be interested, but feel intimidated by the environment that has been the status quo for so long. Disrupting is the new normal, and I’m grateful that certain institutions that have typically “withstood the test of time” are facing necessary pivots to ultimately grow in a more productive direction.

Can you share 3 of the best words of advice you’ve gotten along your journey? Please give a story or example for each.

Trust yourself and don’t be afraid to fail: That’s actually advice I gave myself. I’ve learned that being afraid to fail is a construct imposed on you by others who may not trust themselves. I’ve had a few friends who did not succeed in their entrepreneurial efforts tell me to temper my expectations, but at the end of the day, I know I’ll succeed because that’s the only way I can see it.

Spend enough time with the people you like best: The nature of the workplace is being around people you don’t choose to be around. The only way to balance the stress of interactions that may seem forced or unnatural is to spend enough time with the people you love to balance it out.

Don’t limit your opportunities: A career is not a linear timeline, and nothing precludes you from re-interpreting your skill set in any number of ways.

We are sure you aren’t done. How are you going to shake things up next?

I plan to keep breaking into the world of wine, which is so heavily male-dominated, in new ways, and actively encouraging the evolution of traditional concepts for the new generation. My vision for the future is inclusivity and a welcoming attitude that unlocks the potential of new and younger wine drinkers. It is time to really shake things up.

In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges faced by ‘women disruptors’ that aren’t typically faced by their male counterparts?

We’re asked some genuinely insulting questions, and I think many of us still rely on an instinct to “protect” those who ask them, rather than following their question with a question of our own. When someone asks how I balance marriage or motherhood with entrepreneurship and further education, my real answer is “why are we still asking this inherently belittling question?” I know, for better or worse, what they want to hear is that it’s difficult. The truth is that women are generally outstanding multitaskers and make excellent disruptors thanks to their personal formulas (and they are just that, personal) for maintaining these balances, not in spite of them. Don’t be afraid to answer a question with a question that starts a productive conversation.

Do you have a book/podcast/talk that’s had a deep impact on your thinking? Can you share a story with us?

Swirl Suite is a very impactful podcast for Black voices in the wine industry that I enjoy a lot. This Woman Can is another reliable source of inspiration and support, especially for women entrepreneurs. Copper and Heat, and Wine Enthusiast’s podcasts are entertaining and enjoyable too. I also thoroughly enjoyed Michelle Obama’s book, so I am diving into A Promised Land. The Obamas will always be a dual pillar of strength for me, their time in the White House led me to being more assertive in my professional life and wanting to positively influence the younger generations in everything I do. I believe in support (and encouragement) in the very many different ways that word can be spun and that is how I approach not only my professional life, but also motherhood.

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂

I would love to inspire more minority women to assert their true potential in the hospitality industry. These professionals are so hard-working and committed to their crafts, and to see them struggle to climb the ladder, be passed over in favor of male colleagues, and not earn what they’re worth to better their lives and advance their families affects me every day. I would love to establish or serve on the board of an organization dedicated to raising awareness and empowering this kind of growth in the industry.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

I once had a manager tell me “A leader or manager does not see what you are, but rather what you can be.” It definitely stuck with me.

How can our readers follow you online?

You can find me on Instagram at @alexschrec and Virtual With Us at @virtualwithus.

This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!

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Female Disruptors: Alexandra Schrecengost On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Test your idea, and then test it again. Almost like a continuous cycle — test, collect feedback, make adjustments and test again. With WorkClub, we’re constantly making positive changes based off of feedback we may receive from venues, customers, online reviews, etc. We’re building a product for our community and we need to make sure it’s ticking all of the boxes, daily.

As a part of our series about women who are shaking things up in their industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Tori Donnelly, Co-Founder and Head of Social at WorkClub.

Tori is a native Midwestern from a small town in Minnesota with a passion for coffee, running and traveling. She is co-founder and Head of Social of WorkClub which connects the UK’s remote workforce with workspaces and meeting rooms across the UK. She is mom to Scarlett, a 1-year old baby girl and today business calls and meetings often come with her cheeky plus-one.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?

I was born and bred in Minnesota and thought I would always live ‘close to home’. However, one day I met my now-husband and business partner, Nick and the rest is history. Five years later, I came to London to study for my MBA and used to escape the chaos of the student library to study across the road at a local hotel. It was this first experience of seeking a quiet, productive workspace that got us interested in creating a business that could help others do the same.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

I would not exactly call it a ‘mistake’, however I decided to give birth at the exact time as we were closing our first round of funding. Thankfully, we managed both! I learned to simply ‘control the controllables’ — everything else, navigate the waters and push on.

We all need a little help along the journey. Who have been some of your mentors? Can you share a story about how they made an impact?

I’ve been fortunate to have several strong and encouraging people in my life and throughout my career, from college professors to industry experts.

I utilize certain mentors (and connections) for advice whenever I encounter issues, have questions, need a bit of knowledge, etc. It’s difficult to identify any single story to share about the impact they’ve made on my life, however, I feel that the impact can be seen in the culmination of how far WorkClub has come.

In today’s parlance, being disruptive is usually a positive adjective. But is disrupting always good? When do we say the converse, that a system or structure has ‘withstood the test of time’? Can you articulate to our readers when disrupting an industry is positive, and when disrupting an industry is ‘not so positive’? Can you share some examples of what you mean?

Generally speaking, I see disruption as a positive. Being disruptive is evaluating what we’re doing and how we might be willing to change it.

With that being said, no disruption is purely “positive” or “negative”. It really just depends on what perspective you are viewing this new change through because disruption is not always comfortable until you make it to the ‘other side’.

