Disruption, Community, and Turning 'No' into Opportunity: Women Transforming Ideas into Action

What do the first Indian woman to own a US winery, the first female Mexican wine importer, a Scandinavian organic cocktail bitters producer, a music industry pro turned liqueur maker, and a wine maker using whisky bottles all have in common?

Disruption.

The spirit to be unafraid to challenge the norm and do things differently.

So in celebration of Women's History Month, I'm revisiting the recent Women in Craft Summit, and panel discussion on Female Founders and Disruptors, to share the stories and lessons from five female leaders who are challenging their part of the drinks category.

Challenging Industry Norms
For Joy Merrilees, VP of Production for Shannon Family of Wines and Founder of High Chaparral Spirits, bucking trends is part of her love of innovation. When Shannon Family launched the Buck Shack brand, they aged red wines in bourbon barrels and bottled them in clear whiskey bottles – a move that industry insiders rejected immediately.

"Everyone told us you can't have a fat whiskey bottle in the wine section, or red wine in clear glass," Joy said. "We came up against so many no's, and we stuck with our guns. We just said we love this concept, we're going to continue forward with it." If you have any doubt about that decision, the brand now sells 100,000 cases.

For Laurel Canyon Spirits co-founder and music industry executive, Dayna Turcotte, disruption came from an unexpected place. After a 100-foot sycamore tree fell on their home in the Hollywood Hills, she and her musician husband Bryan created handmade coffee liqueur as Holiday gifts in their kitchen while they repaired their home. For 15 years, Dayna and Bryan trialed different coffees and techniques, before landing on the final launch recipe for Black Hjerte Coffee Liqueur.

The Turcottes, together with business partners Nathan and Tammy Ehrenfeld, had their first commercial bottling in late 2019 and went about finding a wholesale distributor. A friend made an introduction to a contact at Southern Glazers and within three months (and despite the pandemic shutdowns), Southern took on the brand and Laurel Canyon took off. Still today, sales continue to grow, with the Black Hjerte Coffee Liqueur leading the way. "You can look at it as in three months we had distribution," Dayna explained. "But really it took 15 years of test marketing and creating this product over time."

Turning "No" into Opportunity
Rejection for these female leaders isn't a roadblock – Neeta Mittal, co-founder of Paso Robles' LXV Wine and the first Indian woman to own a winery in the US, has a refreshing perspective on hearing "no."

"I think no comes in two forms," Neeta explained. "There is a well-intentioned no when somebody really means well... And then there's the well-informed no. It's the people in the industry who know the industry, who know the vision behind this industry."

When faced with setbacks, instead of being discouraged, Neeta uses SWOT analysis to transform threats into opportunities, recognizing the importance of knowing your threats in order to turn them into opportunities. "Threats don't become opportunity just because you want them to, but you work at it, and if you succeed to do that, it somehow it becomes your strength."

When industry veterans questioned Neeta's unconventional approach of pairing her wines with the spices inspired by her global travels, she conducted extensive research with tasting room visitors to refine her concept of spices and wine. The result?  LXV Wine is now recognized as offering one of the leading wine experiences, attracting a younger audience that the wine industry has been struggling to reach. Consumers can also purchase the spice blends on site or have shipped to home.

Michelle Martain, owner of LMA Wines, the largest importer of Mexican wine to the US, shared a similar philosophy: "I don't believe in no, and can't because I think that becomes that comes from our fear, actually."  When Michelle first arrived in San Diego, California with just a backpack and three bottles of Mexican wine, she faced skepticism and dismissal. As a young woman breaking into the highly competitive US wine market, with a portfolio sourced from an unknown area, restaurant owners would either scoff at the idea of Mexican wine or expect bargain prices.

"One of the keys to overcome obstacles is to keep believing in you, and keep believing in what you're selling or what you are presenting," Michelle advised. "When you believe in yourself, then you transmit those to your clients, and that's where the magic comes."

The Power of Community
For these women, success isn't a solo pursuit. Gigi Schrøeder, owner of Seiers Scandinavian Bitters, emphasized that community building is fundamental to business growth.  Her organic cocktail bitters, designed by mixologists for mixologists, embody collaboration at their core. Cocktail bitters are used to enhance other ingredients, so integrating with other products and the community is necessary for Seiers to be successful. "Well, I can tell you it's make it or break it. If you want to make it, you have to make sure that you can do community."

Gigi shared how industry hospitality, open conversations, and informal networking led to introductions, local market partners and solid business relationships. "The most important thing when you meet people, do it with honesty, and do it because you want to, and not because you want to gain something," she advised. "Think, what can I do to help you? Because if you think about this, they would feel the honesty and the authenticity in the way that you're acting."

Neeta echoed this sentiment, drawing from her cultural background: "I come from a country of 1.4 billion people. Community is what we do. It's in our DNA." For her, community isn't just about support – it's about collective IQ and growth. She emphasized that communities can form around shared intentions, bringing together diverse individuals united by a common purpose. "Community is what informs us."

Staying True to Yourself
Perhaps the most powerful message from the panel is the importance of authenticity. In an industry often resistant to change, staying true to your vision is revolutionary, especially when times are tough or when it may be tempting to acquiesce for a quick win.

As Dayna put it, "It's really important to be very clear on what you want and why you want it. If you understand your intentions and you're really clear with what you want, there is no no. You're going to keep going until you find the yes."

Joy closed out the session with her sentiment on the topic, "Be your authentic self, there's nothing more important than that." Joy also noted that for her High Chaparral Spirits Gin, the back label includes the ingredients "tenacity and grit" - a reminder of the non-negotiable elements required for every bottle to be created.

In honor of International Women's Day and Women's History Month, SommCon is making all sessions from the Women in Craft conference, available for the month of March. For $48, you can access all session replays on-demand – featuring presentations from Marian Leitner-Waldman from Archer Roose, Robin McBride from McBride Sisters, Rachel Martin from Oceano Zero, and many more pioneering women in the industry who have stories of community, disruption, and persistence.

One of the inspiring parts about the ABG community is the thousands of women around the world getting up every day to disrupt, innovate, and create a thriving industry. And that's worth raising a glass to, today and every day.

Cheers,
Beck