Tap into your entrepreneurial spirit and work for yourself.
By Karen M. Wetzel
Dreaming of becoming your own boss in the wine industry? In today’s digital world, you can make those dreams come true with not much more than a computer, an internet connection and an entrepreneurial spirit.
There are many avenues to choose from, and most self-employed wine bosses offer several products or services.
Seminars & Tastings
If you enjoy sharing your wine knowledge, try hosting seminars or tastings. Strong content development, presentation and interpersonal skills are key for success.
Hailey Bohlman, who founded the multifaceted Cork & Fizz, offers several types of seminars and tastings for private parties (bachelorette, girls’ night out, couples game night) and also conducts events at wine shops. By getting to know her clients, she can customize a program best suited to their needs. She charges a per-person fee and offers add-ons such as charcuterie boards to increase revenue.
Bohlman promotes the business on her robust Instagram account, @corkandfizz, as well as her popular podcast. She also reaches out directly to local companies and organizations to offer her services for employee parties and team-building events.
She finds the work fulfilling, but offers a word of caution: “When working with alcoholic beverages, the licensing situation can get complicated. Be sure you are following state and federal laws about buying, selling and serving alcoholic beverages.”
Wine Influencer
As I mentioned, Bohlman uses her social media presence to reach potential clients. But you can also monetize your social media efforts as a Wine Influencer by promoting wine brands and businesses. You’ll need to be social-media savvy and have the ability to create engaging content. Wine knowledge can also be valuable as, according to Colangelo & Partners, “53% of wine influencers have some level of WSET certification.”
Josh Baldovino, co-host of the Share the Lohr podcast, recommends you start by posting about wines you are already drinking and tag the brand for free. This helps build relationships and gets you noticed. Influencer Paige Comrie says that, once she got started, she experienced slow but steady growth and now has 36,000+ followers, which is a draw for companies looking to promote their brands and products on social media.
According to Stack Influence, there are a number of ways to earn income as an influencer.
- Sponsored content generates income when a brand pays you to feature their product or services on social media. This can be lucrative for those with even modest followings, as they can earn hundreds of dollars per post, and top influencers can make $1,000 or more for a single post.
- Commission-based affiliate partnerships give you the opportunity to promote products or services for another company using a unique link to share with your followers. In turn, you are paid commissions for the business you generate from this link.
- You can also create your own merchandise (such as e-guides and courses) to sell directly to your followers.
Wine Writer
There are many opportunities to earn money by penning articles for wine and wine-related publications. According to the WSET, you’ll need to be able to write in a meaningful and engaging manner and have knowledge and understanding of the subject.
Wine writer Sedale McCall holds his WSET 2 certificate and started his writing journey during the Black Lives Matter movement. He wrote an article about black-owned wine labels for start-up publication Vintner Project and, much to his surprise, they sent him a check! This inspired him to make similar connections with other popular wine publications. Now he’s getting solid recognition and has a steady stream of work.
Compensation for professional writers varies by publisher. They usually either pay by the word or negotiate a flat commission per article. Below are just a few of the many publications that might consider publishing your articles:
- Wine Industry Advisor – publisher@wineindustryadvisor.com
- Wine Enthusiast Pitch Guide
- SevenFifty – editor@sevenfifty.com
- VinePair Pitch Guide
You might also consider writing for your local newspaper or create books and guides that you can market and sell directly through your social media platform or by partnering with a wine influencer.
If you’re considering hosting a wine-related podcast, stay tuned for next month’s article.
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This series is designed to help you find your place in our industry. Please send any ideas, topics or questions you’d like us to address to Karen.wetzel@outlook.com