Can you share 3 of the best words of advice you’ve gotten along your journey? Please give a story or example for each.

1. Work smarter, not harder. This is essential to surviving the entrepreneurial journey. It’s part of the main ‘framework’ behind why I started WorkClub.
2. Test your idea, and then test it again. Almost like a continuous cycle — test, collect feedback, make adjustments and test again. With WorkClub, we’re constantly making positive changes based off of feedback we may receive from venues, customers, online reviews, etc. We’re building a product for our community and we need to make sure it’s ticking all of the boxes, daily.
3. Believe in yourself. This goes for all of us, am I right? Your business and/or idea will not succeed if you don’t believe in the heights you can achieve.

We are sure you aren’t done. How are you going to shake things up next?

We’re living through exciting times for the world of remote working. I’m on a mission to change the way people like you work, forever, and we’ve only just begun. Subscribe to our newsletter here for some exciting updates on where we will be focusing our efforts over the next few months.

In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges faced by ‘women disruptors’ that aren’t typically faced by their male counterparts?

Let’s be honest — juggling mom-life and running a startup is no easy task! As much as I love being a young mom, I do feel as though I am ‘secluded’ at times working from home. Scarlett always has to come first, so she’ll often be sat with me on business calls and meetings. Luckily , she’s normally really well behaved but babies can be unpredictable so I have to be prepared to move things around at short notice. As our workspaces start to open back up and return to some sort of normality, I will definitely be planning days out of the house. The great thing about this all is that most of our workspaces are kid-friendly and this is becoming more and more common. I think it’s so important to show Scarlett from a young age how to be an entrepreneur and I’ll continue to focus on this.

Do you have a book/podcast/talk that’s had a deep impact on your thinking?

Great question! Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy by Sheryl Sandberg.

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂

Work is a mindset, not a destination.

Get up, commute, get to work, make coffee, settle in at your desk, turn your computer off, commute, workout, get home, make dinner, go to bed, and repeat. Sound far too familiar?

Now is the time to stop and consciously ask ourselves what we can do to ensure our careers continue to provide us with the fulfilment we need in the years and decades to come.

WorkClub is the way forward and I want to enable remote professionals across the UK and beyond to work from anywhere.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

From the book mentioned above —

“Option A is not available. so let’s just kick the shit out of Option B.”

This quote speaks to me. I came across this quote in the book Option B back when I was just learning how to manage my grief journey. I had lost my sister, my dad was just diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, and option A was not available. Option B it was and what a journey it turned out to be.

How can our readers follow you online?

Our handle is @workclub, however, my personal account is @torianndonnelly — I’d love to connect with you!

This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!

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Female Disruptors: Tori Donnelly of WorkClub On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The naysaying has been a constant throughout my career, and for the first half of it I believed people and had a chip on my shoulder. I would bang my head on the wall until it gave way. It’s why I did law, investment banking and so on — I was always trying to address perceived gaps in my capability set. That was until I finally realized that others don’t necessarily know any better, or have been conditioned to see barriers. One thing I will say about the many different paths I have pursued: it has made me more confident in alien environments. I am comfortable building into the empty space.

As a part of our series about “dreamers who ignored the naysayers and did what others said was impossible”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Anthony Finbow.

Anthony Finbow is CEO at Eagle Genomics (www.eaglegenomics.com), a Cambridge, UK-based company applying network science to biology — particularly linked to the microbiome. Its advanced technology platform is supporting advanced scientific discovery to enable next-generation food, personal care, cosmetics and agritech products. Eagle Genomics recently announced $9M in new scale-up funding which will see the company expand its activities across continental Europe and North America.

Thank you so much for joining us! Our readers would love to ‘get to know you’ a bit better. Can you tell us your ‘backstory’?

I spent the first half of my career trying to show people what I was made of. I was told at school that I wouldn’t get any O Levels, and I had to pay to do Math as they didn’t think it was worth putting me in for the exam. I didn’t do brilliantly, but I left with the 5 O Levels I needed to get onto a technician apprenticeship scheme at British Airways. Flying runs in my family (my grandfather was a navigator of Wellington bombers in the Second World War and my great-grandfather was a founding member of the RAF), but I have terrible eyesight so this was the next best thing. Sadly, BA made lots of cuts soon after the apprenticeship so the opportunity ended there.

My career has been very varied. My first really exciting job was with a laser and electro-optics company called Rofin-Sinar during its start-up phase. I was taken under the wing of the chief technology officer, Dr. Robert Angus, who told me my talent would be wasted unless I went to university. I’d studied for the equivalent of A Levels at night school. These and the support of Dr Angus got me into Reading University to study cybernetics and control engineering — a forerunner to modern AI which was a super interesting degree.

But my path to where I am now has not been in a straight line. I followed a girl to Berlin (before the wall came down) where, alongside three days a week working for IBM, I learnt German. By then I was tired of engineering and wanted to do something new. I was very interested in rowing (I’d been on the crew at Reading, even beating Oxford University’s Blue Boat). So I applied to continue my studies at Cambridge University — keen to get onto their rowing team.

I applied to do teacher training, with a view to becoming a Physics teacher, but soon realized this wasn’t the right fit for me at the time. I talked myself onto a condensed law course, and graduated with a degree in law. I became involved in corporate law, which took me back to Berlin and privatization work in the former East Germany. I became fascinated with industry and business, and moved into investment banking for a while.

It’s been a rather circuitous route, but by this time I had amassed financial, legal and managerial skills alongside my engineering background, all of which laid the groundwork for where I am today. I realized I missed working in industry, so I joined an Internet software company. Technology has been a common thread for the last 20 years of my career, spanning networked data analytics to healthcare administration.

Are you working on any new or exciting projects now? How do you think that will help people?

Absolutely. I consider what I am doing now to be the great work of my life. In brief terms, Eagle Genomics is enabling a new era of understanding of the microbiome in the health of people and our planet, which will change everything. It was personal experience that put me on this path, which is worth explaining.

When I got involved with developing early-stage tech companies, it was at the start of the Internet boom, which soon turned to bust — and the stress nearly killed me. A duodenal ulcer led to diagnosis of an autoimmune disease. The doctors didn’t rate my chances, but I started reading, learning about the microbiome and its role in health and illness. Through an improved diet, exercise and the support of open-minded medical specialists, I made a full recovery. And my fascination with the role of the microbiome in health stayed with me. There is so much more to understand. And that’s the path Eagle Genomics is on, enabling deeper understanding of microbial interactions.

In terms of how it will help people, the world is beginning to realize that the microbiome is implicated in conditions such as obesity, metabolic syndrome, diabetes and hypertension. Even cancerous tumors have a microbiome signature. This knowledge is influencing immune-oncology interventions. It’s thought that a healthy microbiome can boost the efficacy of treatments, whereas chemotherapy damages the microbiome and can reduce the efficacy of other interventions. The connected scientific analysis our technology enables is critical in exploring these interrelationships.

In your opinion, what do you think makes your company or organization stand out from the crowd?

It’s the unique blend of network science, AI, multi-layered graph technology (for understanding the correlations between different types of data), causal interference programming, and our ability to apply all of this to further the world’s knowledge about the role of the microbiome. This is a highly complex field that has been poorly understood until now. It involves working at a nano scale with invisible organisms and, up to this point, sparse data. Causal interference programming enables root cause analysis, linking data and statistical models to infer causes of illness that can be further investigated.

Ok, thank you for that. I’d like to jump to the main focus of this interview. Has there ever been a time that someone told you something was impossible, but you did it anyway? Can you share the story with us? What was your idea? What was the reaction of the naysayers? And how did you overcome that?

The naysaying has been a constant throughout my career, and for the first half of it I believed people and had a chip on my shoulder. I would bang my head on the wall until it gave way. It’s why I did law, investment banking and so on — I was always trying to address perceived gaps in my capability set. That was until I finally realized that others don’t necessarily know any better, or have been conditioned to see barriers. One thing I will say about the many different paths I have pursued: it has made me more confident in alien environments. I am comfortable building into the empty space.

In the end, how were all the naysayers proven wrong? 🙂

I hope my tenacity speaks for itself. The “I’ll show them” mantra is a model we use to drive us on. It was certainly my narrative before, but now I am in a position where I am perfectly positioned to use all the skills and experience I have gained throughout my long and varied career to address a grand challenge, and that alone is what spurs me on now. This is my passion.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

My grandfather was a huge inspiration. He was a self-taught dilettante engineer, scientist and inventor. He designed and built amazing model airplanes, and even worked on an anti-gravity machine! It was super inspiring to a young boy to have such an eccentric grandfather. In so many ways I see his characteristics mirrored in me.

But I think the person that really transformed my fortunes, by having such faith in me, was Dr. Robert Angus, at the laser company I worked for early in my career — the one who encouraged me to go to university. He gave me the lift I needed, and wrote a letter of recommendation.

I owe a great deal to rowing too, as the great team sport that it is.

It must not have been easy to ignore all the naysayers. Did you have any experiences growing up that have contributed to building your resiliency? Can you share the story with us?

I’ve talked about my early years already. The fact that I turned my own health crisis 15 years ago into my life’s passion — this desire to inspire new medical breakthroughs using the latest technology and data science — is probably the strongest example of my turning things around. That tenacity was built on a lifetime’s experiences.

Based on your experience, can you share 5 strategies that people can use to harness the sense of tenacity and do what naysayers think is impossible? (Please share a story or an example for each)

I’ve probably already mentioned my best examples.

My main advice would be to abandon the belief that others know better, and start to trust your intuition. That’s very important.

I’ve also read a lot of strategy books, and still do — voraciously. This is crucial if you want to really understand an environment and get ahead of the current thinking.

The other thing, which I am very proud of here at Eagle Economics, is building the right team around you. You’ll never be successful unless you have the right people around you, to test out ideas with, especially at an early stage. This is as much about people’s mind-set and the culture you establish. You have to look beyond what’s on people resumes and understand their intrinsic motivation — do they want to share the journey you’re on?

What is your favorite quote or personal philosophy that relates to the concept of resilience?

I’m tremendously influenced by a whole range of philosophers, as well as mystics, Hindu philosophy, Buddhist philosophy and Taoism in China. I particularly like the concept of ‘Wu Wei’, which translates as ‘Doing, not doing’ — where you’re ‘working, but not working’ because you’re so aligned with what you’re trying to achieve and are harnessing the forces around you.

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.

This is something I would love to do more of — using my journey to excite and encourage others. Social mobility in the UK is collapsing. Not everyone has access to the kind of mentorship or the inspiration I had. So I would love to do more to help people on their journey to fulfilment- to counteract the influence of people who say they ‘can’t’.

I did start down this path for a while with Radouane Oudrhiri, our CTO. We tried talking to members of the particular trade department or government division about the concept of an alternative apprenticeship, one that equips people to make or do things and be entrepreneurial at the same time. There are lots of lessons you learn from making things that are important.

I was enormously inspired by Professor Neil Gershenfeld, the director of MIT’s Center for Bits and Atoms, who founded the ‘fab lab’ maker movement. He recognized that most students are stuck in their heads, and got people into the labs to inspire creativity and entrepreneurship.

Professor Gershenfeld work in connection with biology is fascinating too, particularly around the ‘rhizome’ — nature’s ‘3D printer’ (DNA is transcribed and then translated into protein). It provides inspiration for future technology, and unlocks some of the secrets of biology. He has been instrumental in my own focus on the science, but he’s also a fantastic example of someone who wants to inspire and enable others.

Can our readers follow you on social media?

Find me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonyfinbow/

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Anthony Finbow of Eagle Geonomics: “They Told Me It Was Impossible And I Did It Anyway” was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

It’s OK for ask for help, but “experts” aren’t always expert!! Illustrated in all of the above. But still be careful. When I first took ownership of the restaurant, I didn’t know anyone in New York. I was recommended a liquor lawyer who put my application in to the State Liquor Authority. We attended the Community Board meeting and did everything I thought we had to do. We were granted a license to serve beer and wine.

As part of our series about “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Became a Restauranteur”, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Elizabeth Green.

Elizabeth Green was brought up in London. After her divorce in 2007 she set off in 2009, for a ‘new life’ in New York. She only knew three people here, luckily one of them suggested she look on businessesforsale.com to buy a business. Surprising herself, she found a fabulous location in the West Village, opposite Washington Square Park, and she started her restaurant business. After a couple of incarnations, the restaurant became Planted, a plant-forward bistro. In 2020, although it was a lockdown year, for Elizabeth it was a busy, momentous year as she published her first book, ‘Not In The Script’, and opened Planted. This is her coming of age moment, her coming out of the shadows moment, her having a voice moment. She has three grown up children and two small grandsons in London, just a FaceTime away.

Can you tell us a story about the hard times that you faced when you first started your journey?

My journey is quite interesting. I have a great backstory, great for everyone except me. I like to joke, I’m a jokester, maybe to cover the hurt I have experienced with my family? I would like to do stand-up comedy, if I have the courage!! We’ll see.

I was brought up in London, I lived in India for two years and now I live and run my own plant-forward restaurant called Planted in New York.

My brother Sir Philip Green is a famous entrepreneur and billionaire businessman known and probably hated by many. He was knighted by the Queen in 2006. He owned Topshop in New York for ten years before it closed in June 2019.

My son the business journalist could tell you the whole, real, backstory. I can only tell you what it has been like being not loved, not included, and certainly not encouraged. My mother was besotted with her son, I called her flat the ‘Philip Green shrine,’ she had pictures of him on every wall, it looked like she only had a son.

This is all in my memoir. It’s called ‘Not in the Script.’ I called myself ‘the black sheep in the billionaire’s family.’ After my divorce, I escaped to New York to be away from the constant mention of him in the British newspapers, particularly the Daily Mail, which sometimes stretched the truth.

I was interviewed by the Daily Mail in October 2020 to precede the publication of my book, the headline read:

‘Sir Philip Green’s sister details in memoir her tempestuous relationship with billionaire brother’

I did not intend to buy a restaurant, it just sort of happened, I’d never run a business, much less a restaurant. I couldn’t have chosen anything harder if I’d tried. But I wouldn’t have learned the things I learned sitting in the pandemic in London. I do the payroll, my mother must be turning in her grave, she thought I couldn’t do figures, in fact she thought I couldn’t do anything.

To read the rest of my story you’ll find it in ‘Not in the Script’ or come by the restaurant for a mango lassi and I will autograph a book for you.

Where did you get the drive to continue even though things were so hard?

The good thing about being Sir Philip Green’s sister? I have some of his tenacious qualities. I have drive, I have persevered and pushed through and taken the knocks, just as he has.

I have a sticker on my fridge that says, ‘NEVER NEVER NEVER GIVE UP’. I believe that’s attributed to Winston Churchill.

Yes, I had a little extra money, but that would never have been enough to cover the pain and hurt from being raised in a family that did not show me love or support for anything I did.

So, how are things going today? How did grit and resilience lead to your eventual success?

I came to New York to start a new life in 2009. I always had this joke, if only my grandfather had stayed on the boat one more stop! He fled from Russia in 1900 with his ten brothers and sisters to escape persecution of the Jews, and some of them got off in England, some here. I’ve always wanted to be American, more outspoken, more grit, more upbeat, it seems to me. Just took me a while longer.

By coming here to New York, I learned things I never knew I needed to know. I had to put aside many of my precepts. All that stuff that runs through my mind every day. I declare to myself in the morning:

I’m good enough, I’m worthy, I can do whatever I say. I have to ask if I need something. I have to trust my gut and my instinct. I have to stop judging people, and at the same time be kind and compassionate.

That’s why I am on the path to success with my book and my restaurant, Planted. In the summer of 2020, I pivoted and changed the concept of the restaurant during the COVID-19 lockdown from comfort seafood to plant-forward bistro. It matches my own vegan diet and that was important to me.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

‘Laugher is very cleansing. Sidarji, the turbaned Sikh at the gate, does a laughing meditation. We just laugh, he has the most infectious laugh and you feel it in your belly, it shakes your very being. We had true belly laughs.’

Just a small quote from Chapter 14 of my memoir about my time with Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh guru in India in the 70s (watch the documentary about him on Netflix called Wild Wild Country).

Of course, running a restaurant, I am not having quite those sort of laughs, but most of the occasions that later were funny concerned alcohol. When left alone, cooks would help themselves to a drink or two, or more! Best remembrance is one night when I was sitting at home and I took a glance at the camera on my cellphone. I discovered the cooks were indeed in the kitchen drinking, drinking toasts to me, to the camera, raising a glass.

You have to admire their cheek, their boldness and well, just laugh.

And lock up the drink, make sure there is someone in charge at all times, and if you’re sure, write warnings and if it continues, fire the culprits.

What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?

Planted is an independent, woman-owned business. This stands out in an industry known for male restaurant owners financially backed. By accident, I found a fabulous West Village restaurant location after arriving in New York knowing nothing. Our restaurant stands out for the plant-based food, the service, the ambience, the location and the live jazz.

When the restaurant was Seabird, I was on Brighton Beach alone one summer’s day, and I needed some sun cream on my back. I saw a group of women sitting across the beach and went and asked them to help me. We get chatting and I am always interested in what people do. I tell them I have a restaurant in Manhattan and the name.

‘Oh I’ve been there, I had a first date there.’ One of the women tells me. We shriek and exchange names, numbers, cards, etc.

Fast forward: one night, maybe a year later, five women arrive at the restaurant, excited.

‘Do you remember us? We met on the beach.’

‘OMG, yes, how lovely to see you!’

They come in and drink cocktails and we take pictures. I feel hugely validate and love that I love to network.

We’ve put up a poster saying, ‘Planted owner writes memoir.’ Now I sell books as well as making sure my restaurant is popular. I’ve sold many with dinner.

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

I like to treat my staff well and have an open channel of communication with them. They know I’m a plain speaker, as is my consultant chef. Be straight with people. Don’t put up with things you know aren’t right. Strive for excellence, don’t compromise, and old fashioned maybe, but listen to your gut — mine is very good. Also, delegate. Have the whole weekend off when you can. Don’t be ‘married’ to the job. They won’t put on your headstone: ‘Worked hard’

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?

Yes, my friend Jake Stackhouse has been the head of my support team. First a quick thank you to my brother who gave me the money to get started on my first business venture in an unfamiliar country. My brother’s involvement ended at the money, and he asked his businessman friend Robert Earl, owner and founder of Planet Hollywood to mentor me. Robert passed me along to his manager at Planet and no question was ever a question too far for Jake.

We became fast friends. He has taught me a great deal. I ask about restaurant matters often. Now he talks to me about his job too. I learned patience from him, I learned to accept criticism without it being an assault on my character, and most of all I learned how to run a restaurant and manage people.

A few years ago on New Year’s Eve, Planet Hollywood held one of its big events and I went up there to be a helper, and pay something back. I had to arrive before 3pm as the police close the streets in readiness for New Year’s Eve in Times Square. I would be a greeter and the British people who were there for the event loved me. Even though I sometimes got things wrong, it was a blast, a busy, noisy and slightly drunken event.

At 11.45pm, Jake ushered myself and other staff outside onto a space reserved for us by the police. At midnight I would stand in awe with Jake and the others to watch the ball drop in Times Square, and wipe back tears as they blasted out ‘New York, New York,’ sung by Frank (Sinatra), of course. I felt very lucky in that moment. Our friendship still exists to this day.

How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?

I want to make a difference, I like to think I’ve made a difference. I am a huge supporter of people. I tell everyone they can have what they want. Ask my friends, they love and want to kill me sometimes in equal measure. I listen as well as I possibly can, that’s an art in itself. I speak my mind and I encourage everyone, always, ‘Speak your wants and desires out loud, into the universe so the universe can hear you,’ so that, as women we can stand up and have a voice.

My book ‘Not in the Script’ is an example of that. I knew if I wrote it, my family would be upset, and sure enough they are. I had to write it, I declared I wanted to be a writer aged 18 to my mother and I never gave up on that dream, so now, aged 72 I realized my dream. That should be encouragement enough, to follow your dreams, always.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me before I started leading my company” and why. Please share a story or example for each.

NUMBER 1: Don’t wait for approval in life or in business. Consult, by all means, but don’t settle for less than your vision. When I started to set up my new restaurant, I was sure I wanted to have a vegan concept. ‘Oh no,’ people said, so I put an advert on Indeed for a new chef last January and got 110 replies, and with the help of Jake and his team, picked a consultant chef. After much discussion we couldn’t quite work things out, so we didn’t move ahead. I brought two restaurant trained friends on board. After two weeks it was evident they could not do the job. A little embarrassed, uncomfortable but determined, I called the original chef back and asked her to work with me and she agreed. I chose the name Planted, it was my pick and she loved it too.

She came to work with me and we are now ‘plant based,’ serving the most delicious food, loved by all who try it. We added fish and chicken for those who can’t face beautiful vegetables yet!

NUMBER 2: It’s OK for ask for help, but “experts” aren’t always expert!! Illustrated in all of the above. But still be careful. When I first took ownership of the restaurant, I didn’t know anyone in New York. I was recommended a liquor lawyer who put my application in to the State Liquor Authority. We attended the Community Board meeting and did everything I thought we had to do. We were granted a license to serve beer and wine.

Five years later, as I’m applying for a license to play live music, yes the SLA has to give you a special license, it comes to light the lawyer started to apply to serve drinks outside on the patio, but at the last moment he cancelled that portion of the application.

Turns out we’ve been serving drinks outside without a license for five years. In the end with the help of another liquor lawyer who abandoned me midway to get married, I made the many calls to the SLA and resolved it myself. I went alone to the Community Board, in fact I went so many times in 2019 they asked me not to come back. So the last time I needed to go I reminded them of that, and they gave me a waiver. Yes, sometimes you can just do it yourself, with a little help.

NUMBER 3: Follow your gut when managing your staff. The hardest part of running a restaurant is managing the staff, the customers are a breeze. If you have a feeling someone isn’t doing a good job, they probably aren’t. It’s difficult with a small business because if you fire one person, you’re many people down, they might be very important. But trust yourself.

Recently, in these pandemic times, a server I knew came by and asked for a job. I knew he’d worked in a large restaurant setting. His work was sound, if a little unruly. I arrive one morning, and he’s round the side of the restaurant, mask pulled down, having a cigarette and talking up close to a homeless guy. When I go inside the restaurant, the cook is upstairs, watching the place, because the server asked him to whilst he has his cigarette break. First of many such breaks, cook can’t get his work done. We had to tell him it won’t work out, even though we really needed him. In a large restaurant, behavior can be hidden better, but in a small restaurant it is all out there to be seen. Personable but unruly.

NUMBER 4: You will always be the first person to be blamed if something goes wrong. DON’T TAKE ANYTHING PERSONALLY. At the end of the day, things go wrong, not your fault. It’s OK to apologize. An apology means you’re taking responsibility, it doesn’t mean you are to blame or you’re wrong. It just shows you have empathy.

NUMBER 5: If you are a woman, you will be spoken down to often, expect it. I didn’t. Great example: At one time, I had three male business partners, one of whom was in sole charge of financial matters — big mistake. I found out the hard way when I had to remove him and the other partners too in a hostile way. I went to the bank for them to be taken off the bank account. I sat down with Eric, the bank manager, and he showed me a letter on his computer screen from the financial partner saying:

‘TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN [Partner’s Name] IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE COMPANY AND HAS COMPLETE CONTROL OVER ALL BANK ACCOUNTS.’

Except it was a lie, I was (and still am) the President and the letter was forged, as was the signature.

I explained, I’m the President, but to prove it I had to bring in bank statements, a utility bill, passport, and the company documents.

When the partner established himself as ‘President,’ all he’d had to do was produce a letter on company letterhead (forged as well). Oh, I had to do that too.

Discrimination? When they asked my former male partner who I was, as we’d all initially gone into the bank together to sign up for the new accounts — he told the bank manager I was the secretary.

You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂

As mentioned, I spent a couple of years in the 70s with a guru in India, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, I was a sannyasin. I write about him in my memoir as he said some very special things. I quoted Rajneesh:

‘A life without love is a life not worth living’

Healing, for my life, your life and business too.

After all my years of searching for love all around me, I discovered I need to love myself, in order to be loveable. And then find ‘my person.’

I just watched a movie about Bob Marley. He summed it up well:

‘I don’t really have no ambition you know. I only have one thing I’d really like to see happen. I’d like to see Mankind live together, Black, White, Chinese, everyone. That’s all.’

How can our readers follow you on social media?

Planted’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/planted.ny/

Elizabeth’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/libbynotinthescript/

Planted’s Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/Planted-102423318279163

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Elizabeth Green of ‘Planted’: 5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Became a Restauranteur was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Betsy Scanlan of The Good Patch: 5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started Leading a CBD Business

You will have imposter syndrome for the first year of your startup. I had no idea what I didn’t know, after running the company for a year, I was an expert. No one knows my company better than me.

As part of my series about “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started Leading a Cannabis Business” I had the pleasure of interviewing Betsy Scanlan of The Good Patch.

While engaged in an 18-year career in Real Estate, ranging from agent to contractor to investor and property preservation company CEO, Betsy Scanlan acted as the primary caregiver to four family members during their losing battle with cancer and the chief cheerleader to one whose fight is so far successful. From the fear she witnessed at the initial diagnosis to the pain and fatigue brought on by various treatment protocols to the grim courage required to soldier on and finally to the grace she beheld in late night prayers and early morning goodbyes, she was profoundly moved and inspired to participate, advocate and contribute to the important work of using cannabis to alleviate both the agony and the anxiety of those who are suffering.

Ms. Scanlan began participating in the medical cannabis industry as an investor in 2012 through The Arcview Venture Capital Fund. She was the founder and CEO of The Downing Group which was developing OTC products integrating CBD into gels, creams and patches in order to reduce inflammation, pain, fatigue, nausea, anxiety and loss of appetite for those undergoing chemotherapy or radiation treatments. In mid 2017, she was contacted by a close friend to help create CBD and Plant based ingredients for the topical patch market. The Good Patch was born. She is also an active investor and participant in the process of gaining legislative approval for the use of medical marijuana in Tennessee.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you share with us the story about what brought you to this specific career path?

I had several family members succumb to cancer and wanted to find a way to lessen their suffering. My initial goal was to create products that would mitigate the side effects of chemo and radiation. While pursuing that goal my sister in law called me to join her and a friend to get in the CBD world and my trajectory changed. I am thrilled she thought of me, we’ve had a blast!

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

The one thing I have learned from leading, in any capacity, deals with ego or the loss of one’s ego. It’s like being a parent — there is no more “me” it is about this entity that is totally dependent on you to provide its every need.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

I have made so many mistakes on this journey and most of them weren’t funny. However, on one trip to the West Coast, I was so tired that I rubbed tincture on my face thinking it was face serum and my partner Kelly looked across the table and commented on how strange my complexion looked. We laughed so damn hard. We try to be on top of everything, but sometimes it’s not possible! Of course, this was after we had been traveling nonstop. The lesson learned — look at labels!

Are you working on any exciting projects now? How do you think that will help people?

We are constantly working on new and exciting products. Usually, our customers reach out and ask us to create something they wish they had. That is usually the genesis of our products, and all our products aim to help people with life’s everyday ailments.

Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?

My husband, Bill, he is a husband extraordinaire! Anytime I, or the company, needed someone to do something he was always there! Once we needed a PO in an emergency, so he got in his car and drove all day and night to get it to the warehouse — I’ll always be grateful for all his help.

Do you use any clever and innovative marketing strategies that you think large legacy companies should consider adopting?

The CBD industry is notorious for having to be clever regarding social media. I would love to be able to have a level playing field with other industries but we just aren’t there yet! If anyone has anything to offer, I am all ears!

Can you share 3 things that most excite you about the Cannabis industry? Can you share 3 things that most concern you?

I get really excited about new products, delivery mechanisms and what new discoveries are happening in research.

Research into Cancer and Cannabis — those results I believe will be momentous in years to come.

This plant is amazing, we know just a fraction of its potential, I can’t wait to see what transpires in the future.

One of the most disconcerting issues is the delay of the rules and regulations we have all been waiting for from the FDA. Shady players concern me, they can be detrimental to the whole industry.

Can you share your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started Leading a Cannabis Business”? Please share a story or example for each.

1) You will have imposter syndrome for the first year of your startup. I had no idea what I didn’t know, after running the company for a year, I was an expert. No one knows my company better than me.

2) Educate yourself with all things financial: board meetings, terminology: preferred stock, common stock, cap tables, contracts, liquidation preferences etc. Early on an investor walked up to me and started a conversation and asked what our cap table looked like; I had heard of a cap table but not much other than that. My response was a mumble. Since then, I understand what a Cap table is and know that it’s no one’s business unless they are in due diligence with a serious term sheet.

3) 1 Startup year in Cannabis = One Dog year = 7 human years — no explanation needed

4) Watch out for the unscrupulous. I learned this one in the school of hard knocks! I got into the business in 2017 and a large majority of players were conmen/conwomen. Lesson learned: keep my mouth shut and listen. Watch what people do and not what they say. If you are around long enough, you know who lands in which category: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly!

5) Follow your own True North. Everyone will have an opinion on how to do something better than you. Remember no one knows your business better than you

What advice would you give to other CEOs or founders to help their employees to thrive?

Have a quick weekly update where everyone can talk about updates (hits/ misses). This keeps everyone connected in this remote and isolated world. Face to face as much as possible and always be available.

If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂

Already done- Pay it forward- regardless of the context or business!

What is the best way our readers can follow you on social media?

https://www.instagram.com/thegoodpatch/

https://www.facebook.com/mygoodpatch/

https://www.pinterest.com/TheGoodPatchLaMend/_created/

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Betsy Scanlan of The Good Patch: 5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started Leading a CBD… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Dr. Tom Lutz of Repour: 5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Became A Founder

Failure is a part of success. Part of succeeding as an entrepreneur is failure. How you deal with failure will determine whether you achieve success or not.

As part of my series about the leadership lessons of accomplished business leaders, I had the pleasure of interviewing Tom Lutz, Ph.D.

With a doctorate in chemistry and a career in product development, Tom is no stranger to innovation and bringing new products to market. His experience extends across a variety of consumer-packaged goods (CPG) industries — from laundry detergents to aquarium and pet products.

After pouring yet another bottle of oxidized wine down the drain five years ago, he knew there had to be a better way of preserving wine. So, he got to work. Eighteen months later, the result is Repour — the first wine preservation product on the market using oxygen absorption to eliminate all the oxygen in a bottle of wine, completely stopping the degradation process. With Repour’s patented technology, keeping an open bottle of wine fresh is as easy as putting a stopper in a bottle.

Since Repour’s launch in late 2017, wine professionals and consumers around the world have adopted Repour as their wine-saving tool of choice.

Outside of developing innovative new products, Tom’s passions are his family and triathlons — he’s completed fourteen Ironman competitions since 2003!

Thank you so much for joining us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

I’ve always enjoyed problem solving. More specifically, I love using science to address real world problems with real world solutions. Six years ago, I was keeping an eye on our two-week-old newborn son in the middle of the night while my wife was sleeping. On the couch at 2:00 a.m., I started thinking about that leftover half bottle of wine we had just poured down the drain. My wife was starting to enjoy wine again after our son’s birth, but we didn’t have the chance to finish that bottle before it became oxidized and undrinkable.

As someone who has always enjoyed wine, I knew that oxygen causes wine to go bad. I also knew that the only way to keep an opened bottle of wine fresh was to get rid of all of the oxygen in the bottle. At the time, there was no solution currently on the market that effectively accomplished this.

As a chemist and problem solver, that’s when I had my aha moment. I realized I could use an oxygen scavenging technology that had never been applied to wine preservation before. Using my professional experience bringing consumer products to market and business skills developed through the years, I set off on my journey into wine preservation and entrepreneurship.

Can you tell us a story about the hard times that you faced when you first started your journey?

I’ve found that success in being a founder and leader of a company comes not from being good at something, but from being aware of the things I’m not good at. Then, quickly finding advice or help from people who are.

We had this great technology that was actually saving open bottles of wine. I didn’t trust my own palate enough. So, after a year of testing we solicited a local sommelier group who conducted a blind taste study using what is now Repour against alternative preservation options. Quite humbly, the technology overdelivered and we quickly knew it was time to bring the product to market. The only problem, we didn’t have a brand or name for it yet.

As the inventor and founder, I wanted to put my own touch on the brand name. My wife (also a scientist) and I racked our brains for weeks trying to come up with a name. The best we came to was “Echo” to represent the wine returning to you as you had it when you first opened it. Realizing there had to be a better name out there, we turned to a local entrepreneur support group and branding agency. We quickly settled on Repour.

Where did you get the drive to continue even though things were so hard?

I’ve always had a very high internal drive and motivation to succeed. In my personal life, I’ve enjoyed taking on the challenge of long-distance triathlons (the Ironman distance). In races of ten or more hours, something will always go wrong and at some point, you won’t feel the best. Yet triathlons have taught me that strong preparation and an attitude of adjustment to adversity can get you through an awful lot.

I take that same approach to the challenges we face in our business. Yes, things will go wrong, but how you respond to those challenges will chart the next steps for your business. It’s also important to realize that the course will change. You have to be able to accept intermediate failure and setbacks. Then, move forward without dwelling on them.

So, how are things going today? How did grit and resilience lead to your eventual success?

COVID and the world today couldn’t be a stronger example of taking things as they come and making the most of what you have available. In the beginning, our business philosophy was to target wine industry experts (high end restaurants, top Sommeliers around the world, etc.), followed by layering in a focus for home wine preservation needs years later.

Our go to market strategy was building wonderfully, then COVID hit. In March 2020, 90% or more of our customers literally shut down overnight. Rather than lick our wounds, we immediately scaled back our overhead and asked ourselves what we could do in this current market environment. We quickly accepted that our existing customer base of restaurants, bars and resorts were going to be idle for a long time. So, we pivoted our energy, focus, and business strategy.

The audience of at home use was completely different from our core customer base before COVID. We had to build marketing initiatives and structure around sharing our message to this audience. The grit to scale back our business, challenge everything we were doing, and ask everyone to wear multiple hats, has led to an amazing transition with a rapidly growing successful new customer base for Repour use at home.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

We ran a Kickstarter campaign as part of our launch. In the campaign, we called our product the “Repour Smart Stopper.” The campaign was going well, but we kept getting questions around the “smart stopper” name. We (and the branding agency we partnered with) thought it was a clever way of calling out how easy to use and effective our product was.

In reality, we couldn’t have been more wrong. Everyone was looking for the electronics (of which there are none) and how that was supposed to save their wine. In the end, this made us realize that clarity over being clever is the way to go for our brand, which is now the Repour Wine Saver.

What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?

Before Repour, two thoughts came to mind regarding wine preservation: gimmick or expensive. Previous products either didn’t work at all and were perceived as gimmicks OR to be effective they had to be expensive and often hard to use.

Nearly every day we hear a story of a customer that looks at Repour and says, “How can that little stopper keep my wine fresh?” Then, they come back after a week or two of using Repour in awe of how well it works and that it’s really as easy as putting a stopper in a bottle.

Repour stands out because it truly under promises and over delivers in wine preservation.

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

There is always going to be more to do than time in the day. Make sure to take time for yourself and your family. It’s the hardest thing to do and something of which I personally need to keep reminding myself.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?

I live in Cedar Rapids, IA, which has a robust entrepreneur environment and a community truly built on helping one’s neighbor. The success we’ve had comes on the backs and generosity of so many people who have lent their time and talents, not the least of which are my parents. At 70 years old, they’ve spent countless hours helping. They’ve done it all, from packing Repour stoppers into their retail boxes to picking up packing materials from a factory 200 miles away and driving through the night to make sure we hit a deadline early in our business. Their support has been invaluable to our early success.

How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?

We work with other local startup businesses to help mentor and support them in their journey, as so many had done for us. We also work to support up and coming sommeliers and students studying wine with programs that help them in their wine education endeavors.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me before I started leading my company” and why. Please share a story or example for each.

1. To start a new business takes twice as much time and twice as much money as you expect under your most honest forecast. I’ve been around and involved in a number of startup businesses. In all cases, even using the most conversative sales and growth plans, every single one has taken at least twice as much start-up money and twice as long to hit their original business plans (if they make it that far).
2. Overnight success comes after years of hard work. Most people look at a successful business and think the success happens overnight. Very few, if any, success stories follow this trajectory. The trigger of high sales that appears outwardly as an overnight success has been built on years of foundation, sometimes within that business and sometimes from failures of others along the way.
3. Recognize your weaknesses and don’t be afraid to accept help and advice. As an entrepreneur, we’re often driven into working for ourselves for the independence and autonomy it brings. Ironically, I’ve found the best way to succeed as a startup, was to realize that I don’t know everything and to turn to subject matter experts to guide me to the right answers. My business is so much stronger and better as a result.
4. Be vulnerable and don’t fear mistakes. Fail Fast! In any new business, certain things work well and others don’t. You won’t know if something will resonate with your target audience and customers until you try it. Don’t be afraid to try something new, but also don’t feel so committed that you can’t pull the plug when it’s not working.
5. Failure is a part of success. Part of succeeding as an entrepreneur is failure. How you deal with failure will determine whether you achieve success or not.

For each of us failure will look different. For me, it was a failed first entrepreneur business venture and lots of life lessons that came from it.

You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂

The world around us is such an amazing thing. Through the world of wine, I’ve had the opportunity to travel to some amazing places and meet incredible people. It’s an industry of passion, food and beauty. I’d inspire a movement that would help others see the beauty of nature, from around the world to our own back door. A movement that would make us pause from our crazy day to day and take a minute to just enjoy.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

Instagram: @repourwinesaver

https://www.instagram.com/repourwinesaver/

https://www.repour.com/

Facebook: @repourwinesaver

https://www.facebook.com/repourwinesaver

Twitter: @repourwinesaver

https://twitter.com/repourwinesaver

LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-lutz-ph-d-12484910/

This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!

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Dr Tom Lutz of Repour: 5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Became A Founder was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.